BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling Programs

The BCASVACP and CCWS have worked with the RCMP, municipal police and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to find ways that victims can get information to police without having to engage with the justice system. RCMP and municipal police in BC have now adopted a provincial protocol for third party reporting.

Download background document on Third Party Reporting (pdf).

Training sessions are now scheduled for Community-Based Victim Assistance workers, Police-Based Victim Assistance Workers and police. See Calendar of Events for training sessions in May and June 2008.

Download application form.

Training is funded by the National Policy Centre for Victim Issues and the RCMP Family Violence Initiative.

Renewing Resources for Safer Communities is an innovative partnership between the anti-violence sector and the resource sector (particularly forestry, mining and fishing) that aims to improve the resource sector’s capacity to respond to violence in relationships. The BCASVACP and the Ending Relationship Abuse Society (ERA) have come together to manage this one-year violence prevention project, working in partnership with WorkSafe BC, the BC Federation of Labour, and the United Steelworkers Union. The action plan of Renewing Resources for Safer Communities includes hosting five free training sessions around the province in key areas identified by forestry and mining personnel. At these sessions, participants will learn what exactly defines “violence in relationships” as well as what constitutes an appropriate response from a corporate and individual perspective. They will also receive a Tool Kit on CD to assist with proactive prevention strategies, including a draft policy, within the work sites. The vision of this initiative is to reduce violence and to assist employers to develop skills and knowledge to respond. At the end of it all, we hope to make our communities a safe place to work, live and play. This initiative offers industry an opportunity to invest in healthy relationships and a safer workplace environment.

See Calendar of Events for training dates in April, May and June of 2008.

Contact Sandra Beggs for more information:
sandra (at) qcislands.net
Phone 250-559-8831 or 604-315-1134 (cell)

A Ministry of Community Services Partners in Prevention Project

A special two day training event that was jointly sponsored by this Association and the BC Women's Hospital to bring together for the first time staff from BC Hospitals and front line workers at Sexual Assault/Woman Assault centres and Specialized Victim Assistance programs. The event was funded by grants from the federal Department of Justice and the BC Ministries of Attorney General and Women's Equality.

A review process taken on by the Association in partnership with the Justice Institute of BC to review the 1993 fifteen-day curriculum for STV counsellors in relation to its current relevance and its compatibility with the Counselling Practice Guidelines.

The BCASVACP coordinates and delivers the twelve-day "STV Feminist Counselling Core Training" course for STV counsellors in BC, with training subsidies provided by the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services. The curriculum provides basic knowledge and skills for STV counsellors.

Using the curriculum we developed with funding from the Ministry of Attorney General, the Association provides training on Records Management to various anti-violence organizations in BC and in other provinces as requested.

This initiative is a project to provide managers in women and victim serving organizations with expertise in areas such as human resources management, labour relations, organizational development, change management, financial management, clinical supervision, etc. Our Association is working in partnership with the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses and the Justice Institute of BC with funding from Human Resources Development Canada and the Vancouver Foundation.

An initiative taken on by this Association to develop a specialized training event for STV Counsellors and others providing sexual violence counselling, to develop or enhance an effective knowledge base to work with women who have issues relating to both sexual violence and drugs and/or alcohol.

A project taken on by the Association to develop training for Board members in agencies that have Stopping the Violence Counselling programs, Sexual Assault centres and Specialized Victim Assistance programs.

The BCASVACP holds an annual fall training forum for Stopping the Violence Counselling programs, Community-Based Victim Assistance programs and Sexual Assault programs. This forum is funded by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services.