The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre is looking for candidates for an initial session of its new Military Sexual Trauma Peer Support Program Formal Group offering

February 21, 2023 - Defence Stories

The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) is looking for participants to evaluate the second feature of its Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Peer Support program, a Formal Group with a mental health professional.

After hearing from the MST community, the SMSRC launched an MST Peer Support Program Model to offer various peer support features and options to those affected by military sexual misconduct. One of those features was a formal peer support group, which consists of a 12-week closed group session of up to 12 participants affected by military sexual misconduct. To help develop this offering and ensure it is tailored to the needs of the MST community, the SMSRC will be running an initial formal group peer support session to gather feedback from peer participants and peer facilitators. The group will be led and facilitated by trained peer facilitators who have been affected by military sexual misconduct and co-facilitated by a mental health professional. The mental health professional will explore various themes using prepared psycho-educational materials with the group each week, providing support to participants and facilitators and intervene if necessary, as required. A clinical framework has been developed to provide oversight for the entire process.

This initial group will take place over six weeks in the form of 60 minutes weekly sessions. The location will not be affiliated with the Department of National Defence nor the Government of Canada to ensure the neutrality of the space.

If you are interested to join this Initial Formal Group Session of the MST Peer Support Program as peer participant, you will be asked to share your experience of military sexual misconduct and/or military sexual trauma in a safe and confidential space among peers who have been affected by sexual misconduct and/or sexual trauma during their service.

If you would prefer to join as a peer facilitator, the SMSRC will hire you through a casual contract and then train you to lead and facilitate a group of persons who have been affected by military sexual misconduct and/or military sexual trauma. All interested in participating in the Initial Formal Group Session will be screened and an intake form will be completed before admission into the group to ensure the safety of all participants.

To share your interest in participating as either peer participant or peer facilitator, please send an email indicating which role you are interested in at SMRCPSP-CIISPSP@forces.gc.ca before March 3, 2023. Once your email is received, the SMSRC will send you a consent form to fill out. There is a possibility that the SMSRC might not be able to select everyone if it receives a high level of interest. Everyone who fill out a form will be contacted.

With this new option and others to follow, the SMSRC is committed to offering a peer support program that will be tailored to the needs of the MST community. As always, the SMSRC's confidential phone line is answered by bilingual trained counselors 24/7 at 1-844-750-1648.