Action and Change Team For and By Survivors - A.C.T.S

Background

The A.C.T.S (Action and Change Team for and by Survivors) project grew out of conversations between survivors about problems they faced finding employment, accessing job training, obtaining income support for education programs, and qualifying for the financial support they needed while in the healing process. These women felt that other survivors of sexual abuse shared these experiences and decided to investigate these issues. Funding was obtained from Status of Women Canada, Women's Program to carry out the first phase of A.C.T.S. which was to gather information from survivors on the subject of employment and identify the barriers faced.

Phase I
Focus groups were held in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina. In total, forty-eight female survivors of child sexual abuse attended the focus groups. They identified a number of barriers to employment as well as places where institutional change needs to occur before these barriers can be reduced or eliminated. These women also made recommendations about the next step in the project.

A.C.T.S.reports can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download a free copy from Adobe.com.

The Final A.C.T.S. Phase I report has been split into three portions. Available for viewing or download:

Part 1 (Cover and Table of Contents)
Part 2 (Preface)
Part 3 (Body of the report).

Phase II
Based on recommendations from the focus group participants and the Summary of Findings, a pilot workshop was designed and successfully delivered to 20 workers from the Department of Social Services in Saskatoon. The purpose of this workshop; to share what we learned from the A.C.T.S. focus group as well as what Tamara's House has learned collectively about childhood sexual abuse, its aftereffects and survivorship. Further workshops are currently being offered to the Department of Social Services workers throughout the province of Saskatchewan.

The Final A.C.T.S. Phase II is split into two parts. Available for viewing or download:

Part 1 (Cover)
Part 2 (Body of the report).

A booklet was developed for front line Social Workers with the Saskatchewan Department of Social Services. The booklet contains helpful information such as common long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse, creating a safe workplace, de-triggering an office to make it more survivor friendly, and what survivors want their supporters to know. This booklet would be useful for any professional who works with, and supports, survivors.

Working with Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Resource booklet for DSS Staff. (NOTE: The order of the pages is set for double sided copying and binding of a booklet.)

Phase 3 is now underway, with a medical advisory committee in place to help us in preparing a series of workshops for health care providers. This phase brings two Tamara's House research projects together - the findings from the P.A.R. report will be presented along with the "Listen to your body' poster/brochure.

Educator's Kit - Available for viewing or download:

Part 1 (Cover)
Table of Contents
Part 2 (Body of the report).

 

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