By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

comes after there was nothing in budget

Sexual assault support agencies receive $4.2 million to help with wait lists

Apr 6, 2023 | 3:10 PM

Following pleas for more help after the province’s 2023 budget was released several weeks ago, sexual assault support centres are receiving more funding.

But is it what these agencies were really looking for, is the question.

Prior to the budget, the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS) said it had presented a $14 million business case to the province, but the budget beared no fruit.

On Thursday, five weeks post-budget, however, the province announced it is giving $4.2 million to support victims of sexual violence.

Deb Tomlinson, AASAS CEO, says while it’s not the $14 million the business case proposed, the funding is much appreciated.

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“It’s definitely not missing the mark. These funds are being allocated to help centres address wait times, and we’re pleased to see that,” says Tomlinson.

“The business case covers a much broader and comprehensive plan to address the issue of sexual assault in Alberta, holistically. Work still needs to be done to fully address the issue of sexual assault; it’s a big problem, and we do need the government to work with us. We look forward to that to continue tackling the ongoing and complex needs of Albertans.”

Tomlinson says 43 per cent of Albertans have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.

Wait times to get in and see a therapist in Calgary and Edmonton, which are getting the bulk of funding, are upwards of a year-and-a-half long, says Tomlinson.

In Red Deer, the waitlist is three to four months, which of course can be too long and make for an arduous wait for someone who is a survivor.

Patricia Arango, executive director, Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) in Red Deer, says the funding is nice, but it isn’t necessarily targeted to where CASASC needs it most.

Arango says she’s received six resignations since January, which is in part why their wait time has increased.

“The salaries we offer are very low and not competitive. I cannot retain staff. It’s very complicated and I’m very disappointed,” she says, noting that Red Deer is getting about two per cent of the funding announced today.

“If the government were to compare salaries, they would understand why we need the money. We are very good, we’re always working with college and university students, but it doesn’t mean we are rich and don’t need the money. We need it to retain our professionals, who are currently underpaid.”

Arango estimates around $300,000 — not $96,000 — would, at least for a time, solve the staffing issue.

At a March Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Red Deer with Finance Minister Travis Toews, Arango stood up during a question period, taking Toews to task for leaving sexual assault support centres out.

Meantime, Tanya Fir, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women, says she’s spent time meeting with organizations in order to understand the need.

“I am glad to see that this funding is being used to address the immediate concerns of counselling wait lists,” says Fir. “It is critical that when somebody reaches out, help is available. Our government’s response to this concern is ensuring that sexual assault survivors across the province can get the support they need and deserve.”

Tomlinson says they will continue to press for full implementation of their business plan.

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do. We will continue to work with them to address ongoing needs,” she says. “That includes prevention and stopping the problem before it starts, it includes access to justice, and it means helping with complex needs coming out of the pandemic.”

The funding will be distributed between 13 of the AASAS’s 15 support centres:

· $96,170 to Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, Red Deer

· $140,170 to Association of Communities Against Abuse, Stettler

· $630,770 to Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse Society, Calgary

· $52,170 to Dragonfly Counselling and Support Centre, Bonnyville

· $23,570 to Hinton Friendship Centre Society, Hinton

· $219,370 to Lloydminster Sexual Assault and Information Centre, Lloydminster

· $120,370 to Providing Assistance, Counselling, Education (PACE), Grande Prairie

· $166,570 to SAFFRON Centre Ltd., Sherwood Park

· $1,853,960 to Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton, Edmonton

· $96,170 to Sanare Centre (Southeastern Alberta Sexual Assault Response Committee), Medicine Hat

· $148,970 to Waypoints Community Services Association, Fort McMurray

· $41,170 to University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre, Edmonton

· $210,570 to Lethbridge Family Services, Lethbridge

The YWCA Banff Harmony Project and Lethbridge-based Chinook Sexual Assault Centre are the only two AASAS member agencies to not be included in this funding announcement. Tomlinson explains they did express interest, however they don’t currently have counselling wait times.

A ministry spokesperson clarifies that the funding was allocated, and there was no application process for support centres.