New program supports people experiencing family violence

RED DEER – Emergency department patients now have access to 24-hour family violence crisis intervention through a partnership between Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC) and The Outreach Centre.

The new Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) provides immediate crisis support to people experiencing domestic violence. Operated by The Outreach Centre, DART members discuss safety concerns, create 24-hour plans and provide support and referrals to individuals being treated in the RDRHC emergency department following a domestic violence incident.

“We know domestic violence has a direct impact on a person's health,” says Ronnie Biletsky, co-ordinator of the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Response Team and domestic violence services at RDRHC. “This new program enables front-line workers in the emergency department to quickly connect patients with the resources they need to improve their situation and make positive changes in their lives.”

Following a three-month pilot, DART has received two-year funding from the AHS Family Violence Prevention Treatment Program. To date, 85 referrals have been made to the DART team.

“I am so pleased to have received two years base funding for this important program,” says Barb Barber, Executive Director of The Outreach Centre. “Connecting patients to resources and support at the time of crisis greatly increases the opportunity for a positive and safer outcome for themselves and their children.”

The support received has been life-changing for patients such as Rebecca.

“DART did something amazing for me,” Rebecca says. “They helped me realize that the current abuse I was facing did not define who I was and that I could escape my current abuse if I was willing to access continued supports.”

The Outreach Centre provides basic needs and emotional support for individuals as well as providing education and support in specific areas such as domestic violence, family law and the effects of crisis on families. Its model is to provide families a variety of formats in which to learn more effective coping skills and options for making positive choices in their lives and the lives of their families.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

- 30 -