Surrey Women's Centre Faces of Courage 2015

FAC E S O F COUR AG E VOICES OF CHANGE SURREY WOMEN’S CENTRE | 2015

VOICES OF CHANGE: RITU, SONYA & SARAH

FACES OF COURAGE: VOICES OF CHANGE

Faces of Courage: Voices of Change weaves together stories of women fleeing violence, and the people who work behind-the-scenes to empower them every step of the way.

This book is a tribute to you.

To all the courageous women, who have lent us their strength and wisdom.

OUR ROLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SERVICES.

“If my story can give one person hope, the way that I was given hope, then the pain that I went through was worth it.”

– Christina

“From the beginning, I knew I wanted to make a difference.

I’m strong enough to make it through, and to make a positive change for others.” – Marie

To all our community partners, who work together to build a strong safety net for women and their children.

“What I do first is seek to understand their fears, hurts, and where they are coming from. You have to let women know that you care… – Winston Sayson, Q.C., Crown Counsel

Each and every story is part of a legacy.

A legacy of the actions we take every day to empower women and children.

You are our faces of courage.

The voices of change.

Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do,

“We can only enhance our own work by working together.”

Ritu, Sonya, and Sarah

– Holly Turton, Sergeant, Vulnerable Persons Section, Surrey RCMP

On behalf of all of us at Surrey Women’s Centre.

PATRICIA

From a young age, Patricia knew that her father’s violence was wrong.

She initially sought support from her congregation. They did not understand the dynamics of sexual abuse and blamed Patricia for seducing her father.

Her faith did not waiver. “My spirituality gave me strength because I knew the abuse was wrong.” She continued to look to scripture as a moral compass until she could find support outside her congregation.

Eventually, Patricia’s search for help lead her to Surrey Women’s Centre, where counseling validated her experiences. Patricia found moments of clarity with the help of her counselor, Cheryl. “Cheryl gave me the strength and courage to see the changes I needed to make.”

Yet personal healing wasn’t enough for Patricia.

For years, Patricia had protected her daughter from her father. Now that they were safely out of his reach, Patricia wanted to take steps to keep other girls from harm.

In 2010, Patricia filed a police report. She faced backlash from her family, who blamed her for speaking out against her father’s abuse. Her resolve never wavered. “If it saves one little girl’s innocence, it is all worthwhile.”

After a lengthy trial, Patricia’s father was found guilty of rape, incest and indecent assault. However, when asked whether his conviction brought closure, she is clear: “I didn’t do it for myself. I did it so he couldn’t hurt other girls or women.”

It’s easy to see that Patricia’s actions were driven by selflessness – by a will to protect others. However, along the way she realized that sharing her story was part of her own healing.

“ I WAS A SINGLE MOM WITH MY FATHER’S CHILD IN THE SEVENTIES. “ Patricia has learned to love herself more and more every day.

“I found out that recovery is a process – there was so much secrecy and shame that made me feel responsible. Talking about the abuse takes the responsibility off my shoulders and puts it onto him, where it belongs.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: PATRICIA

VOICE OF CHANGE: DAVE

DAVE ATTFIELD

Superintendent of Operations, Surrey RCMP

Dave Attfield is the Surrey RCMP’s Superintendent of Operations. His role includes oversight of the newly integrated Domestic Violence Unit.

After 22 years of service, Dave reflects on three defining moments in his career that shaped his approach of domestic violence.

“My very first arrest was for domestic violence. Just as you might expect with the cycle of violence, I made a second, then third arrest on breaches by the same person.”

A few years later, Dave was stationed just 120 km northwest of the Vernon Massacre, where Rajwar Chahal and 7 other members of her family were killed by her husband following their separation on April 6, 1996.

The Vernon Massacre led to policy changes to the provincial Violence Against Women in Relationships Policy, RCMP, and training on domestic violence for police officers. “A lot of it was having those hard discussions on how this isn’t about one incident,” Dave explains.

Years later, Dave’s first homicide investigation was a mother of two who was killed by her husband.

“He’d hit the mother’s head on the bathroom floor and killed her. We were trying to get a second-degree murder conviction. To do this, we had to take a look at the history of that family. This really drove home, again, the need to intervene earlier on.”

Dave influences how the Domestic Violence Unit and general duty members respond to women fleeing violence.

