Greater Victoria Police Victim Services 2014 Annual Report Year Ending 31 March 2014

What’s Inside! 1 Report from the Board Chair 2 Report from the Program Director 3 Board of Directors 4 Staff Members 5 Thank You to Our Valued Volunteers 6 Program and Services 7 Court Support Program 8 Police and Community Partners 9 Client Profile 10 Vision, Mission, Values and Principles 11 Funders and Supporters 12 Financial Statements 2013/14

REPORT FROM THE BOARD CHAIR Greater Victoria Police Victim Services continues to work with police to assist those impacted by crime or trauma in our community. GVPVS has provided support to approximately 900 people in the past year, seeking to ensure that they achieve a state of well-being. We all hope that we never need support of the kind offered by our organization, but it is comforting to know that, if needed, support exists to deal with circumstances arising from crime or trauma. Although we have faced significant challenges in the last year relating to our accommodation at Victoria Police Department, and the resultant impact on our staff and volunteers, we continue to work with our police partners, as well as Crown Counsel, to promote the availability of our services. The space that the Justice Access Centre has provided us in the Victoria courthouse has enhanced the delivery of our court support program; thank you to the Ministry of Justice. We would also like to extend our thanks for continuing in-kind support to Victoria PD and West Shore RCMP, and a special thank you to Central Saanich Police Service for their timely provision of office space to assist with our space challenges. There are many dedicated people who make significant contributions to Victim Services. In addition to our police partners, we receive generous support from our primary funders, the Ministry of Justice (BC) and the Capital Regional District. These funders make delivery of our services possible. Our police partners are the link to those who need our services. Our program volunteers deliver our services, donating 5767 hours last year. Our employees provide the ongoing management and administration of the program, and have definitely gone the extra mile this year to ensure no gap in services occurred when we very unexpectedly lost our offices. Our board members provide strategic leadership, expertise and guidance, and I am most grateful for their assistance during my time as chair. My most sincere thanks to all of those involved in assisting Victim Services to support those who most need our aid. It has been my pleasure to serve as chair of this important community organization.

Nancy Brown Board Chair Working with police to help people impacted by crime and trauma

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REPORT FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR Greater Victoria Police Victim Services works to support victims of crime and trauma, returning impacted individuals to normalcy and a state of well-being. For more than thirty years the society has supported seven separate Greater Victoria police agencies, making it unique within British Columbia and a dynamic public service provider. The staff and trained volunteers who provide service delivery to GVPVS clients have had a challenging year in 2014. The program has been without a home base since early March, creating many challenges for the society to address while our staff and volunteers continue to provide this important service to citizens. I have been proud and appreciative of our staff as they have managed such a protracted ‘work around’ plan, as well as our volunteers who have remained eager to be engaged despite the lack of available office resources. Our goal is to obtain and secure long term police-based accommodation as soon as possible, while recognizing the current contributions of police and community partners who have assisted GVPVS during this displacement. Greater Victoria Police Victim Services has made the most of working between various locations, enlarging satellite offices in the Western Communities at West Shore RCMP as well as on the Saanich Peninsula at Central Saanich Police Service. Enhancing relationships with these law enforcement agencies has increased the GVPVS profile with front-line officers, ensuring timely service to victims through police referral. Perhaps what may be taken from this experience is the strength and resilience of the relationships built over the decades between our dedicated staff, enthusiastic volunteers, and engaged board members. Building on these relationships, we look forward to a year full of positive changes, in which we will build and develop the role the society plays in assisting victims of crime and trauma in our community.

Jason Austin Program Director

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Greater Victoria Police Victim Services is governed by a volunteer board of directors, half of whom are representatives of the seven participating police agencies and half of whom are civilians. The board of directors is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization. As well, board members very generously share their expertise and guidance. We are pleased to have the following police and civilian members serving on our Board of Directors for 2014/15: Cst. Rick Anthony Sgt. Jason Bland Paul Cumberland Sgt. Andy Duke Willa Forbes Karyn French Heather Macatee Capt. Renee Milne S/Sgt. Dennis O’Gorman Sgt. Chris Spargo Sgt. David Spencer Eva Wilmot Jody Yurkowsky

Oak Bay Police Department Saanich Police Department Central Saanich Police Service

Military Police Unit (Esquimalt) Sidney/North Saanich RCMP Victoria Police Department West Shore RCMP

Our sincere thanks to the following board members who served during 2013/14: Nancy Brown Michelle Bernardo Sgt. Ian Craib Sgt. Mike Duquette Cst. Ravi Gunasinghe Sgt. Alan Gurzinski Capt. Pamela Harris Neil Pritchard S/Sgt. (D.F.) Danny Willis

Oak Bay Police Department Saanich Police Department Sidney/North Saanich RCMP Saanich Police Department Military Police Unit (Esquimalt) West Shore RCMP

We thank Nancy, Michelle, Ian, Mike, Ravi, Alan, Pamela, Neil, and Danny for their dedication and commitment to supporting the victims of crime and trauma, and we wish them well in their future endeavours. Working with police to help people impacted by crime and trauma

