Community Resources
The trauma of a sexual assault or abuse, whether for adults, children, or even family members of the survivor, can leave all parties feeling isolated and hopeless.
The Lerners Sexual Assault and Abuse Team wants every survivor and their family to have access to all the resources they need to begin down a path of healing.
COUNSELLING AND RESOURCE CENTRES
DRAW THE LINE. A website funded by the Ontario Government, comprised of links to resource centres in various Ontario Regions. Many of these centres provide free counselling and other resources that may be of interest.
Website: https://draw-the-line.ca/get-help/
LOCAL SHELTERS. Suggest they contact their local shelter/women’s shelter, obviously not the crisis line (unless that does apply!), even if these places cannot provide any direct support, likely they could point to appropriate resources/therapists in their area.
Websites: Shelter Safe, 211 Ontario, eMentalHealth.ca
INDIGENOUS WELLNESS SERVICES. Confidential wellness helpline and resources available 24/7 to all Indigenous people across Canada.
Website: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/about-us/
Phone: 1-855-242-3310
THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE PROGRAM. A confidential, 24/7 hotline that provides male survivors of recent and historical sexual abuse with access to confidential, specialized support services to help them deal with the impact of abuse.
Phone: 1-866-887-0015
WELLNESS TOGETHER CANADA. Provides free resources and programming for mental health and substance use support for Canadians.
Website: https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-ca
Phone: 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth/1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults
#AFTERMETOO. An informational resource for people facing sexual harassment at work in Canada.
Website: https://www.aftermetoo.com
INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE
INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE PROGRAM. If you are a survivor of sexual assault living in Ontario, and would like to speak to a lawyer, you may be eligible for up to 4 hours of free legal advice by phone or video conversation. This program is available to all women, men, trans and gender-diverse people who are aged 16+ and the sexual assault happened in Ontario.
Website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/independent-legal-advice-survivors-sexual-assault
Phone: 1-855-226-3904
BARBRA SCHLIFER COMMEMORATIVE CLINIC. A clinic offering free legal services and representation in family, immigration, criminal and sexual assault law, therapeutic, trauma-informed counselling, information, and support through group-based and individual programs, and multilingual interpretation and translation to diverse women and gender-diverse people living in the Greater Toronto Area who have experienced, or are experiencing violence.
Website: https://www.schliferclinic.com/
Phone: 416-323-9149
PRO BONO ONTARIO. A non-profit organization to assist Ontario residents with everyday civil legal needs, including individuals who are victims of workplace sexual harassment
Website: https://www.probonoontario.org/wshh/
Hotline 1-855-776-1855 (toll free but does not accept blocked calls).
OTHER LEGAL CLINICS
ARCH DISABILITY LAW CENTRE. A specialty legal clinic that practices exclusively in disability rights law.
Website: https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/about/
HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL SUPPORT CENTRE. Offers legal advice and support services to anyone experiencing discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Website: https://hrlsc.on.ca/homepage/
Phone: 1-866-625-5179
We Help Survivors Get Justice
You have questions. We have answers. Rest assured that you don’t have to come to us, we’ll come to you and out consultations are free.