“I’m very impressed with BC’s provincial government, with all the partners like Surrey Women’s Centre, because we’ve got a structured approach to this issue.”

“ AS POLICE, WE NEED TO USE A TRAUMAINFORMED APPROACH… You’re investigating a situation that occurred in the ongoing context of a family. Understand that they may not be ready to tell you everything just because you said ‘tell me what happened.’”

Major changes have occurred during the last 22 years that Dave has been a police officer. Not only has Dave been a witness to these changes - he is a part of them.

LYNN GIFFORD

Coordinator of Forensic Nursing Services, Surrey Memorial Hospital

PAULA TURNER

Forensic Nurse, Surrey Memorial Hospital

TAMMY WALLACE

Forensic Nurse, Surrey Memorial Hospital

LYNN REALIZED SHE WAS PART OF A SYSTEM THAT WASN’T WORKING. SO SHE CHANGED IT. Lynn has been a nurse for over 40 years. Lynn loves fixing problems and connecting with patients, which led to her specialty: forensic nursing.

She and her team provide specialized medical care to anyone who’s experienced physical or sexual abuse. They also care for emotional and psychological wounds, which are often the hardest to heal. Tammy, a forensic nurse for 13 years, tells each of her patients: “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t deserve what happened.”

After everything, Lynn and her team are left with the stark reality they can only do so much.

“Eventually, the patient leaves,” Lynn points out. “And then what? Then they have to navigate their world, family, and jobs.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: PAULA

VOICE OF CHANGE: TAMMY

Now Lynn and her team partner with Surrey Women’s Centre to fill this gap. The Surrey Mobile Assault Response Team (SMART) provides 24-hour crisis response to women and girls who need medical treatment for physical or sexual assault. Together, they give the help the survivors need in the emergency room and beyond.

Paula turned to forensic nursing eight years ago to follow her passion.

Partnering with Surrey Women’s Centre means she “no longer needs to be the advocate, nurse and evidence collector. Caring for the patient while maintaining impartiality is critical for forensic nurses who often testify in court.”

Through this partnership, every piece of a woman’s journey is coordinated. “When the patient arrives at the hospital – SMART is already involved, and the hospital knows.”

For women travelling from other areas that don’t have forensic nursing services, she won’t have the traumatizing experience of re-telling the story of her assault.

Lynn says, “We need to make changes so people feel safe.”

Because safety is a sign that a system is working.

VOICE OF CHANGE: LYNN

V O I C E S O F C H A N G E : J E E VA N , R AY N U , J AY & RO N N I E

RONNIE TAKHAR Victim Service Worker, Surrey Women’s Centre JAY POLOWIN MCFD (Newton) Child Protection Social Work (Team Lead) RAYNU Child Protection Social Worker, MCFD JEEVAN Child Protection Social Worker, MFD

Ronnie, a support worker at Surrey Women’s Centre, is in a unique position. She works with Jay and the rest of his team of child protection social workers at the Ministry of Child & Family Development in Surrey.

Together, they respond to the safety needs of mothers and their children.

“ WE ARE DOING A BETTER JOB TODAY THAN WE WERE A YEAR AGO.” According to Jay, “Once we started to partner with Surrey Women’s Centre, we were in a partnership with an agency whose primary purpose is to support women and help keep them safe. That’s changed our consciousness of how we do things.”

“We are doing a better job today than we were a year ago.”

Child protection social workers, Raynu and Jeevan talk about how their work has changed.

Raynu dispels the myth that “women should just leave” by discussing the challenges of immigrant women.

“If it’s just you and your partner, and you’re new to the country – it’s a scary place”.

For Jeevan, their partnership with Surrey Women’s Centre connects women with the support that they need.

“When Ronnie is involved, many of these women are not as fearful to pick up the phone to call for help.”

Raynu adds, “I feel like the women and even the children are much more educated on what to do. So if something did happen, we feel more confident that they know how to take the next step.”

Ronnie shares, “The reality is that everyone involved just wants to keep women and their children safe in whatever way possible.

Sometimes that means supporting a woman if she chooses to leave, but also if she chooses to stay. We’re all experts in our own ways – especially the women who we work with.

No one understands a woman’s experience of violence better than she does.”

MICHELLE

Director of Youth and Addiction Services, Pacific Community Resources Society

As the Director of Youth and Addiction Services at Pacific Community Resources Society, Michelle’s goal is to advocate and develop programs that empower youth to advance their own solutions to the obstacles they face.

