Domestic Abuse / Intimate Partner Violence Resources

VictimLinkBC
Free confidential crisis support to connect victims (and their friends) with services. Can call or text 1-800-563-0808 or email 211-VictimLinkBC@uwbc.ca

Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre
Free confidential crisis support which also offer police & course accompanyment, help with navigating the legal system, and counselling. (Formerly known as the WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre)

Battered Women’s Support Services
Crisis & intake phone line to support victims and those who support them. They also have a page on How can I help my friend? and also a page for creating a safety plan.

BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA)
Non-profit society that provides victim services support, sliding-scale individual therapy, and group therapy for male-identifying persons who have experienced sexual or domestic abuse.

Violence Prevention & Support – MOSAIC BC
Multiple free programs available, including Stopping the Violence Counselling for Women, a Women’s Support Group, the Enhancing Healthy Relationships Program (EHRP) for visible minorities, and the Men In Charge Program.

Creating a Safety Plan – BC Housing (pdf)
While this booklet was designed to address partner abuse, many of the included suggestions can be used to address other forms of relationship violence (i.e., other forms of family violence, caregiver violence, etc.).

BC Society of Transition Houses
Safe shelter staffed 24/7 with support to plan next steps.

Women Leaving Violence – BC Housing
Help for women to leave violent situations in BC, including information on transition houses, safe homes, second stage housing, subsidized long-term rental housing, and BC Housing’s Priority Placement Program.

Vancouver Police Department
Call their non-emergency phone line (at the top of the page), tell them a brief summary of what’s happening (they can ask follow up questions to gather details), and ask your questions (e.g. how to get a restraining order, how to access
transition houses, etc.). The page linked above also has a lot of info on intimate partner violence, what it is, how to make a police report, and other really relevant community services at the bottom under “Resources”.

Coercive Control

Coercive Control (backgrounder) – Ending Violence Association of BC
Brief information defining “coercive control” with a list of helpful related resources.

The Counter Project
Non-profit organization dedicated to countering psychological manipulation and coercive control by developing prevention and recovery tools, providing peer support and counselling, fostering universal education, and more. Providing toolkits, workshops, and other resources.

Current status of Bill C-332: An act to amend the Criminal Code (coercive control of intimate partner)
Also see more info here.

→ See also: Trauma Resources