What is the project?

The Safe Relationships, Safe Children project helps staff in a variety of health and community settings better and more consistently manage situations where mental illness, problematic substance use and domestic violence may put children’s safety at risk.

Where will the project be expanded to?

The project launched as a pilot in the fall of 2012 in Richmond and Vernon and is now expanding to an additional 20 communities around BC. Communities were selected based on existing capacity, resources and a high level of readiness (e.g. domestic violence committees).

These communities within Vancouver Coastal Health will include:

• Richmond
• Powell River
• Sechelt
• Squamish

How does the project work?

The project helps share important information and ensures service providers are trained to recognize risk and address safety concerns of parents in treatment and their children.

This is done by:

• Identifying parents with serious untreated mental illness, problematic substance use or risk of domestic violence whenever they come in contact with health care of Ministry of Children and Family Development services.
• Determining if there is a risk to children.
• Connecting families with appropriate supports and services.
• Monitoring the progress of affected families over time.

A community tool kit and a guide to improve practice have been developed based on the findings in the pilot communities. These will be distributed to all communities that will have the program.

Want more information?

For more information contact Sonja Sinclair.