She believes that, “If you can open a door and a young girl makes a choice to walk through it – she has the opportunity to walk a different path.”

To accomplish this, Michelle advocates for a city wide integrated approach for Surrey, as well as specialized programming that meets the unique needs of vulnerable and sexually exploited youth.

Sharing her experience of growing up with domestic violence and then moving onto an abusive relationship as a young woman, Michelle states: “At the time, I did not know there was a different way for a relationship to be and I wonder what change that would have made for me if I had a role model, youth worker or program that I could have connected with.”

After 27 years working in social services, Michelle is the role model that she never had. Michelle believes that just one positive connection in a young girl’s life can help her overcome obstacles that would otherwise feel insurmountable.

In the winter of 2013, Janice Shore was discovered beaten against a tree in a vacant lot in Surrey. After spending more than 2 months in a coma, Janice died of her injuries.

Her killer(s) have never been identified.

Surrey’s Vulnerable Women and Girl’s Working Group was created in response to Janice Shore’s death. Michelle co-leads this passionate community based working group to increase the safety and visibility of vulnerable women and girls who are at greater risk of being victims of violence.

“Let’s listen to what women and girls say they need and then figure out how we partner with them so they can take the reins to drive their own change,” says Michelle.

“ IF WE HAVE HEALTHY GIRLS, WE HAVE HEALTHY WOMEN, WE HAVE HEALTHY FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: MICHELLE

VOICE OF CHANGE: WINSTON

WINSTON L. SAYSON

Q.C., Crown Counsel

“ SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE YOU.” Winston is a Crown Counsel prosecutor well-known for prosecuting some of Surrey’s highest profile cases, including violent crimes against women and children.

Winston acknowledges that, “My case is only as good as my witnesses, and so I take care of the witnesses— I need to look out for their needs, their fears, and address their concerns.”

He says, “I identify the barriers to them being effective witnesses in court. Take for example, a victim of domestic violence—she does not speak English—she is fearful of the system here—it is very important for me to take the time to get to know her and her background, before I start talking about the evidence.

Despite the supportive role Winston plays as a prosecutor, he represents the Crown and the Attorney-General.

“Because Crown Counsels are not the victims’ lawyers, it is best to have victim services workers provide emotional support and court accompaniment,” says Winston.

“Surrey Women’s Centre offers specialized victim services for women and children. This is a valuable service not

only to the victims, but to the Crown and ultimately, the entire community,” says Winston.

Looking back at his career, Winston advises others to “surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you.”

Recently, Winston was encouraged and inspired by the words of a young lady who testified against her stepfather after years of physical and sexual abuse. Thinking of Winston and his support throughout her trial, she writes: He put out his hand And saved me from drowning It was the first time I could breathe.

Both humbled and honoured, Winston says, “It is not about me.”

“The best measure of success,” he says, “is when we see victims of crime freed from a life of abuse. When we see survivors of crime courageously pull themselves up, move forward with their healing and become whole again…that is success!”

BALBIR

Nursing Instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Balbir Gurm is an activist. She is also an academic. It’s hard to tell which came first.

Recounting some of her earliest memories of her grandmother, Balbir describes her as “...the kind of woman that always spoke her mind and told the truth. If somebody was having an issue and no one else was willing to speak up - she did.” It’s clear that Balbir is following in her grandmother’s footsteps.

As an activist, Balbir has a long history of speaking out against issues of gender inequality. Looking back, she recalls two female students who committed suicide about 20 years ago.

“One of them killed herself on our campus in her car.” They were both survivors of sexual assault but the media never reported that part of the story.

As an academic, the silence around the impact of violence on the everyday lives of female students prompted Balbir to conduct her own research project on sexual assault.

“We interviewed people and 12 women came forward who had been sexually assaulted…all by relatives.”

That was 20 years ago.

Today, Balbir is using her role as an instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to close the gap between theory and practice in order to bring about social change.

She is the driving force behind the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR), a community-based network of concerned individuals and organizations

speaking out against domestic violence. Her goal is to break the silence about domestic violence by encouraging community dialogue.

“Being privileged with a doctorate in education has enabled me to combine academic knowledge with practical knowledge from our community partners and together, we can advocate for social justice issues.”

