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Family Safety Counselling & Support Services
- Mizpah Transition House
- Chetwynd Safe House
- Dawson Creek/Chetwynd/Tumbler Ridge Outreach Program
- Police Based Victim Services-
Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge - Community Based Victim Services
- Children Who Witness Abuse - Dawson Creek
- Children Who Witness Abuse - Tumbler Ridge
- Reconnect
- Choices for Women
- Legal Advocate Outreach Program
- Chetwynd Family Support Program
The Mizpah Transition House provides short-term supportive counselling, safety, and shelter to women and their children, who are experiencing family violence and personal crisis, are transient and unable to find shelter, are traveling from other areas for medical treatment or to appear in court, and/or are in need of support and referral to other services. The Mizpah Transition House is funded by the Ministry of Community Services and located in the community of Dawson Creek. This facility is located in a community house and provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Chetwynd Safe House Program provides short-term support, safety, and shelter to women and their children, who are experiencing family violence and personal crisis. The program offers shelter for up to five days in the community of Chetwynd and if a longer stay is needed, provides transportation to the Mizpah Transition House in Dawson Creek. The program is located in the community of Chetwynd. The Chetwynd Safe House Program office operates 20 hours per week and is complimented by a crisis line support system which ensures service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dawson Creek/Chetwynd/Tumbler Ridge Outreach Program
The Outreach Programs provides crisis support services to women and their children. These programs are funded by the Ministry of Community Services and located in the communities of Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge. Outreach provides emergency response to women who have experienced physical/sexual assault, individual supportive counselling to women in transition whether or not they are residing at the local transition house or safe home, accompaniment through the judicial, social services and medical systems, initial referrals and liaison with community agencies, access to resources relating to physical/sexual assault, support groups for women who are in or have been in abusive relationships; and education and promotion activities addressing the issue of violence against women.
Police Based Victim Services - Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge
The Police-based Victim Service Program (PBVS) provides emotional support to help victims cope with the effects of victimization throughout their recovery and the justice process. The Program does not provide counselling services to victims but refers victims to the appropriate community resources for counselling services when necessary. The program also provides information and practical assistance both case-specific and about the justice system in general (i.e. assisting victims in filling out forms such as Crime Victim Assistance applications or victim impact statement; and providing information on crime prevention in order to help the victim avoid re-victimization). The program can also provide transportation and/or accompaniment to appointments or court, assistance to victims at the scene of a crime, and public education presentations around the issues of criminal victimization and victim services. This program is funded by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General in partnership with the City of Dawson Creek and operates out of the Dawson Creek RCMP detachment.
Community Based Victim Services
Community Based Victim Services (CBVS) provides support, counselling and information to men, women and children who are victims of sexual assault, abuse, criminal harassment or stalking, physical assault, and/or emotional abuse. CBVS can provide accompaniment to hospital, court, and police; and advocate on behalf of the victim. The program can also provide advocacy and assist victims in all stages of the Criminal Justice process. This program is funded by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and located in-house at SPCRS.
Children Who Witness Abuse - Dawson Creek
The Children Who Witness Abuse program is funded by the Ministry of Community Services. This program serves children and adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. The goals of the program are to support children whose emotional health and self-esteem have been affected by witnessing abuse, to provide services to stop the intergenerational cycle of abuse by teaching children non-violent ways of resolving conflict and by promoting the process of healing, to provide age appropriate support groups, and to provide individual counselling for children who are not ready for group counselling. The program may also include informal support for the parents and any necessary referrals to other programs/agencies.
Children Who Witness Abuse - Tumbler Ridge
The Children Who Witness Abuse program is funded by the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal, and Women's Services and located at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre on Front Street. This program serves children and adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. The goals of the program are to support children whose emotional health and self-esteem have been affected by witnessing abuse, to provide services to stop the intergenerational cycle of abuse by teaching children non-violent ways of resolving conflict and by promoting the process of healing, to provide age appropriate support groups, and to provide individual counselling for children who are not ready for group counselling. The program may also include informal support for the parents and any necessary referrals to other programs/agencies.
This program is for youth under the age of 19, male and female, who live on the streets, or who are at risk of living on the streets. Reconnect Youth Services offers a safe environment, works towards reconnecting youth with family, provides individual counselling and group education, advocates on behalf of youth, facilitates parent/teen mediation, provides crisis intervention, provides recreational and leisure activities for the purposes of developing life skills and offers referrals to other needed resources.
The Reconnect Youth Services Program is funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The program operates 25 hours per week on a flexible schedule suited to meet the needs of the youth and is located in a store front location in Dawson Creek.
This program provides service to women who have experienced childhood/adolescent abuse or trauma, dating violence, physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse; and any other issue that may have an effect on women's lives. The program offers both individual and group counselling with a goal of promoting and aiding emotional healing. This program assists women in increasing self-awareness, assertiveness, and self-esteem while decreasing the negative impacts of trauma. This program is funded by the Ministry of Community Services and is located in-house at SPCRS.
Legal Advocate/Outreach Program
The Legal Advocate's goal is to make legal information available to people in Dawson Creek who do not have the financial resources to access lawyer services. As well, the Legal Advocate will work towards community awareness of the law and the justice system, target the identified legal needs of the community, provide individualized legal information to those in need, facilitate eight legal education sessions to meet specific needs in the community, provide forms and written information for clients, and evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The program is funded through a temporary grant..
These services are provided free of charge.
For more information on how you can be assisted by this program, please contact The Legal Advocate at SPCRS Admin Office, 10110-13th St., Dawson Creek, BC, V1G 3W2, or by phone (250) 782-9174, Ext 236.
