Avalon Centre Provides a variety of services including:
* Individual Counselling
* Support and Therapy Groups
* Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program
* Information Sessions/Workshops
* Information and Referral
* Advocacy
* Community Education and Training
* Legal Support and Advocacy Program
* Referrals to related services, services for male survivors and children under the age of 16
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE):
Avalon's 24/7 SANE Response Line responds to all sexual assaults which occurred within the last 72 hours. Our counselling services are provided to women and trans individuals age 16 and older. There is a fee for service for professional development. Our services are provided by professional staff in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.
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Avalon Sexual Assault Centre strongly believes that sexualized violence is a gendered and misogynist crime. Avalon Centre’s vision is to eliminate sexual assault/abuse and change the current socio-political culture that fosters sexism, social injustice and other forms of oppression. Central to Avalon Centre’s model is a feminist analysis of sexualized violence which informs Avalon Centre’s approach to education, services, and community mobilization. Feminist analysis asserts that sexualized violence exists because of power imbalances rooted in patriarchy and gender inequality as well as other forms of oppression and systemic inequalities based on gender/sex, age, race/ethnicity, class, ability, and religion. Sexualized violence is regarded as gendered because the majority of those victimized are female (86%) and the majority of perpetrators are male (98%) regardless of the victim’s gender. People who identify as transgender, gender queer, or who do not identify with a gender at all face disproportionate rates of sexualized violence (50%-80%) and may experience greater difficulty accessing support and services because of their gender identity. Racialized women and women living with disabilities are also disproportionately targeted for sexualized victimization compared to other women. Our counselling program provides therapeutic counselling services for women and trans people 16 and older. However, the centre itself is not a female-only space. Information and support services are available for supportive partners and non-offending parents. These programs were borne out of clients wanting support from significant people in their lives. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program provides medical follow up, forensic evidence collection, options information, support and referral after immediate sexual assault to all ages/all genders. We work with all members of the general public, victims/survivors, and service providers through our public awareness and community education/training program. Avalon Centre strongly believes that in order for systemic violence/oppression and male violence against women to be eradicated we need to work with all populations within our communities and Province. While it may not be possible or appropriate for Avalon to provide direct services to everyone it is important to continue to work with other organizations and with the community to address all aspects of how sexualized violence impacts us all. While Avalon Centre recognizes that the dynamic of dominance, control, and oppression is reflected in all acts of sexualized violence regardless of the gender of the perpetrator or of the person who has experienced sexualized violence, we also work in specialized ways to address misogyny and male violence against women. Recently we launched the I Don’t Owe You Campaign http://avaloncentre.ca/campaigns/i-dont-owe-you/
In April and May we engaged in a Feminist Speaking Tour using the I Don’t Owe You Campaign to address misogyny, male entitlement to women’s and trans peoples’ bodies, and sexualized violence. While we continue to advocate for systemic change that challenges all forms of violence and oppression and to collaborate with community partners to address service delivery gaps and barriers in HRM and Nova Scotia for all victims, we also stay committed to challenging and ending misogyny and male violence against women.