When asked why it is so important to create a community dialogue about domestic violence, her answer is simple:

“IF YOU’RE NOT SAYING SOMETHING AGAINST VIOLENCE, THEN CHANGE CAN’T HAPPEN.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: BALBIR

VOICES OF CHANGE: CELSO & NANCY

STAFF SERGEANT CELSO DE LEMOS

General Investigation Unit (GIU) Surrey RCMP

NANCY DREWERY

Court Team Leader, Surrey Women’s Centre

It is estimated that only 1 in 10 women will report a sexual assault to the police.

In 2008, BC launched a Third Party Reporting Protocol as an alternate option for women to anonymously report a sexual assault to the police.

“Not everyone is comfortable making a report to the police,” says Staff Sergeant Celso De Lemos. “Making a third party report is an important first step - they can tell someone.”

Nancy Drewery, Team Leader at Surrey Women’s Centre, explains, “When a woman has been sexually assaulted, she can go to a community-based victim service program, like ours, to make a ‘third party report’. We take the details of the assault and then send the report to Celso’s unit without identifying the woman.”

Celso makes it clear that the report “goes directly to my General Investigation Unit. We actually create a file so it’s on record that this is a third party complaint.”

“Depending on what is in the report, we may be able to proceed and investigate a little further.” Third party reports can help police create profiles of serial predators, and take actions such as increasing patrols in specific areas. In some cases, women who make a third party report decide to make a formal complaint to the police later.

Celso adds, “Surrey Women’s Centre becomes our bridge for victims of crime who may not necessarily want to talk directly to the police. If the victim agrees, it is a major milestone, because now we can conduct a full-scale investigation.”

“ POLICE OFFICERS HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN AUTHORITY.”

“When a victim of violence is able to realize that it’s not a healthy relationship, that there’s help out there, from the police, from agencies like Surrey Women’s Centre…I feel that success is not necessarily putting people in jail. Empowering the victim to get out of that violent relationship, that’s also a success story.”

ADRIANA

Youth Care Counsellor, Stop Exploiting Youth (SEY) program, Pacific Community Resource Society

For the last 3 years, Adriana has been employed as a youth worker with the Stop Exploiting Youth (SEY) team at Pacific Community Resources Society.

“I work with youth between the ages of 13 and 18 that are in, or at high risk of, sexually exploitative relationships.”

Adrianna describes the need to build a relationship with youth “where they are at” and bridge the gap to “where they want to be.” She is a mentor that young boys and girls can count on.

ADRIANA IS CAREFUL NOT TO STEREOTYPE. SHE SAYS, “I DON’T HAVE A TYPICAL CLIENT. EVERY CLIENT IS UNIQUE.” “Sometimes the youth need the relationship with us before they feel comfortable engaging in a new relationship with somebody else,” she explains. “I am trying to help them exit these sexually exploitive situations by building up other areas in their life where they can get support and feel confident.”

And so are their needs. Recently, the SEY team partnered with Surrey Women’s Centre to explore the needs of almost 200 at-risk young girls. While many report feeling shame and stigma, the one thing that they all have in common is the unconditional support of Adriana and her team.

Adriana describes her role as a youth worker: “I think it is most important to let them know that they are worthy of sharing their story. I believe they know that when I am spending time with them, it’s not because it’s my job. It’s because I really value and appreciate that they let me be in their lives. So I really honour that space.”

Looking back, she says: “...because I have been here for seven years, I’ve got to see some of these youth grow up, and turn into young adults. And so to see some of them want to be youth workers or counsellors because they just want to be help - that is success.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: ADRIANA

VOICE OF CHANGE: MARK

MARK ELSON

Intervention Program Manager, Police Based Victim Services

Mark started volunteering as a victim service worker 23 years ago.

Today, he leads the police-based victim services team at the Surrey RCMP.

He adds, “When I think about Surrey Women’s Centre, you provide a holistic support system….whether it’s the clothing exchange that you offer, or finding resources – it’s a one-stop place where you can come to get the help that you need. That type of support didn’t exist before.”

He says, “If I had to look back on my career and say what I’ve found has made the biggest difference – I would always say my Victim Services work.

Reflecting on his work, Mark shares, “Some of the calls we attend can affect you, emotionally.” But he finds inspiration and support in his team.

“ IN THE WORST DAY OF SOMEBODY’S LIFE, WE PROVIDE SUPPORT, COMFORT AND GUIDANCE.” Mark and his team provide emotional support and practical assistance to victims of crime and their families.

