Southern Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society

The Southern Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society (SARVSS) provides a broad range of services under the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act and Regulation, and in partnership with the Government of Alberta (GoA), the Alberta RCMP, specialized and community-based victim serving organizations, municipalities, and other local agencies.

The SARVSS assists victims of crime throughout the criminal justice process by providing the core services of information, support, and referrals.

The SARVSS also supports communities by providing resources and support to people undergoing loss and tragic circumstances.

The SARVSS is mandated to work in partnership with the GoA Victim Services, Alberta RCMP, specialized and community-based victim serving agencies, municipalities, and other local organizations to deliver an integrated framework of services to victims of crime. The SARVSS supports and assists victims of crime while they are involved in the criminal justice process.

The six pillars of Victim Services include:
• Meet: meet with victims of crime and/or tragedy as an essential service provider, in the immediate aftermath of an event.
• Mitigate: on behalf of their clients, mitigate the immediate after-effects of an event (e.g., provide empathy, a blanket, a bus ticket, etc.)
• Refer: refer clients to appropriate government, non-government, community, and/or other professional resources and supports.
• Accompany: accompany clients through the criminal justice system processes, from the initial police investigation, through pre-trial, criminal prosecution, and sentencing.
• Coordinate: coordinate a local team of volunteer advocates.
• Engage: Engage with local communities at events such as parades, farmer’s markets, job fairs, Indigenous ceremonies, and celebrations etc.