Collaboration between the institutional, law enforcement and community sectors
You have just created an alliance between the institutional, law enforcement and community sectors! This is exactly what the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and its partners did with the Sphères project, by offering a continuum of services to youth between the ages of 12 and 24 who are victims of sexual exploitation.
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Improves understanding of the realities, the mandates and the modus operandi of each of the sectors;
Makes it possible to connect the institutional framework to the community approach (mutual reinforcement of roles);
Assists in referring youth to the appropriate resources;
Improves understanding of the phenomenon of sexual exploitation and its impact on youth;
Allows for better intervention among youth;
Makes it easier to share necessary information;
Allows for the pooling of resources;
Optimizes prevention through support and expertise from all sectors;
Helps advance research on sexual exploitation, particularly in the university sector.
Benefits of the collaboration
Innovative aspects of the collaborations
The Sphères project makes it possible to offer a customized and confidential service to youth between the ages of 12 and 24 by providing them with access to a range of resources, regardless of their entry point into the system. The complementarity of the different sectors’ mandates and approaches thus becomes an asset that responds to the specific needs of young victims of sexual exploitation.
Description of the collaboration

The Sphères project made it possible to develop a partnership between the institutional, law enforcement and community sectors thanks to a collaboration between CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the SPVM program Les survivantes (The Survivors) and the organizations En Marge 12-17, L’Anonyme and the Marie-Vincent Foundation.The aim of this partnership is to provide support to young people aged 12 to 24 who are in a situation of sexual exploitation and seeking help. The collaborative work of the various stakeholders makes it possible to benefit from everyone’s expertise and to work cooperatively while respecting everyone’s mandates and roles.
Testimonial
“When we talk about protecting children, when we talk about youth who are victims of sexual exploitation, this is not the responsibility of one or several organizations, it is the responsibility of all organizations, in that each one has a role to play.”
— Lynn Dion
Contact person for sexuality and sexual exploitation of youth, Sphères project – CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’île-de-Montréal

Impact of the collaborations
Optimizing the collaborative efforts among different sectors helps prevent organizations from working in isolation and allows everyone to benefit from the available resources;
A collaborative approach has been developed that is tailored to the specific needs of youth;
The strengths and expertise of each of the sectors have been mobilized;
Improves the transition to adulthood by ensuring a continuum of services thanks to the mutual reinforcement and collaboration of all sectors involved.

Conclusion
The collaboration between the partners involved in the Sphères project allows for joint efforts that specifically address the needs of young victims of sexual exploitation. Mobilizing the strengths and expertise of each of the sectors makes it possible to implement a unique approach that clearly strengthens the youth safety net.
You have just completed the alliance!
We suggest that you consult the toolbox to learn more about : How can we make collaborations successful? and Steps of collaboration.