One of the most important things they do is connect people with critical resources in the community.

In the case of domestic violence, they connect women fleeing violence with the support and services to get them “the help that they need, at the time that they need it.”

He explains that the goal is to “create a network that gives her strength so that she can live the life that she wants to live.”

“Having a supportive team that one can come back to defuse and debrief with, talk and share those experiences with is absolutely crucial. I marvel at the team I have right now, they are amazing – they are the individuals who are trying to make things better.”

CHRISTINA

Christina has survived a lifetime of violence. Through her work with Surrey Women’s Centre, she developed the clarity she needed to move beyond this violence and the strength she needed to heal.

“There’s been extreme abuse and violence during my entire life, and because I was so young, I wasn’t believed.”

Christina survived the violence committed against her with little support.

When Christina walked through our doors, it was her last resort. “Coming to Surrey Women’s Centre gave me hope that there was a way out of that cycle, and that was the first stage to all of that shifting and changing.”

The first person Christina met at Surrey Women’s Centre was Ogake, Crisis Team Leader.

When asked why Ogake’s support was so important to her, Christina’s answer is simple: “She believed me.”

Ogake offered Christina the understanding that she needed. “I’m slowly starting to get the clarity that needs to come, and to access resources that are out there to help me with the situation I’m in, and to stop people from harming me.”

Beyond that, Christina feels supported. She feels that her needs are addressed. “Stuff actually gets done and I get brought or led to the places I need to go to help heal from certain things or get more information.”

Christina found hope at Surrey Women’s Centre, and she’s passing it on.

“If my story can give one person hope, the way that I was given hope, then the pain that I went through was worth it.”

“ IF I SPEAK UP IT DOESN’T CONTROL ME ANYMORE. THERE’S HELP. THERE’S A WAY OUT.” Christina hopes that other survivors of violence will find strength in her story; that they’ll find “the courage inside of themselves to face whatever it is that’s keeping them stuck.” By telling others that, “things were done to me, and it doesn’t control me anymore,” she knows they, too, will see that “there’s help, there’s a way out.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: CHRISTINA

VOICE OF CHANGE: SUSAN

SUSAN

Coordinator of Forensic Nursing Services, Abbotsford Regional Hospital

“ PATIENTS ARE INVOLVED AT EVERY STEP.” Choice: This is the foundation of Susan’s work with women and girls who have been sexually assaulted.

Susan is the coordinator of the Forensic Nursing Services at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, one of Fraser Health Authority’s two forensic nursing programs. Susan and her team provide emergency medical care following sexual assault.

Many women who come to the hospital following an assault are afraid and overwhelmed. They are faced with important decisions about their health and safety.

“They don’t know what to do. We can’t make the decisions for them, but we want them to feel supported. That’s why we have a partnership with Surrey Women’s Centre’s SMART team. SMART members are often explaining these options to patients. We also have reassurance that the SMART team will provide follow-up support as she begins the healing process.”

Choices are given at every step of the process.

Susan reminds her patients of this the moment they arrive at the hospital. “Even though they’ve consented to start with, anything can change. During the exam itself even, they can change their minds.”

Susan assures women that that the decision to report to police is theirs. Susan knows how important this piece is.

“If people think that they have to report, then they often stay away.”

“If you want the police here that’s fine, we’re going to help you through that. If you don’t want them, I can get them to go away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t report to them later when you feel up to it.”

Susan and her team work with women whose experience of violence has taken their control away. Together with SMART, Susan and her team provide the information, supports and services that help women take that power back again.

MARIE

Marie is a survivor in every sense of the word.

She was abused by her mother’s boyfriend for ten years.

Marie bravely came forward because she feared that he would hurt her younger sister, or someone else.

“From the beginning I knew I wanted to make a difference.

I’m strong enough to make it through, and to make a positive change for others.”

His support was steady and enduring. “He believed me. He knew I was telling the truth, and that we’d get through it.

That reassurance is key.”

“ I’M STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THROUGH.”

Today, Marie is committed to sharing her story. Her journey wasn’t easy, though.

“I came to Surrey Women’s Centre very fragile,” Marie says, “I didn’t love myself. I didn’t care what happened to me.” That changed when she met Bridgid, a counsellor at Surrey Women’s Centre. Bridgid encouraged Marie to recognize her self-worth.

