Marie-Vincent’s team of professionals and specialized partners provides a range of services centralized under one roof (police, medical, socio-judicial, psychosocial and psychotherapeutic services) to child and adolescent victims of sexual violence, to children under the age of 12 presenting sexual behaviour problems, and to their families.
Our services are follow the same model at our two centres, located in Montréal and Montérégie.
By grouping all services together and providing a caring environment, we are able to minimize potential trauma caused by the disclosure process. Service integration also streamlines interventions by partners to serve the best interest of the child or youth.
In parallel, our close collaboration with the Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair on Sexual Abuse of Children allows us to evaluate these services and their impact, strengthening our ability to provide optimal support while ensuring an integrated, evidence-based approach.
If a child or adolescent confides that they have experienced sexual abuse, we invite you to see the following page:
Marie-Vincent is not an emergency service. When a referral is issued by a professional so that a child or family may receive Marie-Vincent’s services, and once the request is complete, our team will assess the priority of the case.
To know who can be referred to our services and how to proceed, see the following section:
Following the disclosure of sexual violence or sexual behaviour problem, and when the service request is completed, immediate psychosocial intervention is made available to parents and/or adolescents as promptly as possible.
This short-term intervention consists of several meetings aimed at:
In order to determine the most appropriate services for the referred child or adolescent, Marie-Vincent conducts a needs assessment.
A Marie-Vincent professional (psychotherapist or psychosocial practitioner) conducts an assessment to determine the child’s or adolescent’s needs. The resulting recommendations orient the child, adolescent, and their parents and/or significant adults toward appropriate internal and external services.
As part of the needs assessment, a research assistant affiliated with the Marie-Vincent Research Chair works in collaboration with the clinician responsible for the assessment to present the modalities of ongoing research projects. If the family, child or adolescent consents, the research assistant may administer standardized questionnaires to obtain a global view of strengths and weaknesses in order to better orient them within our service offering.
The objectives of the assessment are to:
Based on the needs assessment and ongoing adaptation to the child’s situation, they may receive one or more specialized services.
Based on a cognitive-behavioural approach, this treatment aims to reduce the negative impacts on the child’s or adolescent’s functioning. Depending on the intervention plan, the parent or significant adult may be invited to participate in sessions.
The objectives of psychosocial therapy are to:
Psychotherapeutic treatment is based on trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT). The objective of psychotherapy is to bring about meaningful changes (cognitive, emotional or behavioural), improve the youth’s functioning and reduce psychological distress. Depending on the intervention plan, the parent or significant adult may be invited to participate.
This treatment is associated with a significant reduction in symptoms among young victims of sexual violence or those who present sexual behaviour problems, including reduced anxiety and guilt and improved self-esteem.
The objectives of psychotherapy are to:
Delivered by two professionals—a psychotherapist and a psychosocial practitioner—this service is also based on a cognitive-behavioural approach and on playful and creative activities. Like individual intervention, group psychotherapy is associated with a significant reduction in symptoms among child and adolescent victims of sexual violence.
The objectives of group psychotherapy are to:
All of the above-mentioned services are provided directly by Marie-Vincent staff. However, our team also works closely with several partners to offer additional services, under one roof, to youth and their families.
Through a partnership with CHU Sainte-Justine, a team of physicians and nurses provides medical consultation services to children and adolescents on-site at Marie-Vincent. The consultation is intended primarily to assess and reassure the child or adolescent regarding their overall health, including sexual, physical and mental health. The consultation can be followed by referrals to specialized professionals. In cases of sexual violence, a medical examination can help reassure the child or adolescent regarding their physical integrity.
The objective of the police investigative interview is to obtain an accurate account of the events disclosed by the child and to determine, in a non-suggestive manner, whether sexual violence occurred. During the interview:
This program is a structured preparation process for minors aged 5 to 17 who are required to testify in criminal court. It may be delivered on-site at Marie-Vincent by a practitioner from the Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC). The program aims to:
