Restorative Engagement program

The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) Restorative Engagement (RE) program provides flexible options for members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)-Department of National Defence (DND) Sexual Misconduct Class Action Settlement to share aspects of their experience, impacts and/or insights as they relate to sexual misconduct in the CAF and DND.

On this page

• About the Restorative Engagement program
• Class members
• Defence representatives
• Restorative practitioners
• Support services and resources
• Information sessions
• Send us your feedback
• For more information

About the Restorative Engagement program

The RE program was mandated through the Canadian Armed Forces-Department of National Defence Sexual Misconduct Class Action Final Settlement. The program was designed and developed by the SMSRC.

The program creates opportunities and environments:

• for class members to share their experience, knowledge and understanding of sexual misconduct and its causes and impacts with Defence representatives;
• for Defence representatives to acknowledge, accept, understand and learn from class members’ experiences of sexual misconduct and to take responsibility, individually and collectively, for its causes and impacts;
• for Defence representatives to identify lessons learned and to plan and act to contribute to DND/CAF culture change;
• in which DND/CAF learns about and builds its capacity to apply a restorative approach as a response to harm and as a way to build an inclusive and respectful culture.

Program development and implementation

A dedicated RE program team within the SMSRC designed and developed the program in collaboration with:

• subject matter experts in restorative approaches, trauma, sexual misconduct, military norms, culture and conflict resolution;
• stakeholders including individuals who experienced sexual misconduct in the Defence workplace.

The SMSRC officially launched the RE program in its initial operating capability (IOC) on November 15, 2021. During this phase, the program contacted a small group of class members to participate. In January 2022, the first groups of Defence representatives began working in cohorts with restorative practitioners to prepare for and support engagements with class members. This was the first of several rounds of engagements that will continue until 2026.

Program team

The RE program team is composed of the following:

• Director of RE: reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer of the SMSRC
  • Manager of Program Design and Development: responsible for the design and development of program content including protocols, tools and practice frameworks
  • Manager of Learning and Culture Change: responsible for research, evaluation, and learning on the program
  • Manager of Operations: responsible for implementing the program
    • Regional Program Coordinators: oversee Restorative Practitioners and make first contact with class members
      • Restorative practitioners: responsible for facilitating participation of Defence representatives and class members in the program. More information on their role is provided on this page.

Each regional program coordinator has a positional mailbox:

• Atlantic (NL, NB, NS, PEI): REatlantic-DRatlantique@forces.gc.ca
• Eastern (QC, NCR and International): REeast-DRest@forces.gc.ca
• Central ON excluding NCR: REcentral-DRcentrale@forces.gc.ca
• Western / Northern (MB, SK, AB, BC, YK, NT, NU): REwest-DRouest@forces.gc.ca

A restorative approach to justice

The RE program applies a restorative approach to help CAF/DND to contribute to culture change.

Principles of a restorative approach

Focused on relations

Puts people and their relationships, to one another, between groups and with institutions, at the centre. A restorative approach places the emphasis on addressing harm and establishing or re-establishing justice and trust in relationships (this means characterized by mutual dignity, respect, care and concern).

Comprehensive and holistic

Works in integrated ways and looks for the connections between issues, causes, circumstances, and culture.

Inclusive and participatory

Including and empowering those with lived experience, being open and transparent with them about options and limitations, honouring choices for how they would like to participate, and removing barriers to access.

Responsive

Being flexible and adaptable in all of our work so as to be responsive to participants’ needs, objectives, and circumstances and the context within which the program exists.

Focused on individual and collective responsibility

Pays attention to the ways in which the system affects individuals and the ways in which individuals affect the system. Defence representatives take responsibility for change in their daily roles and also work with each other and the institution to address structural factors that contribute to harm.

Collaborative and non-adversarial

Looks at bringing people into the process and working towards a common goal rather than working against one another.

Safety and confidentiality

The SMSRC Restorative Engagement (RE) program does not facilitate communication between individuals affected and those who affected them. Instead, it involves representatives of the institution in which the harm occurred. The program also provides support services and resources to participants.

