•       All volunteers are provided with opportunities to learn somatic tools to support grounding and nervous system regulation
•  All volunteers have access to online self care resources 
• All volunteers have access to VSAC staff to debrief SART responses one on one
• All volunteers have access to bi-monthly group debriefs and on going trainings
• Gender Diverse/Trans+ Volunteers have the opportunity to join the Gender Diverse SART Committee, which is a space that meets approximately 4x a year to foster community; share their experiences, and provide feedback to make the program safer
• Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Volunteers have the opportunity to join the BIPOC SART Committee, which is a space that meets approximately 4x a year to foster community; share their experiences, and provide feedback to make the program safer for racialized volunteers
• VSAC offers some counselling for volunteers who have been negatively impacted by their volunteerism 
• Our training works to be neurodivergent friendly, meaning; we welcome everyone to move around as needed and to share as much or as little as they want (with the understanding that there are keys things we need to be able to see demonstrated). We will provide some snacks and beverages, and have a mix of colouring & fidget items available to use during our training sessions. We know folks process information in lots of different ways—we use slides/visuals/roleplaying/email overviews as well as verbal discussion.

Benefits to Volunteer 

Training Provided

• 2 months of twice a week intensive group training including ongoing evaluation and feedback
• Ongoing trainings
  
  

Spring 2025 Training Schedule:

Recruitment Timeline

Applications Open: January 1st 2025 at noon - February 1st 2025 at noon

Interviews: February 10th at 5pm, February 15th at 10am, February 20th at 4pm

 All Applicants Contacted: By February 24th 2025 at noon

Application Check-List

- Available for all training dates

- Completed application form, including resume, and references

- Can commit to volunteering with VSAC until June 2026

What to Expect in the Interview:

- Interviews will be conducted in groups on zoom

- If offered an interview you will be asked to prepare to give a 5 minute presentation on a specific related topic and then work with your fellow applicants to share information and collectively make and present a 5 minute presentation

- You will also be asked to share about yourself and why you want to do this volunteer role to support survivors

- This interview is about seeing how you work with others, we are not asking a bunch of questions as you are expected to answer a lot in your application

Please direct any questions or comments to Riven Gail (zi/hir/hirs and he/him/his), Volunteer Coordinator: volunteercoor@vsac.ca

*Applications are OPEN until May 1st*

About Us

The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre is a feminist organization committed to ending sexualized violence

through healing, education, and prevention. We are dedicated to supporting women and all trans

survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse, through advocacy, counselling, and

empowerment.

The Role

We are seeking new Board directors who are committed to supporting the work of the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre (VSAC). To reflect the diversity of the community we serve, we strive for VSAC’s Board to include the voices of historically and persistently underrepresented and marginalized communities. We especially encourage applications from  Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, persons with disabilities, LGBQ+ persons, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender-Diverse persons.  We also encourage people with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities and those with the skills and knowledge to engage supportively with diverse communities to apply. We honour, and are guided by, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and the British Columbia Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ Act. 

What to Expect as a Board Member

• Serving VSAC as a Board director on a two-year contract, with a time commitment of 3-4 hours a week dedicated to attending meetings as well as reviewing all Board documentation and related correspondence 

• Meeting monthly with all Board directors (1.5 hours)

• Gaining valuable experience working on one of our committees: Finance, People & Culture and Governance and Recruitment. 

• Maintaining the partnership between the Board and Staff by supporting and providing guidance to the Executive Director

• Supporting the ongoing equity, diversity, and inclusion policies and accountability mechanisms of VSAC

• Functioning as the agency’s governance structure by supporting strategic planning, articulating vision, and formulating broad governance policies

• Approving the budget and monthly financial statements as well as promoting VSAC’s fundraising objectives and the overall financial health of VSAC

• Building strong relationships with other board members, including mentoring new board members 

• Fulfilling the obligations of the VSAC’s constitution and by-laws and making policy in accordance with the agency’s mission, values, goals and beliefs

What You Bring

• An understanding of the work of the Centre including VSAC’s Mission (Values, Beliefs and Goals)

• Knowledge of the root causes of sexualized violence

• Ability to work within anti-oppressive, decolonizing, and EDI frameworks

• Understanding of the legal responsibilities of a Board director/willingness to learn

• Demonstrated understanding of building community through networking

• Good communication skills, including ability to give and receive feedback

• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, and diplomacy skills

We strongly encourage all folks committed to supporting the work of the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre to apply. Ideal candidates have experience in any of the following areas: justice/legal, finance or accounting, and/or organizational development and governance. 

