Who we are
Vision
We want every victim of sexual violence to be able to obtain the appropriate psychosocial, medical and legal assistance they need when they ask for it.
Mission
The MSAC offers a safe, non-judgemental space where anyone who has been affected by sexual violence will be welcomed, listened to, believed and supported in accordance with their choices.
Values
Openness
We welcome all people affected by sexual violence, adapting our response to offer them the assistance they need.
Expertise
We develop, compile and share the knowledge, competencies and interpersonal skills needed to support victims with openness and respect.
Respect
We encourage victims’ autonomy to enable them to regain control of their lives.
Partnership
We are involved with the community and governance bodies to ensure cohesion of services for victims.
Organizational structure
The MSAC is a non-profit organization run by a Board of Directors made up of individuals from the Montréal community. The Executive Director manages all the operational aspects of the organization.
Each department is run by a dedicated team with the support of the administrative team. Meetings among the members of the various MSAC teams ensure the smooth operation of the organization and its departments.
Our Board of Directors
| Esthel Gravel | Chair |
| Barbara Discenza | Vice-Chair |
| Ghislaine Larrivée | Director |
| Line Lemay | Director |
| Rose Massicotte | Director |
| Rachelle Pitre | Director |
| Jessica Radwan | Director |
| Danielle Schepper | Director |
| Andrea Wolff | Director |
History
On October 15, 1980, the Clinique des femmes et des jeunes at the CLSC Métro opened its Rape Crisis Centre. In 1983, the organization was incorporated under the name Comité des femmes actives de Montréal/Montréal Women’s Action Committee. The official name of the organization was later changed to the Centre pour les victimes d’agression sexuelle de Montréal (CVASM)/ Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (MSAC) to reflect the changes made to the Criminal Code in January 1983 and clearly identify the organization with the city of Montreal.
Early days
The organization was originally created to offer alternative, comprehensive and bilingual services free of charge to meet the various needs of victims of sexual assault in a non-judgemental atmosphere of trust. Over time, the sheer volume of requests compelled the centre to focus its in-person services on adults 18 and over who had been sexually assaulted during the previous year. The listening and referral helpline continued to be offered to anyone affected by sexual violence, however, regardless of their age or when the sexual violence occurred.
Evolution of the emergency helpline and creation of the Sexual Violence Helpline
The MSAC has evolved a great deal since it opened in 1980, with services expanding to reflect the population’s growing needs. In 1983, the centre set up an emergency telephone service for the Montreal region. Nearly 50 volunteers answered these calls every year.
In 2018, the emergency line took its last call, making room for the Sexual Violence Helpline, a new resource mandated by the Québec Ministère de la Justice that has been administered by the MSAC since 2010. Known as the Provincial Helpline for Victims of Sexual Assault until 2021, the Sexual Violence Helpline is a toll-free telephone service that offers bilingual, confidential and anonymous services free of charge across all regions of Quebec—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since the fall of 2023, the Sexual Violence Helpline has also been available by chat.
New expertise offered by the Support Service
In 2014, a report on the organization of services for sexual assault victims offered by designated centres in Québec (Organisation des services pour les victimes d’agression sexuelle au Québec : portrait et pistes d’action) presented six recommendations based on an evaluation of the implementation of those centres. Based on those recommendations, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux mandated the MSAC to set up the Support Service for designated centres providing medico-social services, which was inaugurated in 2019.
The MSAC today
The MSAC team is now over 60 employees strong, and the organization’s new visual identity evokes the four services. After many years spent evolving and expanding in numbers and the skills and expertise of its team members, the MSAC is ready to take on new challenges.
Over its 40 years of operation, the MSAC has remained faithful to its mission to provide support and assistance to victims of sexual violence.