“I’ve come to such a good place where I love and respect myself. I have a team. I have people behind me.”

Her team also included a court support worker who helped Marie navigate a long and complex court process.

“My case kept being reassigned to different prosecutors,” she explains. Marie felt disrespected and disregarded. This is when she met Winston, Crown Counsel.

Winston promised Marie that her case was his to keep, and that he would do everything in his power to see it through. Winston kept his promise.

After testifying in court, Marie’s abuser was found guilty of sexual assault, sexual interference and touching a minor, and sexual exploitation. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

Today, Marie is sharing her experience to help other survivors of violence. She is compiling everything she learned during the court process into a ‘survival guide’.

It will include tips on how to make a statement, what to expect in court - even recipes to help de-stress.

It is clear to anyone who meets Marie that she has come through her experience of violence stronger. She didn’t just survive – she is thriving.

VOICE OF CHANGE: MARIE

VOICE OF CHANGE: VERA

VERA

Councillor, City of Surrey

Vera has been improving the status of women and children long before her successful bid for a seat on Surrey’s City Council.

The first sign of her advocacy for women and children is a photograph of her at 14 years old.

“I have a picture of me at a human rights conference and I had a t-shirt on that said ‘women against violence against women’,” she says proudly.

Surrey’s award-winning Crime Reduction Strategy may be the only one of its kind to identify domestic violence as a priority crime.

Vera recognizes the City’s role in caring for its most vulnerable citizens and hopes that we can improve the lives of marginalized women and girls through policy, education, and pilot projects like the Vulnerable Women and Girls project.

What Vera didn’t know at 14 was that she would eventually have her own story to tell about violence.

“I’m a victim of domestic assault myself, and when a police officer came to the door, he went through the Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR) policy like it was a manual.”

For Vera, this highlighted how policies to address violence against women really work if well thought out and enforced.

Vera also sees an opportunity to draft policy that can lift women out of poverty.

“People who are homeless are about six times more likely to be victims of crime. This goes up dramatically for women.”

Vera hopes we’ll learn more about women’s experiences with poverty and violence through the research project lead by Surrey’s Vulnerable Women’s Taskforce. “Women are stuck in relationships that are not necessarily healthy because they would otherwise be on the street.”

“Preventing domestic violence is very much in our purview as a city,” Vera says.

“ IT’S ABOUT LEADING BY EXAMPLE,” VERA EXPLAINS, “ABOUT TREATING VULNERABLE PEOPLE LIKE THEY DESERVE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY”.

HOLLY TURTON Sergeant in charge of Vulnerable Persons Section, Surrey RCMP

YJ LEBOULCH

Former Corporal in charge of Domestic Violence Unit, Surrey RCMP

“ IF WE CAN HELP A WOMAN TO STAY SAFE - THAT’S OUR DUTY.” Sgt. Holly Turton is in charge of the Vulnerable Persons Section at the Surrey RCMP and oversees some of the highest-risk domestic violence cases. She works alongside Cpl. YJ Leboulch, who oversees the newly integrated Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) responding to these cases.

“There is a misconception that we’re out there to charge people,” explains Holly. “The goal is not getting a conviction,” she says. “It’s protecting the victim’s safety.”

Investigating officers regularly meet with perpetrators, and make sure they are adhering to Court conditions.

Holly wants to send a clear message: “What you’re doing is not okay, and you’re being watched.”

YJ echoes Holly’s message. “We’re a team standing behind her so that she’s not alone. We tell him that you’re not able to continue that behaviour with her anymore, because we’re helping her. “ YJ is clear: “We don’t work to put somebody in jail, we work to make the violence stop.”

She talks about the need to be patient with women who are fleeing violence. “If the police are involved, it’s often her last resort to get help. If we can help a woman stay safe - I think that’s our duty.”

Both Holly and YJ recognize, however, that the police are only part of a woman’s safety network. The DVU includes Neha Huggins, a support worker at Surrey Women’s Centre who helps bridge the gap between services.

YJ explains, “Anybody who may have a connection with the victim or offender will come together.” There is constant communication between the police and other agencies involved, as well as with the victim and offender. By opening the lines of communication, Holly explains, “We can only enhance our own work by working together.”