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STAFF MEMBERS Greater Victoria Police Victim Services is staffed by a team of professionals who carry out the society’s daily operations, including program administration and client services as well as volunteer support and coordination. Our current staff members are: Jason Austin Christina Winter Gwen Hay Pearl Rose Mary-Anne Tinney Charli Winking Jacquelyn Carson Virginia Macdonald Anne Parry Diana Patterson

Program Director Administrative Assistant Program Coordinator Program Coordinator Program Coordinator Court Support Program Coordinator Support Pager Support Pager Support Pager Support Pager

We would like to say a sincere thank you to the following staff members who worked with us during 2013/14: Suzanne Carvell Katherine Charlton Darrin Grandy Austin Jay

Leah Stewart Antoinette Warren Lindsey Youell

We thank Suzanne, Katherine, Darrin, Austin, Leah, Antoinette, and Lindsey for their dedication and commitment to supporting the victims of crime and trauma, and we wish them well in their future endeavours.

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THANK YOU TO OUR VALUED VOLUNTEERS Our valued volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization, providing services and support to the victims of crime and trauma. Volunteers receive extensive, ongoing training and professional development, and they are supported and supervised by our program staff. In 2013/14, volunteers donated an impressive 5,767 hours of their time to GVPVS. A total of 3,043 of those hours involved spending time in the office providing telephone and in-person support to clients. A further 2,724 of those hours involved being on call and ready to attend on scene with police during evenings and weekends. This is a huge and significant commitment on behalf of our volunteers!

2,724 3,043

Volunteer Service Hours Volunteer On-Call Hours

Services provided by our highly trained and dedicated volunteers include:         

Emotional support and understanding of the effects of trauma Referrals to other services and professionals Information about the criminal justice system and the court process Court accompaniment Assistance with writing victim impact statements Help with filling out Crime Victim Assistance applications and other forms Accompaniment with police on crisis calls Victim notification on the status of a crime investigation and the court case Public education on victim rights and the services available to victims of crime and trauma

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A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to each and every one of our valued volunteers for your exceptional service to the victims of crime and trauma in 2013/14: Alaina P. Angela S. Anthony N. Barbara B. Beth O. Brenda O. Cam M. Chris R. Don A. Francine W. Helen F. Helen T. John E. Jonathan W. Katrina J.

Kristy K. Kuldeep D. Kyla F. Margaret M. Marie H. Maureen J. Melanie R. Melissa S. Mike G. Nicky S. Pauline D. Rob O. Ted N. Vicki L.

“I want to commend GVPVS staff and volunteers for their fine work and the kindness and understanding they extended to me and my family during the difficult aftermath of a crisis.” — A Former Client

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PROGRAM AND SERVICES Our highly trained team of staff and volunteer victim service workers provide the following services to victims of crime and trauma:      

Critical Incident Response Criminal Justice System Information and Support Safety Planning Practical and Emotional Support Information and Referral Networking, Public Awareness and Education

We opened a total of 877 new files in 2013/14. The types of files we handle are many and varied, including murder/manslaughter, attempted murder, robbery, abduction/kidnapping, sexual assault/abuse, assault/abuse, criminal harassment, threatening, property crime, suicide/attempted suicide, motor vehicle accident, missing persons, and sudden deaths. Murder/Manslaughter Attempted Murder Robbery

12 5 28 4

1

Abduction/Kidnapping

50

189

Sexual Assault/Abuse Assault/Abuse

45 281

73 40

Criminal Harassment Threatening Property Crime Other Crime

13

16 14

Suicide/Attempted Suicide Motor Vehicle Accident Missing Persons Sudden Death

A total of 281 (or 32 percent) of the files opened were for assault or abuse. This category is by far the highest percentage of incident types handled, followed by sudden deaths at 189 files or 22 percent of total files opened. Approximately 85 percent of the interactions with clients are conducted by telephone, while the remaining 15 percent involve in-person contact (office appointments and walk-ins). We also provide crisis intervention when requested by one of our police partners 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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We work very closely with our four community–based victim services partners: Mary Manning Centre: Child Abuse Prevention and Counselling Society, Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, Victoria Women’s Transition House, and Spousal Assault Victims Support Program.

Out of Province Police-Based VS Program 11 20

266

386

Community-Based VS Program Crime Victim Assistance Program

101

Victim Safety Unit VictimLINK

1 4 16 Restorative Justice Programs Other Referrals

A total of 266 (or 30 percent) of the referrals made in 2013/14 were to one of our community– based victim services partners. We value our working relationships with these organizations, and are appreciative of their dedication and commitment to the very good work they do on behalf of the victims of crime and trauma. Referrals are also made to other police–based victim services programs, the Crime Victim Assistance Program, the Victim Safety Unit, VictimLINK, and restorative justice programs. One of our strategic goals is to strengthen our working relationship with Restorative Justice Victoria and to look for opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge and resources. We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to strengthening this partnership in the days ahead.

