Show your support for the VGH Domestic Violence Program
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) has begun to shut the doors to its much-needed Domestic Violence Program after a sudden announcement last week.
The well-respected outpatient program has been serving the community for 18 years. 20 to 25 people experiencing violent relationships access the program each week for counseling, support, and education as well as support for their family members who are affected by violence.
There has been no public consultation about the closure and community support groups such as Battered Women’s Support Services are calling for the decision to be reversed.
Vancouver Coastal Health says the program is being dismantled in order to reallocate funding to a new adult guardianship program, claiming that the move constitutes an expansion of services. However, outpatient counseling will be cut and at-capacity community groups will be forced to take on additional work.
Programs such as the VGH Domestic Violence Program are crucial resources to the people who access them and an essential part of our health care system.