VOICES OF CHANGE: YJ & HOLLY

VOICES OF CHANGE: NEHA & AMBER

AMBER CURRIE

Police-based Victim Support Worker, Surrey RCMP

NEHA HUGGINS

Community-based Victim Support Worker, Surrey Women’s Centre

Domestic violence is different from other crimes.

The majority of victims are women. The majority of offenders are men. And the victim always knows the offender. As a result, women are less likely to report the crime to police than victims of other crimes.

The Surrey Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) co-locates police, victim services, and a child protection worker to respond to highest risk cases of domestic violence, where women are at highest risk for serious bodily injury or death.

Amber Currie, police based victim services worker for seven years, supports women with an immediate safetyplan following an assault. “You can’t expect a woman to stay out of a relationship, or even participate with the criminal justice system, when her life is falling apart,” says Amber. After an assault, “victims have to rebuild their entire lives.”

Neha works alongside Amber at Surrey RCMP’s main detachment. Because she is a community-based worker employed by Surrey Women’s Centre, Neha is in a unique position to support women who may be reluctant to participate in the criminal justice system. She builds trust by telling women, “I don’t work for the police. I work for you. So what can I be doing for you?”

Often women feel re-victimized when the police become involved because the power to decide what happens next is taken out of their hands. Neha says, “We weigh out the different options that are available to them.”

“ WOMEN ARE THE EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND MY ROLE IS TO OFFER NONJUDGMENTAL SUPPORT SO THAT THEY CAN DETERMINE THEIR NEXT STEP.” Both Neha and Amber talk about the critical role of victim support workers in Surrey’s Domestic Violence Unit—they bridge the gap between women fleeing violence and the police and child protective services— the very services that are designed to support them.

RONNIE

Victim Service Worker – Surrey Women’s Centre

Ronnie is in a unique position: she’s the first communitybased support worker to be housed in the Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD).

Often times, a woman’s experience of violence brings her family to the attention of Child Protective Services. Many women fear that their children will be apprehended as a result. It’s Ronnie’s job to bridge this fear so that women access the support that is available to them through MCFD. Women understand that Ronnie is there to protect their interests, so they confide in her.

“I remember one woman who came to me; she didn’t tell the police about her partner’s violence, she didn’t tell her social worker about his violence – she told me.”

In her early days working at MCFD, social workers sometimes came to Ronnie in frustration when a woman went back to her abusive partner. Ronnie knows that it takes strength to stay when the alternative is being unable to keep your children fed or a roof over their heads.

“I helped them see that for many women, the choice between staying or leaving is a choice between being beaten or starving.”

This is the stark reality that Ronnie has become all too familiar with during her years as a support worker at Surrey Women’s Centre.

Ronnie brings this knowledge with her to the MCFD offices.

“No one understands a woman’s experience of violence better than she does. My job is simply to make sure that the pieces to keep her and her children safe work together.”

Ronnie and her partners at MCFD work in collaboration with a woman to develop a safety plan that fits her life and situation.

“By partnering together we’ve created a whole team of people who work behind a woman to keep her and her children alive.

“ IF WE CAN KEEP ONE WOMAN SAFE, THEN IT’S ALL WORTH IT.”

VOICE OF CHANGE: RONNIE

VOICE OF CHANGE: HANNAH

HANNAH

Nurse Practitioner, Embrace Clinic

Meet Hannah.

“In high school, I was the kid who had condoms in her locker to give out to her friends.”

She didn’t stop there. Hannah is now settling into her role as a Nurse Practitioner at Fraser Health’s Embrace Clinic.

Embrace Clinic is a new mobile outreach clinic for recent survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of violence.

Many patients were going to regular healthcare providers who weren’t used to working with survivors of violence.

“The sensitivity wasn’t really there,” Hannah explains.

“Patients felt forced to have an exam, or forced to re-tell their story when they didn’t feel comfortable doing so.”

At Embrace Clinic, Hannah does what she’s been doing for years: making health accessible to those who need it the most.

“We connect with our patients in a location that’s safe for them.” The clinic’s first location is at Surrey Women’s Centre, and the program will soon expand throughout the community so that women can get help in spaces that are safe and convenient for them.

“As a Nurse Practitioner, I really focus on a holistic approach to working with patients.” Hannah says. “If somebody doesn’t have access to food and I recommend an antibiotic that has to be taken with food, then we have to consider another option and connect her with the appropriate community resources.”

For patients who have experienced violence, these added barriers are more complex.

