THE 24/7 CRISIS PHONE LINE

Centre pour les victimes d’agression sexuelle de Montréal

The Centre pour les victimes d’agression sexuelle de Montréal has been serving clients since 1980. It was initially created to provide an alternative service that was free, complete and bilingual (French/English) to meet the needs of recent victims of sexual assault in a confidential, non-judgmental atmosphere.

During its first years of operation, the Centre was open to victims of all ages, but the overwhelming response and numerous requests from victims of sexual abuse and childhood incest forced the Centre to make a choice regarding its targeted clientele. Now, the Centre serves adult women and men who are recent victims of sexual assault, and survivors of sexual abuse and incest and their families.

Services provided include:

• 24/7 medical and legal assistance. In partnership with CLSC Métro and the Montreal General Hospital, the Centre intervenes with recent victims and accompanies them from the initial contact through crisis intervention, medical exams, medical follow-up and treatment, and provides information about police and legal procedures.
• 24/7 crisis phone line. Open to people of all ages who are in a crisis, who want to share or who need information and references.
• Individual counselling (professional service).
• Training.
• Community action service. Promotes projects and actions related to the problem of sexual violence.  

In 1983, the Centre realized that it needed to become more accessible.  Staff members at the Centre already knew that a large number of victims preferred to get help by talking on a crisis line because it ensured  anonymity and confidentiality. The challenge was to staff a crisis line with limited financial means.

The only viable option was to recruit a team of volunteers to accept the challenge. But monetary motives were not the only ones dictating the Centre’s approach; it was also driven by the benefits and help that volunteers could provide.  Victims benefit from active listening that is respectful, non-judgmental, warm, and provided graciously and generously by members of the community who chose to be on the other end of the line. This philosophy has continued to inspire and guide us for the past 24 years.

The Centre has never abandoned the crisis line, even when it had difficulty recruiting enough  volunteers to cover all of the work shifts. Simply put, the longevity of the crisis line and the multiple opportunities that it provides to members of our community underline the importance that the Centre places on our volunteers and their training. Last year, the Centre received the 2007 Hommage bénévolat-Québec award, in the “Organization in action” category.

The crisis phone line service is unique to Montréal. The  telephone number is located in the first few pages of Bell Canada’s telephone directory. Since 1983, the crisis line has received 73,229 calls. Volunteers  have spent 142,302 hours  listening. Clients range from  a recent victim of sexual assault who is terrorized and does not know who to turn to, to a mother who recently learned that her
10-year-old daughter was sexually abused by her spouse, to an incest victim who has awakened  at 4 a.m. after a nightmare and to a student studying police foundations who needs information to complete a class project.

We recruit volunteers twice a  year. Every volunteer participates in an intensive and mandatory training session that lasts 40 hours. Over the years, 500 volunteers have been trained during 45 training sessions. The Centre provides volunteers with the opportunity to develop new skills and abilities and also the chance to get involved helping to address a social problem of great importance. The volunteers have shown us that they are happy to have the opportunity to help victims of sexual assault.

The 24/7 crisis line of the Centre pour les victimes d’agression sexuelle de Montréal exists and will continue to operate throughout the years because of the benefits it provides to victims; a warm greeting from volunteers and the feeling that they are being listened to and believed. The impact of this response should never be underestimated.  

Deborah Trent, MSW
Director