Battered Women's Support Services

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First Nation's Women's Support & Outreach

New! 
EMPOWERING MOTHER'S PARENTING PROGRAM
LEADING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

INSIDE THE CIRCLE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

The Empowering Mother's Parenting Program is a support group for women who:

* Have experienced abuse in their intimate relationship and their children have witnessed abuse
* Are survivors of residential school, foster-care or adoptees
* Are currently ministry involved or at risk of being involved with MCFD
* Any woman who wants to be feel more empowered as mother

Participants will:

* Share experiences, receive support
* Develop self-awareness & insight
* Develop skills to support positive & encouraging parenting
* Develop tools to raise children at each stage of development
* Define individual mothering goals

Topics include communication, values clarification, feeling awareness, culturally specific parenting.
For registration and information please contact
Rosa Artega & Mona Woodward @ 604-687-1867

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Inside the Circle: Empowered by our experiences As Aboriginal Women

A Residential School Survivors Support group
To learn about:

The impact of adoption, the impact of foster-care, the impact of violence, the impact of substance abuse, how we survive poverty, healthy communication, boundaries, inner powers & hidden strengths, how we survive the system

Healing work will include Native spirituality,
Discovering your traditions & discovering
our strengths. Elders involvement to guide 
& support us with their knowledge

 

About the First Nation's Support Program: 

The First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach Program is open to First Nation's, Aboriginal and Metis women who have experienced violence in relationships. The abuse may be emotional, physical, sexual or financial. Our services are available over the phone or in person. All services are provided by trained Aboriginal women counsellor/advocates.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 604-687-1867 (we accept collect calls) or email monawoodward@bwss.org.

Please note that we only answer calls and emails during office hours. If you need support or information outside of BWSS office hours, call WAVAW at 604-255-6344 or toll-free 1-877-392-7583 or Victims Link Helpline at 1-800-563-0808.
See Links page for services outside the Lower Mainland.

Counselling

The woman-centred counselling program at BWSS provides:

• A safe, confidential place to talk about your experience and get information and/or support
• A skilled counsellor who will listen and validate without judging or labelling
• A chance to discuss questions, confusion or fears about your relationship
• Information and support to help you make your own decisions
• Healthy techniques for coping with overwhelming emotions
• Information and support to help you with parenting
• Referrals to other agencies or services as needed

Advocacy

Advocates at BWSS provide support for women who are dealing with systems. These systems include:

• The legal system
• Social assistance
• Child protection
• Unemployment or pension
• The medical system
• Immigration
• Other systems or agencies

Advocates can:

• Make calls or write letters on your behalf
• Help you fill out forms
• Accompany you to appointments

Support Groups

First Nation's women are welcome at any of the support groups that BWSS provides (go to our Support Groups page for more information). We also hold groups specifically for First Nation's women, including a Parenting Group. Contact the First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach Program for more information on these groups.

Legal Advocacy Workshops

These workshops are for women who will be representing themselves in court and require legal information to help them prepare. Please contact the First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach Program for more information.

Outreach and Traditional Healing

Contact the First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach Program for more information on our outreach and traditional healing services.

Volunteer Opportunities

BWSS welcomes Aboriginal, First Nation's and Metis women as volunteers in all aspects of our work. See Volunteer page for more information. Please contact the First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach Program if you would like to volunteer specifically in this program.

The First Nation's Women's Support and Outreach program is delivered in a way that acknowledges the holocaust of colonization. We acknowledge the multiple barriers that First Nation's women experience on a daily basis, including, but not limited to, violence, poverty, highest child apprehension rate, ongoing racism, cultural genocide, highest incarceration rate, epidemic proportion of suicide, and displacement from traditional territories and communities.

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