“It’s about choice. I ask permission to touch…

I tell every patient before a pelvic exam that if she wants me to stop, I will stop. Otherwise I’m assaulting her all over again. This is true of every patient I see, whether I know of a history of violence or not.”

FOLLOWING HER PATIENT’S LEAD, HANNAH SAYS, “ WE GIVE THE POWER BACK. ANYONE CAN LEARN THE SKILL, IT IS THE APPROACH THAT MATTERS.”

LEN GARIS

Fire Chief, City of Surrey

In March 2015, BC launched #saysomething - a campaign encouraging people to spread the word about domestic violence through the power of social media. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis talks about the importance of “speaking up” and the role of firefighters in the prevention of domestic violence:

“THE NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN IS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD ADDRESSING VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT JUST A WOMAN’S ISSUE, IT IS EVERYONE’S ISSUE. As a key partner in anti-violence, I wish to share some of the important programs that Surrey Fire Service has undertaken to prevent domestic violence.”

Domestic violence affects approximately one-third of women in their lifetime. Research shows that between one-fifth to one-third of offenders re-offend, many

within six months of their initial assault. We are seeing a continuing cycle of abuse with tragic consequences for women and children from all backgrounds.

From 2010 to 2014, Surrey Fire Service responded to 3,668 first responder calls for assaults/sexual assaults.

BC has been working to expand its training in order to ensure that service providers and first responders have the resources to effectively prevent, recognize and respond to violence against women. It’s a problem that has generally been considered to be beyond the purview of fire crews.

But more and more, fire services in BC are realizing they can add value to the service they provide to their communities.

For example, HomeSafe – an award-winning Surrey fire safety and prevention program – trains firefighters to identify the signs of senior and child abuse or neglect, and as of 2010, human trafficking.

In effect, they are the eyes and ears of the community linking up with other agencies to address our city’s social needs. By increasing their focus on community outreach, firefighters are well-positioned to make a difference in preventing domestic violence.

Together, we all have a role to play in prevention and ensuring the safety of our communities.

VOICE OF CHANGE: LEN

VOICES OF CHANGE: BARB & CORRINE

BARB CREIGHTON

Corporal in Charge of Missing Persons Unit, Surrey RCMP

CORRINE ARTHUR

Special Projects Coordinator, Surrey Women’s Centre

The Surrey Missing Women’s Network began when the community and RCMP were integrating the terrible lessons learned from the Robert Pickton case. Conversations between police and social service providers about missing women were frequent and emotional.

Barb Creighton, Corporal in charge of the Surrey RCMP’s Missing Person’s Unit (MPU), describes the shift.

“Several years ago, missing persons reports were not investigated as thoroughly as they should have been; today police adhere to the Provincial Missing Person Policy. Investigations are taken seriously with the wellbeing of the missing person confirmed once located.”

Significant policy changes these investigations meant police were faced with mounting reports. Prior to the creation of the Missing Women’s Network, women reported missing by their husbands were particularly difficult to investigate, due to suspicions of domestic violence.

The Missing Women’s Network grew out of a need to maintain the anonymity of women fleeing violence while ensuring the police are able to confirm their well-being.

Today, when a woman is reported missing, Barb and her team at the Missing Persons Unit send a report to Corrine Arthur at Surrey Women’s Centre, who forwards it to transition homes and resource centres across the region.

Anyone who has recently seen or worked with the missing woman can then confirm her safety.

AS CORRINE EXPLAINS, “ INFORMATION IS ONLY SHARED WITH A WOMAN’S CONSENT.” Seven years since its start, the Surrey Missing Women’s Network spreads the word about missing women to 150 network members within the region. Often, within hours, the network is able to confirm that a woman is safe.

These efforts are grounded in a common goal shared by Barb, Corrine, and 150 regional network partners: to help keep women and children safe.

We would like to thank the courageous women and community partners who participated in this project. Their stories create a legacy of the acts people take every day to end violence against women and girls. Together we are building a better future for women and girls.

Share these stories with your family and friends as part of your commitment to being a voice for change!

All photos ©Liz Dungate, with exception of Len Garis

Faces of Courage produced by the People of Relevance: tugboatgroup.com

“We are proud to help our great friends at Surrey Women’s Centre matter more to all who support them and their monumental efforts.”

Steve Gallagher, Tugboat Group

surreywomenscentre.ca