After requests for services were up by 53 per cent, 12 sexual assault centres in the province, including Waypoints, received government funding to expand their services.
Alicia Teasdale, Sexual Assault Program Director at Waypoints told MyMurray that they will be hiring an extra trauma counsellor, one full time position dedicated to police and court support services and two more outreach positions.
Teasdale believes the increase in need for sexual assault services stems from the attention sparked in the news and on social media.
“There have been a lot of high profile convictions that have occurred and there is a ton of social media campaigns really encouraging people to shatter the silence that exists around sexual violence so I think folks find it easier to come forward and report it and access services,” said Teasdale.
Since August 2017, there has been a waitlist for people in the region to access sexual assault services in the community and Teasdale hopes this funding will help them offer their services in a more timely manner to avoid exposing victims to further trauma.
May is also sexual assault prevention month and Waypoints is hosting a number of events to help end stigmas around sexual violence and get the word out.
“People are becoming more aware of what we do in the community and recognize that there is actually a service for them to access, so there are lots of new things coming to Waypoints and our community,” said Teasdale.
Waypoints kicked off the month with a barbecue on May 1 at jubilee plaza. More information about events being held in the region to raise awareness on sexual violence can be found on Waypoints Facebook page.
