2025-2026 Services delivered: Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (SSMSSA)

Component: Victim Services

Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services Act

Service description

The Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program provides direct services to those who identify as male or those with non-binary identity who are victims/survivors of sexual abuse, including time-limited individual counselling, group counselling, telephone and e-counselling, peer support, and referrals to other appropriate community support services to meet other long- term needs of victims/survivors.

The Recipient will deliver the SSMSSA Program in a victim/survivor-centred and culturally-responsive manner.

People served

To be eligible for service, the victim/survivor will

• Be 16 years of age or older at the time of service
• Be a resident of Ontario
• Have experienced historical sexual abuse or be a victim/survivor of recent sexual assault

The family of the victim/survivor may also be eligible for service at the discretion of the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program.

Program/service features

The Recipient is responsible for the coordination and delivery of Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program services and activities to victims/survivors within the catchment area, comprising the municipalities specified under the Geographic Coverage chart in the Ministry Requirements section below.

The Recipient is responsible to ensure that the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program is delivered in accordance with the latest version of the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program Standards, as amended by the Province from time to time.

Specific service provided

Regional coordination of services

The Recipient will coordinate access to and administer the delivery of counselling services delivered by the Recipient and Partnering Agencies within its region.

The Recipient will:

• have a contractual agreement in place with each Partnering Agency within its Regional Network of Service
• establish written policies on the reimbursement payment process to all Partnering Agencies
• develop and implement policies regarding service delivery and coordination, such as
• intake and assessment processes and procedures
• the type of counselling victims/survivors will receive (one-on-one counselling, group counselling, e- counselling, telephone counselling, peer support)
• referral processes for persons who are not eligible for services under the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program, as such resources exist in local communities
• referral processes for persons who are not eligible for services under the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program, as such resources exist in local communities; and
• ensure the completion of reporting requirements established by the Province on service delivery data for monitoring and evaluation purposes. This includes advising the Province immediately of any partners being added or removed and notifying the Province when entering into a new agreement with a Partnering Agency

Service delivery

The Recipient will ensure that Partnering Agencies (and the Recipient in its direct service delivery role)

• conduct intake and victims/survivors needs assessments, ensuring that there is a written protocol in place on processes for conducting intake and assessments
• develop an appropriate service plan that takes into consideration the individual circumstances of each victims/survivors and making adjustments to service plans, where necessary
• provide direct services, i.e., individual and group counselling, telephone and e- counselling, peer support
• provide victims/survivors with information and referrals to other services to meet their longer-term needs as identified, where such services are available
• provide persons who are not eligible for services under the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program with referrals to other appropriate services, where such services are available
• deliver the counselling service modalities in accordance with the costs outlined below

Individual counselling

Individual counselling, including in-person, telephone, e-counselling. Maximum hourly rate of pay as noted in the program standards

Group counselling

Maximum two counsellors per group session for a maximum of two hours per group session

Peer support

Maximum of two hours with one facilitator

Service parameters

A counselling session will be an individual session (including in-person, e-counselling, or telephone counselling), a group session, or peer support. Agencies may deliver any combination of counselling sessions (e.g., all individual, all group, or a combination of individual and group sessions).

The Recipient will consider the most cost-effective modalities to deliver counselling that meet the victims’/survivors’ needs, and in order to the deliver the services within the budget as set out in the agreement. Accordingly, the Recipient may encourage Partnering Agencies to prioritize group counselling for victims/survivors who may be ready for it or may limit the number of counselling sessions that victims/survivors may receive.

A minimum number of three victims/survivors (with one counsellor facilitating) or a minimum of four victims/survivors (with either one or two counsellors facilitating) are required to start a group counselling session.

Victims/survivors will not be charged fees to receive any services provided under the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program to:

Program goals

The goals of the Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program are

• To provide people who identify as male or non-binary victims/survivors of sexual abuse and their families with support services and short-term counselling to help them deal with the impact of abuse, develop improved coping strategies, and make changes to improve their functioning
• To improve service planning, coordination, and the capacity of communities to meet the needs of people who are male or non-binary victims/survivors of sexual abuse
• To coordinate access to a suite of region-wide services including individual and group counselling and peer and community support services for male and non- binary victims/survivors of sexual abuse

Ministry expectations

Training

The Recipient will develop and implement training and professional development activities for Partnering Agencies. The Recipient will identify training needs in consultation with the Partnering Agencies. The Recipient will develop a training plan taking into consideration these identified needs.

The Recipient will organize a professional development session for their regional network at least once annually for information-sharing, continuous improvement and best practices, and community capacity development.

Outreach

The Recipient will coordinate and implement outreach and service promotion activities in consultation with the Partnering Agencies to promote victims’/survivors’ awareness of, and access to services. These activities may include public education and community capacity development and should reflect the needs of the communities served.

Diversity and inclusion

The Recipient and relevant Partnering Agencies will have a diversity policy in place and demonstrate concrete efforts towards meeting the needs of diverse communities and provide culturally-responsive services.

The Recipient is responsible for developing and implementing services that are tailored to the needs of victims/survivors in its region. This includes ensuring that they and their Partnering Agencies deliver services in a culturally responsive manner to victims/survivors, including those who identify as Indigenous, and persons with disabilities. The Recipient will ensure that they and their Partnering Agencies inform victims/survivors that culturally responsive services are available, and to ask whether they would like to access such services or require any accommodation to access services.

Regarding culturally responsive services for Indigenous victims/survivors, the Recipient will partner with at least one Indigenous organization that has the capacity to deliver services in a culturally responsive manner to Indigenous victims/survivors.

In terms of services for victims/survivors with disabilities, the Recipient is responsible to ensure that all services offered within its region are provided to persons with disabilities in a manner that accommodates their needs and facilitates their access to services. The Recipient will also ensure that victims/survivors are made aware that accommodation is available for persons with disabilities and establish protocols with Partnering Agencies to help victims/survivors access such services.

Geographic coverage

The following chart shows the municipalities, within which the Recipient is responsible for providing and coordinating services. It includes all First Nations located within the boundaries of one or more municipalities.

Service Evaluation

The Recipient will provide all individuals who have accessed their services an opportunity to complete the Ministry’s Service Experience Survey for victims/survivors and people at risk of violence.

Reporting requirements

Service data on ministry funded expenditures will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service data will be reported through supplemental reports to the ministry.