RE is confidential as participation in, and information shared within the program are confidential, within legal limitations. If you choose to share your experience(s), you may do so anonymously. This sharing can take many different forms and will only be submitted with your consent. All personal information is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act.

The RE program is outside the CAF chain of command and the investigation process. Participation in the program is not part of any administrative, disciplinary or criminal process.

Exception to the Duty to Report

An exception to the Duty to Report is in effect “in the context of a restorative engagement program”. Without this exception, the duty to report would require CAF representatives in the program to report incidents of wrongdoing, regardless of whether the affected person is ready or wants to report them.

This exception helps to ensure that others are not reporting on their behalf. Likewise, it ensures that CAF members who are Defence representatives are not put in a position by the Duty to Report to report an incident of wrongdoing regardless of whether the person affected wants to report it.

Class members who are or were DND public service employees are not bound by the CAF Duty to Report.

Read the May 25, 2022 News Release announcing this exception.

Class members

What to expect

There are different ways in which class members may share their experiences and insights related to sexual misconduct.

As part of RE, class members may choose any or all of the following:

• Sharing as much or as little as they would like about their personal experience(s) of sexual misconduct, such as:
  • the harm they suffered;
  • how it was or was not responded to;
  • the impact it had on their life.
• Sharing their thoughts and knowledge about the causes of sexual misconduct and what needs to change in order to better respond to it and prevent it;
• Participating in activities intended to inform and transform the CAF/DND culture to address and end sexual misconduct.

These options may be done:

• In a group setting with:
  • other class members;
  • class members and Defence representatives.
• Individually:
  • with a Defence representative (in-person, virtually, by phone) and also may include support person(s);
  • by submitting audio recordings, videos, letters, statements or artwork to be shared with Defence representatives or the institution, with or without requiring a response.

Restorative practitioners facilitate communications with class members and help them prepare through individual sessions before engagements. Class members are in control of the information they provide and what they choose to share.

Phases of the Restorative Engagement process

Phase 1

Once class members have decided to participate in the program, they will meet their restorative practitioner and learn more about the:

• program;
• purpose;
• approach;
• limits;
• options for participation.

Restorative practitioners will also guide class members to:

• determine if the program can meet their goals and objectives;
• make an informed decision about whether or not they want to participate;
• explore what supports they might need during engagements;
• ensure they are connected with resources for support, if needed.

Class members will not be asked to share their sexual misconduct experience.

Phase 2

In this phase, their restorative practitioner will guide them to:

• identify their goals and objectives for the engagement process;
• decide what experiences, knowledge and/or insights they want to share and how;
• prepare themselves to engage with other class members or with Defence representatives.

Class members may choose to participate in different ways, for different purposes and their engagement overall can include different process options.

Phase 3

In this phase, class members will be invited to:

• summarize their process;
• identify what worked for them;
• check if there are goals and objectives that have not been met.

If their goals and objectives have not been met, they may discuss their goals and objectives in order to determine whether next steps are taken to meet them.

If their goals and objectives were met, they may share their feedback, validate how they want their input to be used and discuss their expectations regarding maintaining a connection with the program in order to obtain updates on the program, and potentially participate in research or consultations with respect to culture change.

It may take some time for class members to be able to confirm with certainty that the program has met their goals and objectives, therefore, with their consent, the restorative practitioner will explore options to follow up with them sometime after the process.

Class member updates

Read the latest updates sent to class members who have expressed an interest to participate in the Restorative Engagement program.

• March 2022
• June 2022
• March 2023
• Summer 2023

Defence representatives

Defence representatives are CAF members and DND public service employees who acknowledge and learn from the experiences and insights of those who have been harmed by sexual misconduct in order to contribute to culture change in a meaningful and tangible way.

In volunteering in the program, Defence representatives commit to:

• listening with an open mind and consider multiple and conflicting perspectives;
• participating actively in reflective learning activities;
• learning to engage restoratively and without causing harm;
• carrying what they learned forward into their career within the institution;
• contributing to preventing sexual misconduct in the Defence Team and culture change beyond their time in this program.

