TESTIMONIALS
Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group is a service provider of professionally coordinated Uniform Sexual Trauma Survivor Perspectives, Training and Solutions across Canada.
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Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group (SPCG) was founded by a group of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and Serving Members united by the common thread of being experts in Military Sexual Trauma (MST) through lived experience.
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Together, we designed a Culture Change solution currently being offered to various groups in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Front Line Workshop is a proven, survivor-borne training solution to help combat sexual misconduct and aid in culture change for the Canadian Armed Forces, key stakeholders and other uniformed services. Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group offers this unique program featuring the survivor perspective in a professionally curated, day-long workshop designed to engage the audience to help foster change from the senior levels of leadership right to new recruits fresh off basic training.
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Over 1300 participants have been trained in the Front Line Workshop since June 2021. Here is what they have to say.
“What struck me most about the training that you offered was the depth with which you explored victim impact. To better manage victim impact as we continue to develop strategies to respond to sexual misconduct and sexual assault in the CAF, your training offers a way to better understand how we may inadvertently misstep.” – Lieutenant-Colonel, CO
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“Multiple studies demonstrate that a fumbled response to the first disclosure of a sexual assault is the single biggest cause of PTSD among people affected by military sexual trauma. Not the traumatic incident itself, but the response to it.”
– Captain, Log
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“In a nutshell, the Frontline Workshop not only broadened my perspective on sexual violence/misconduct, but it motivated me to do more than just absorb information. It motivated me to be the change I want to see in the CAF. It motivated me to stand up and start acting as an agent for change.” – Captain, TDO
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“As a Commanding Officer charged with implementing Culture Change, I feel that every CAF member in my unit should also
benefit from this course.” – Captain (Navy), CO
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“This was hands down the best course I have received on this subject. I will strongly be encouraging all members to attend if
they feel comfortable to future courses.” – Master Sailor, CJOC
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“This training was one of the most significant in my career as an officer.” – Chaplain, CADTC
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“The Front-Line Workshop Uniform Sexual Trauma First Aid and Intervention Course (FLW) was focused in part on dispelling the myths surrounding the sexual misconduct crisis in the CAF but more specifically on providing tools to be used by leaders and supervisors” – Major-General, CJOC
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“If you take a course and it goes in one ear and out the other and it’s just a check in the box that you never reference again, did you change the culture? But this course is different, people are engaged and go back to their units and keep talking about it and applying what they learned to all the situations people have experienced before. People are learning and that’s how culture change happens.” - 2021 Course Participant
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“I believe there is value of Survivor-centric, trauma-informed training delivery. I believe that it would best be delivered to all, at various periods throughout a career. Common to all at the start, then with periodic updates linked to career progression courses, or alternatively after a certain number of years as a refresher” - 2021 Course Participant
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“I feel better prepared and capable to intervene, if needed. Great course! Highly recommend to anyone. It provided me another skill set that I can apply to my job but more important it is bringing a subject into the light that is causing an open discussion and giving insight to others’ views and experiences.” - 2021 Course Participant
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What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"Working through the scenarios. Insightful to see other’s thoughts on the complexities of the situations. This training should be CAF wide." - 2021 Course Participant
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What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"Great training to help us better understand the perspective of survivors. Very much liked the frank and honest discussions we were able to have. Not knowing the perspective of survivors before, I was surprised a little by how traumatizing is our judicial system for victims." - 2021 Course Participant
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What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"The course really opened my mind and eyes to the fact that even in daily passing activity we still make mistakes, but it also showed me how to recognize when inappropriate behaviour is transpiring." - 2021 Course Participant
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What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"We don't talk about sexual misconduct a lot in the workplace. So I find any discussion that is presented so openly (and raw) is useful. I find I am always surprised with some of the responses that course participants bring forward. I appreciated the practical tools that were given (what to say, how to say it, the available resources, the facts, the (gut-wrenching) videos, the scenarios were all very useful. I appreciated the different perspectives that the instructor and course members brought forward. I appreciated that the instr did not hesitate to "challenge" or stop a participant when his/her comments were misguided or inappropriate. Challenging others is difficult, but we absolutely need more of it." - 2021 Course Participant
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What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"The case studies put everything into perspective, and helped me think about certain situations and how I would apply my knowledge." - 2021 Course Participant
What was your favourite/most impactful part of the course?
"Actually hearing from survivors! Whenever we do training for things like this it's always a generic situation and I find I don't really feel drawn into the scenario. Actually hearing from a survivor, and especially seeing their face, it really brought everything to life and hammered home what you were teaching." - 2021 Course Participant
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Did you get what you hoped to our of this training? "I hoped to get some tools I can use in my everyday life and at work, which I did." - 2021 Course Participant
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How would you improve this training?
"The training was great. Interactive and instructors were very open to questions"
Any other comments?
"I believe that this course should be a part of the very start of a member's career. Starting them off with knowledge and skills to deal with issues that they may come in contact with." - 2021 Course Participant
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