To Access Avalon’s Services:
Avalon Centre’s services are available to women aged 16 years and older, who are dealing with issues of sexual assault/sexual abuse. Services are also available for non-offending parents of sexually abused children. Our services are provided by professional staff and trained casual workers. Services are free of charge, confidential and non-judgmental. We do ask for a small fee, based on ability to pay, for group participation. This helps to offset some of the costs associated with special materials for group work.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. To find out more information, or to request an appointment, please call 422-4240 during office hours.

Avalon SANE Response Line
In collaboration with Help Line, Avalon now provides a 24/7 Response Line for individuals who have experienced a sexual assault within the past 7 days. This line is available after hours, on weekends, and on holidays. To access the Response Line call 425-0122. This rings to Help Line. In a case of an immediate sexual assault, the Help Line volunteer will page the on call SANE who will contact the caller. During office hours, the SANE program can be accessed through the SANE business office (422-6503). Counselors from Avalon Centre can be reached for emotional support or to arrange counselling during office hours (422-4240)

SANE Program
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners have advanced training and education in forensic examinations. They will provide emergency response to sexual assault victims, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Upon receiving a call from the hospital or police, nurses will respond to the emergency rooms of the QEII, IWK and Dartmouth General hospitals. Storage of forensic evidence is available for up to six months. Note that SANE’s provide service to both females and males, 13 years of age and older.

Group Programs
Please note: A minimum number of participants are required to run the following groups.

“Strengthening Present Life Coping”
This is an eight week educational group for women who are beginning their healing process and want to build a foundation for recovery work by developing practical coping skills in the areas of managing flashbacks, setting healthy boundaries, building a support system, nurturing self-care and developing self-compassion.

“Embracing Emotions in Healing Child Sexual Abuse Trauma Effects”
This is a ten week therapeutic group for women who are at a place in their lives where they are ready to begin healing from the effects of their childhood sexual abuse in a group setting. Topics include: emotional numbing, exploring self-blame, body image, relationship effects, creating pathways for anger and grief, and reclaiming self-worth.

“Deepening Healing Through Self-Parenting”
This is a 14 session therapy group for women who have a therapist they have been working extensively with on their childhood sexual abuse and feel ready for more demanding emotional healing work in a group setting. The focus is on healing the original abuse and abandonment wounds through self-parenting the “inner child”.

“Sexual Healing and Re-embodiment Workshop”
This is a three day workshop for women who are in the later stages of healing, focusing on reclaiming sexual desire and living more fully in one’s body.

“Weaving Our Wisdom”
This workshop is for women who have been sexually assaulted as adults (16 years or older) who are ready to move beyond the trauma of sexual assault and begin a healing process.

Information Sessions for Non-offending Parents
A series of 2-3 information sessions are offered to the non-offending parents of children who have been sexually abused. The purpose of these sessions is to provide information and support to help parents through this difficult time. These sessions are offered in partnership with the IWK Health Centre. Topics include: coping with the emotional impact on parents and helping the child to heal.

Individual Counselling
Professional staff provide short-term individual counselling to adult women who are survivors of sexual violence, past or recent. Counselling is also available to non-offending parents of sexually abused children.

Workshops for Partners of Survivors
Numbers permitting, we offer a two evening workshop for partners of women survivors once each year. The workshop assists partners in understanding the healing process and coping with the stress that the effects of sexual trauma places on relationships. We also offer an individual information session to partners, friends or family members of survivors on an as requested basis.

Community Education and Training
This program provides custom designed workshops and training sessions on issues related to sexual violence and violence prevention. It is available to schools, businesses, community groups and government organizations. We do charge a fee for service; please consult with the Community Educator regarding this.

Court Support
Court support and accompaniment is available to survivors of sexual violations aged 16 years and older, and to non-offending parents of sexually abused children who are involved in the court system.

Partnerships
We partner with community agencies and other organizations on an ongoing basis to improve and change social and health policy, and the criminal justice system.

For more information, you may contact the SANE Coordinator during office hours at 422-6503 or 422-7406.