Defence representatives participate in groups of six to eight called a cohort. Diversity and inclusion are core principles of this program therefore we encourage participation from people of diverse ranks and levels, professions, backgrounds, and identity factors. Full-time cohorts will meet daily for 12 weeks, and part-time cohorts will meet on a week-on/week-off rotation for 25 weeks, either virtually, in person, or a mix of both. Cohort work happens with the guidance and support of restorative practitioners. Defence representatives are essential agents of culture change that class members expect will occur through RE. To this end, Defence representative participation in the program has been carefully designed, using a restorative approach, to maximize Defence representative learning, planning and action, in real time.

Defence representatives will typically engage with class members. Engagement sessions are one of several ways of learning in this program about sexual misconduct; they will have many opportunities to learn from class members’ experiences throughout the program (readings, videos, CM submissions, etc.).

Engagement sessions with class members are organized and facilitated by restorative practitioners and may be in-person, virtual or indirect, as an individual or in a group.

For more information and to send in a nomination to become a Defence representative, visit the Defence Team Intranet page.

The Defence leadership’s role

Members of the CAF chain of command and DND executives and management support implementation of the program by:

• promoting the recruitment of Defence representatives;
• encouraging prospective Defence representatives to take part and nominating them;
• providing Defence representatives with an appropriate and confidential workplace and equipment;
• ensuring that Defence representatives are not tasked with other duties during their participation in the program.

Restorative practitioners

Restorative practitioners are DND public service employees. They do not have a Duty to Report and are independent from the CAF chain of command.

Working with Defence representatives

Two restorative practitioners are assigned to guide each cohort of Defence representatives through their participation, including facilitating reflection, dialogue, learning, understanding, skills building, preparation, and planning for action. They facilitate processes to identify lessons learned about sexual misconduct, the RE program, and solutions for change, and build capacity for Defence representatives to know and do better after they complete their participation in the program.

Working with class members

One restorative practitioner is assigned to each class member to facilitate their participation in the program, including coordinating, preparing and facilitating class member engagement processes. Two restorative practitioners can be assigned to one class member, depending on the person’s needs.

Support services and resources

Participating in the program can be very rewarding, and it can also be difficult. The restorative practitioner(s) assigned to you will support you through the process and can refer you to other support services and resources, depending on your needs.

At any time, you can contact the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre’s 24/7 confidential support line (1-844-750-1648) to reach a counsellor who has been briefed on the RE program and who is dedicated to providing support and connecting class members, Defence Team members and restorative practitioners to support services.

Support can also come from a support person that may be present during engagement and other stages of participation. Defence representatives can also reach out to other members of their cohort or to their management for support.

Information sessions

Attend an information session to learn more about what to expect as a class member or as a future Defence representative.

Send us feedback

As a participant in the RE program, you may raise your concerns, complaints, or feedback regarding your participation, such as:

• program services, including those provided by a specific staff member (for example, a restorative practitioner or a regional program coordinator);
• program mandate and operations;
• program information and communications activities;
• reporting and information management.

When we receive complaints, we will attempt to resolve them at the lowest level possible, to support timeliness in resolution. If your concerns have not been resolved to your satisfaction, you have a right of review which means that your complaint can be escalated to the next level of authority for a review of the circumstances and a resolution.

A written submission is preferred, and can be submitted to:

• The relevant regional positional mailbox
• The national RE positional mailbox: RE-DR@forces.gc.ca
• Via regular mail with the complainant’s contact information at:

  • ATTN: Restorative Engagement Program
    Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre
    101 Colonel By Drive
    Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint sent electronically within two business days. If your complaint is sent by mail, it may take longer than two business days depending on when we receive it. We will ensure that the complaint is sent to the appropriate person. Your complaint will be responded to within 30 business days.

Our response will include the name, role and contact information of who the complaint can be further elevated to if the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction.

For more information

Call us or send us an email if you still have questions about the Restorative Engagement program:

Toll-free: 1-833-998-2048
Email: RE-DR@forces.gc.ca

Note: All calls to the Restorative Engagement program toll-free number are automatically transferred to the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre’s 24/7 line, where a counsellor can speak with you about Restorative Engagement and other support services and resources available.