Women’s Safety and Outreach Program

BWSS offers a safety and outreach program dedicated women and girls in the Downtown Eastside.

Safety planning, crisis and emotional support, counselling, advocacy, hospital accompaniments, information and referrals, assistance with shelter and transitional housing are available to women who are experiencing or have experienced partner abuse.

 

For help call 604.652.1010

from 5PM to 1AM Weekdays.
For more information about the program contact with TERRIEA at 604-652-1010

Women’s Safety and Outreach Program started on December, 2012 to provide a woman centered and coordinated community based response to assist girl and women survivors of sexual assault, dating violence, woman assault and stalking in Vancouver, Downtown Eastside. After a successful pilot project, Battered Women’s Support Services Women’s Safety and Outreach Program (WSOP) re-launched on Monday, March 31st, 2014.

With an emphasis on outreach and education awareness, Women’s Safety and Outreach operates from 5pm-1am during weekdays, providing mobile crisis support to girl and women survivors of assault and or sexual violence.

We continue to seek to end violence against women and girls in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver Community, Coast Salish Territory, by providing:

 
1) Education and Awareness Outreach: 
We seek to shift the culture of violence against women in the Downtown Eastside  Vancouver community through education and awareness. Trained staff and volunteers are equipped to provide information to the many single room occupancies (SROs), shelters, front line service providers, and organizations to raise awareness of the dynamics of sexual and physical assault, program hours, and services available for women and girls. Specific outreach to SROs will be undertaken to increase program accessibility for women who do not access mainstream services during mainstream hours.  The program is inclusive of self-identified women, young women, Indigenous women, seniors, Immigrant women, and women who do sex work and of particular importance for Indigenous women, we are equipped to deliver services that are culturally appropriate.

2) Mobile Crisis Response: 
Trained staff and volunteers provide a mobile crisis intervention for women survivors of assault and sexual assault and/or abuse through

  • Crisis intervention and support- risk assessment, safety planning with a biopsychosocial, women-centered approach
  • Emotional support
  • Support with injuries sustained- accompaniment to hospital, medical services, sexual assault services
  • Transportation for women fleeing violence to housing (transition, shelter)
  • Response is inclusive of harm reduction supplies such as condoms, personal care items
  • Response and services accessible through a dedicated mobile number
  • Resource referral
  • Advocacy

3) Follow–up: 
WSOP is relational to reduce the isolation through encouraging ongoing contact with BWSS and the anchoring of supports with other community organizations. The inclusion of an office space allows for immediate daytime follow-up on an outreach basis, if required.  In addition, anti-violence services such as Stopping the Violence counseling and support groups will be offered at the location.

Our collaborations will continue with community organizations to include cross referrals, education, awareness, outreach, and access to office and/or interview space. It is crucial to understand the complexity of the experiences women and girls are navigating in and how offering services is a huge part of women’s empowerment.

Our Women’s Safety and Outreach Program operates on Monday – Friday from 5pm to 1am.

Please click here to download poster.

Please see the press release announcing the pilot program: DTES Vancouver Women Women’s Safety and Outreach Program Press Release 2012

On average, every 48 hours, a woman is killed in Canada by her intimate partner