RESOURCES

Ministry of Justice

Violence Against Women Counselling and Outreach Programs


Overview

Stopping the Violence Counsellors and Children Who Witness Abuse Counsellors are employed by more than 180 programs across B.C. and are trained to provide counselling to women fleeing violence in their relationships and children who witness abuse.

Outreach Services Workers and Multicultural Outreach Services Workers are employed by more than 60 programs across B.C. and are trained to identify and connect women in crisis with the supports they need. Contact information for each program is available from VictimLink BC and listed on the Directory of Victim Service and Violence Against Women Programs page on this website. For more information on the counselling and outreach programs, read the topics below.


Stopping the Violence Counselling Program

There are more than 90 Stopping the Violence Counselling Programs across B.C. that provide counselling for women who have experienced violence in relationships, childhood abuse, or sexual assault, to help them deal with the trauma of the experience. Contact VictimLink BC for referrals to a program in your area.


Children who Witness Abuse Counselling Program

There are over 80 Children Who Witness Abuse Counselling Programs in B.C. that provide individual and group counselling to children aged 3 to 18 years of age who witness violence against a parent. The program is designed to help break the intergenerational cycle of violence against women by helping children cope with and heal from the trauma of living in a violent situation and learn about healthy relationships. Contact VictimLink BC for more information.


Outreach Services Program

There are more than 50 Outreach Services Programs in B.C. that respond to the needs of women and their dependent children who have experienced, or are at risk of violence. These programs deliver services which include supportive counselling for women, referrals to community services, local transportation, accompaniment and advocacy. Contact VictimLink BC for more information.


Multicultural Outreach Services Program

There are a dozen Multicultural Outreach Services Programs in B.C. that support women and their dependent children from diverse cultures who have experienced, or are at risk of violence. The program services include supportive counselling for women, referrals to appropriate community services, local transportation, accompaniment and advocacy. These services are provided in up to 24 languages to ensure women are assisted by people who speak their own language and are familiar with their culture. Contact VictimLink BC for more information.