To Apply

Please submit a CV and cover letter indicating how your experiences, commitments, and skills could contribute to the VSAC Board to grewal.hp@gmail.com. 

Applications close on May 1, 2025. If you have any questions, you can reach out to grewal.hp@gmail.com.

Please let us know if or how we can make the application process more accessible to you.

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Practicum Student Outline
______________________________________________________________________________

Approximate number of hours per week

• 3 – 4 days per week (21-28 hours)

What you’re looking for in a student experience, skill, characteristic-wise

• Knowledge of group process and facilitation techniques
• Willingness to learn and try new things
• In-depth knowledge and demonstrated understanding of the issues surrounding and root causes of sexualized violence
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work effectively
• Ability to empower survivors to make their own decisions
• Ability to set clear boundaries concerning parameters of the supportive relationship
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice
• Ability to manage crisis or emergency situations
• Working knowledge of intersectional feminism
• Demonstrated respect for survivors of sexualized assault
• Ability to work comfortably with recent survivors of sexualized assault either in the hospital, clinic, or police station
• Ability to liaise with various community partners including police and hospital staff
• Ability to work both independently and part of a team
• Proven communication skills
• Strong ability to give and receive feedback
• Time management skills
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, and diplomacy skills
• Strong boundaries and self-awareness
• Basic understanding of the complex emotional reactions of sexualized assault survivors
• Flexibility to adapt in unpredictable situations
• Confidence to advocate for the survivor, if necessary
• Ability to listen compassionately and without judgement
• Demonstrated self-care practices
• To feel stable in your personal healing process
• VSAC is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. We especially welcome applications from members of visible minority groups, Indigenous persons, disabled people, LGBQ+ persons, Trans, Two-Spirit and gender diverse persons and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

Site/Organization overview (i.e. brief background, history, mission… etc.)

• Victoria Sexual Assault Centre is a feminist organization committed to ending sexualized violence through healing, education, and prevention. We are dedicated to supporting women, Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse, through advocacy, counselling, and empowerment.
• We started out in 1982 with two volunteers in a basement suite. Our vision was that survivors in Victoria would have a place to call, to get support, to reach out to. We’re still here with more than thirty staff and large volunteer team.
• It is our mission to support, empower and advocate for women, Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse. Regardless of when a survivor was assaulted, we are here to support them in the healing journey. We serve as a liaison between individuals affected by sexual violence, the justice and medical systems and community services.

Supervision (i.e. group, one-on-one, number a week)

• One individual supervision session with supervisor once a week
• One relevant meeting weekly
• SART Training 2 sessions weekly until complete
  
  

SART/Volunteer Program Practicum Student Expectations

• Take a minimum of 10 Sexual Assault Support Worker shifts (overnights and weekends)
• Provide an immediate support response at the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s Clinic, the Victoria General Hospital and/or a police station to recent (0-30 days) survivors (all genders, 13+) of a sexualized assault, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day
• Provide phone support to sexualized assault survivors
• Provide information regarding medical and forensic examination procedures
• Provide information on options for reporting to police
• Liaise and consult with the Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNE) and the police (if involved)
• Provide information and support to family and friends of the survivor
• Provide information on follow up support for survivor
• Provide links to counselling and victim services at VSAC
• White Practicum Students can participate in our unlearning white supremacy group
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Practicum Students can participate in our BIPOC SART Committee
• Gender Diverse Practicum Students can participate in our Gender Diverse SART Committee
• Attend Community Events
• Participate in supervision and organizational meetings
• Plan and develop a special interest project 

Anything else important for the students and team to consider

• VSAC has made a commitment to become more gender inclusive. This means that our services are open to women, Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diverse survivors of sexualized violence. Any woman; person who does not identify with the gender or sex they were assigned at birth, or individual who does not identify as either a “man” or a “woman” is welcome to use our services.
• VSAC is taking action to respond to the Calls to Justice from the Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. We are striving to be more inclusive of culturally diverse ways of healing and supporting Indigenous communities and clients accessing services at our Centre.
• This practicum placement can be quite flexible and geared to your interests in the field, there will be a special project that will be on a topic of your choosing and involve sharing your knowledge with our SART Volunteer Support Workers. This allows the practicum student to focus on a topic of interest as well as develop and exercise their facilitation skills

 Practicum Student Applications

Interested applicants should fill out an application here:

Applications will open for fall 2024 on July st at noon for the September-December practicum period.

And if you have any questions please reach out:

Riven Gail

Pronouns: zi/hir/hirs with a sprinkling of he/him/his

Volunteer Coordinator

Email: volunteercoor@vsac.ca