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COURT SUPPORT PROGRAM We have five specially trained and highly dedicated volunteers who, under the supervision of our Court Support Program Coordinator, a former criminal defence attorney, work with victims and family members who are involved in the criminal justice system. Our court volunteers provide information about the court process and victims’ rights, give court orientations, follow the case and keep the victim updated, work with Crown Counsel, attend meetings with Crown Counsel and the victim/witness, and accompany the person to court. All of these services are in addition to providing emotional and practical support and information about available resources.

Witness Orientation Court Accompaniment 3 36 17

Court Accompaniment Hours Facilitated Accompaniment

103 145 442 198

53 38

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Victim Impact Statements Assistance CVAP Forms Assistance Other Forms Assistance Justice System Related Supports Group Debriefs Safety Planning

We work primarily with the provincial and supreme courts in Victoria and on the West Shore, although we have also worked collaboratively with other victim services programs on the Island. We have accompanied family members to a coroner’s inquest at the request of an Island agency, we have supported family members or victims who live in Victoria but who have cases from elsewhere, and we have supported (and accompanied) victims who live elsewhere but who have to attend court in Victoria. Some of the more serious court cases can last for weeks or even months, but our talented and dedicated volunteers are willing and able to commit for the long haul.

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POLICE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS Greater Victoria Police Victim Services works in close partnership with and provides victim services on behalf of the seven police agencies in the Greater Victoria area: Central Saanich Police Service Military Police Unit (Esquimalt) Oak Bay Police Department Saanich Police Department

Sidney/North Saanich RCMP Victoria Police Department West Shore RCMP

In 2013/14 a total of 686 (or 78 percent) of our clients were referred to us by one of our police partners. Our partnership with police agencies is critical to our mission of helping people impacted by crime and trauma. 1 15 4

0

1 4

3 6

Out of Province

1 Police-Based VS Program

156 Community-Based VS Program 686

Crime Victim Assistance Program Victim Safety Unit Crown Counsel Police

Other community agencies and services can refer clients to us, including other police–based victim services programs, community–based victim services programs, members of Crown Counsel, and other programs and services in Greater Victoria. Most importantly, individuals can self-refer. Our police and community partnerships are integral to our service delivery and to ensuring that the victims of crime and trauma are offered the supports and resources available to them. We will continue to nurture and build on these partnerships in the days ahead.

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CLIENT PROFILE In 2013/14 our Victim Services team provided support to 877 members of the Greater Victoria community. Services are provided to clients of all ages, although the majority of our clients are adults, for a total of 782 (or 92 percent) of all clients. 9 43

43 Children Youth Adults Seniors

782

As well, the majority of our clients are female, for a total of 634 (or 72 percent) of all clients. 2 241 Females Males 634

Other

One of our strategic goals is to continue to expand our outreach to the many diverse communities in Greater Victoria, including seniors, new immigrants, and First Nations. It is our hope and expectation that we will continue to develop the capacity to meet the needs of these diverse communities. Working with police to help people impacted by crime and trauma

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VISION, MISSION, VALUES, AND PRINCIPLES Vision Victims achieve a state of well-being.

Mission Working with police to help people impacted by crime and trauma.

Values and Principles Commitment  We are committed to our clients and to our vision and mission.  We support the rights of victims.  We work collaboratively within GVPVS and with our police and community partners. Service  We are client-focused.  We provide exceptional service.  We are highly trained and professional. Trust  We treat information from our clients and our police partners with confidentiality.  We earn trust by doing what we say. Integrity  We work in accordance with a Code of Ethics.  We are transparent. Empathy  We are compassionate.  We are non-judgmental and understanding. Respect  We respect our clients and their uniqueness.  We respect each other and the different roles we perform. Diversity  We respect the strengths and needs of the diverse communities we serve.  We strive to be inclusive and representative. “One never knows when tragedy can strike. When it does, one can only hope to find the resilience to get through it in one piece and to be stronger as a result. It’s people like you, with your kindness and consideration, who are helping to ease the pain.” — Former Client Working with police to help people impacted by crime and trauma

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FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS We appreciate the continued financial support we receive from:   

Capital Regional District Ministry of Justice, Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division District of North Saanich

We also appreciate the generous in-kind support we receive from:   

Victoria Police Department West Shore RCMP Central Saanich Police Service

Donations have been gratefully received from:       

Provincial Employees Community Services Fund Canada Helps Capital Region Emergency Services Telecommunications (CREST) Gordon Head Lions Club Roderick McBride Moecki Andrew Hoge

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2013/14 Copies of the full financial statements for 2013/14, including the Review Engagement Report and the Notes to the Financial Statements, are available on our website at www.gvpvs.org.

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1903 Mount Newton Cross Road • Saanichton, B.C. • V8M 2A9 t. 250.995.7351 • f. 250.995.7320 • [email protected] • www.gvpvs.org