BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling Programs

With generous funding from the Ministry of Community Services, the BCASVACP created a collection of educational materials for anti-violence programs to use in their communities. To access these materials, go to Public Education Tools.

In 2006, we updated the Records Management Guidelines developed in 1998, to include new legislation and issues arising from technological advancements. The guidelines are directed at agencies who manage Sexual Assault Centres, Stopping the Violence Counselling programs, Transition Houses and Specialized Victim Assistance programs. We first developed them in 1998 in partnership with the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses and the Ministries of Attorney General, Health, Social Services and Women's Equality.
Download Records Management Guidelines (pdf)

The BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling Programs, in partnership with the BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses, undertook a collaborative initiative to assess training needs and examine various alternate training approaches for STV counselling programs, CCWA counselling programs, and TH programs.
[link to document coming soon]

This project grew out of the Multi-Lateral Task Force (see Other Initiatives). These occupational competencies are intended to guide the development of curriculum, training and practice in the women's services sector. The BCASVACP coordinated the work of our sector throughout this project.

Download pdf files:
Occupational Competencies for Women's Centres
Occupational Competencies for Transition Houses
Occupational Competencies for Children Who Witness Abuse Programs
Occupational Competencies for Stopping the Violence Counselling Programs

This manual was written to assist women's services, including transition houses, sexual assault centres, and women's centres, in developing trans inclusive policies. It is designed for services with a desire to begin the process of creating inclusive and accessible organizations. The manual was produced for the Trans/Women Dialogue Planning Committee, of which the BCASVACP was a member. Download the manual at the Trans Alliance website: www.transalliancesociety.org.

A Guide for Specialized Victim Assistance Programs and Other Anti-Violence Advocates. The Ministry of Attorney General recently introduced changes to the way criminal cases are managed, in an attempt to streamline how cases move through the system. While reforms were meant to cut down on the backlog of cases and see justice move more swiftly, some anti-violence workers wanted to ensure that these reforms would not in any way compromise victims. In response, the Association worked with a lawyer to research the changes and to write a guide for advocates. The guide outlines the changes so that front-line workers can explain the new system to clients, and documents concerns about the impact on victims for provincial policy makers and regional criminal justice staff. Also see updates to Arraignment Hearings and Elections.

Download the Guide (pdf)

(Note: SVAP is now CBVAP.) The intent of the Specialized Victim Assistance Program Code of Ethics is to provide a comprehensive set of ethical principles to help guide Specialized Victim Assistance workers in their relationships with clients, colleagues, governing agencies, the criminal justice system and the public. As well as providing a means for self-appraisal, the Code provides a written framework for demonstrating accountability to clients and the wider public. This project was funded by the Ministry of Attorney General.
Download Code of Ethics (pdf)

A project initiated by the Association in 1998 to conduct research into the area of Restorative Justice programs, including an analysis about how these programs and related justice system reforms might affect women. This paper outlined some of the thinking on Restorative Justice at the time and the general direction the Ministry of Attorney General was taking in this area, and made recommendations to the Attorney General on how to ensure that reforms do not re-victimize women. The paper also assists individual service providers in articulating gender-related issues when programs are being established at the local level.
Download report

In 1998, the Association co-sponsored the first North American conference looking at the link between disasters such as earthquakes and floods and the dramatic increase of violence against women and children in the aftermath. After the conference, with funds from the Ministries of Women's Equality, Human Resources and Attorney General, we developed a report, Emergency Preparedness in British Columbia: Mitigating Violence Against Women in Disasters, directed at provincial authorities. This made recommendations for changes to the coordination of emergency and disaster response planning to ensure that women's and victim’s needs are incorporated, and that those organizations are being included at region planning tables. We also developed a workbook in 2001 to assist women and victim serving organizations in developing their own disaster response plans. We distributed this workbook across the province to all women and victim serving organizations and the Ministry of Economic Security and Social Development distributed it to all Emergency Social Service Directors. In addition, the Provincial Emergency Program has the workbook on their web site.
Download Emergency Preparedness in British Columbia: Mitigating Violence Against Women in Disasters (pdf)
Download Workbook

A project funded by the Ministries of Women's Equality and Attorney General to review the FOI Legislation and to make recommendations to ensure that service providers can access important information.
Download report (pdf)