Dedicated helpline created to support members when reporting incidents of harassment
Toronto, ON (May 31, 2019) — On June 1, ACTRA and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) are jointly launching HAVEN (Harassment and Violence Emergency Network) Helpline, a bilingual critical incident reporting line available to ACTRA and DGC members across Canada.
The HAVEN Helpline will offer 24/7 support from Morneau Shepell, the leading provider of assistance programs in Canada. The Helpline will be available for ACTRA and DGC members to report any harassment incident related to the workplace and set, and will provide additional resources, such as confidential counselling services, and total well-being support. DGC and ACTRA members can access these services by phone, web chat and online through Morneau Shepell’s LifeWorks app. For calls regarding harassment or violence, the caller will always have the option to speak with a counsellor. The HAVEN Helpline and associated counselling services are part of the commitment by ACTRA and the DGC to a trauma-informed approach to responding to harassment in the workplace.
“Over the past 18 months, it has become clear a cultural shift within our industry is needed to prevent and reduce harassment. ACTRA has remained dedicated in our commitment to address this issue,” said ACTRA National President David Sparrow. “We hope the launch of the HAVEN Helpline will ensure our members have access to available support resources 24/7 if they experience or witness an incident of harassment in the workplace.”
“We owe it to the courageous individuals who’ve exposed the truth about harassment and misconduct in our industry to have their backs. These resources are a major step forward helping us do just that,” said Tim Southam, President, Directors Guild of Canada.
Launching the HAVEN Helpline is the latest step after the DGC and ACTRA became signatory to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct in March 2018. The creation of reporting mechanisms and support services are two of the steps outlined in the Code to which both organizations committed to address harassment within the film and television industry.
The new helpline will be jointly funded by ACTRA and the DGC with additional financial support from AFBS and Telefilm Canada.
About ACTRAACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of over 25,000 members across the country – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.
About THE DGC
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a national labour organization that represents over 4,800 key creative and logistical personnel in the screen-based industry covering all areas of direction, design, production and editing. The DGC negotiates and administers collective agreements and lobbies extensively on issues of concern for members including Canadian content conditions, CRTC regulations and ensuring that funding is maintained for Canadian screen-based programming.
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Media Contacts:
Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, tel: 416.644.1519, email: ctaverner@actra.ca
Ian Gillespie, Director of Communications, DGC National, email: igillespie@dgc.ca