Womens Counselling Centre

911 Police, Fire, Ambulance

Family Life Resource Centre – Residential shelter for women and children fleeing abuse. 24 hour crisis line (905) 451-4115

Interim Place – Residential shelter for women and children fleeing abuse. 24 hour crisis line (905) 403-0864 or (905) 676-8515

Peel Family Shelter – Short term residential shelter for homeless people – 24 hour crisis line (905) 272-7061

Mobile Crisis Line – 24 hour crisis line for people struggling with mental health issues – in some cases staff will see clients in their home (905) 278-9036

Distress Crisis Line Peel – 24 hour crisis line for people struggling with mental health issues (905)-278-7208

The Salvation Army Erin Mills Family Services – Emergency food bank for qualified people whose postal codes begin with L5C, L5H, L5J, L5K, L5L – open Monday, Wednesday and Friday – By appointment only (905) 607-2151

The Salvation Army Mississauga Temple Family Services – Emergency food bank for qualified people whose postal codes begin with L4V, L4Y, L4W, L4X, L4Z, L5A, L5B, L5G, L5P, L5R, L5S, L5T – open Monday to Friday – By appointment only (905) 279-2526

The Salvation Army Cornerstone Family Services – Emergency food bank for qualified people whose postal codes begin with L5C L5M, L5N, L5V, L5W – open Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12 and 1-3 pm, Friday evenings 6-8 pm – By appointment only. (905) 824-0450 Ext 22

The Salvation Army Brampton Family Services – Emergency food bank for qualified people whose postal codes begin with L4T (Malton), L6P, L6R, L6S, L6T, L6V, L6W, L6X, L6Y, L6Z, L7A open Monday to Friday 9-12 and 1-4 pm – By appointment only. (905) 451-8840

Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 24 hour crisis line for women living in Ontario – (416) 863-0511 or 1 (866) 863-0511

The Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre Of Peel: 24 hour crisis line (905) 273-9442 or 1 (800) 810-0180

_____ Your partner is jealous or possessive toward you

_____ Your partner tries to control you by being very bossy or demanding

_____ Your partner tries to isolate you by demanding you cut off social contacts and friendships

_____ Your partner is violent and / or loses his or her temper quickly

_____ Your partner pressures you sexually, forces you to have sex against your will or demands sexual activities you are not comfortable with

_____ Your partner abuses drugs or alcohol

_____ Your partner claims you are responsible for his or her emotional state

_____ Your partner blames you when he or she mistreats you

_____ Your partner has a history of bad relationships

_____ Your family and friends have warned you about the person or told you that they are concerned for your safety or emotional well being

_____ You frequently worry about how your partner will react to things you say or do

_____ Your partner makes “jokes” that shame, humiliate, demean or embarrass you, weather privately or around family and friends

_____ Your partner grew up witnessing an abusive parental relationship, and/or was abused as a child

_____ Your partner “rages” when they feel hurt, shame, fear or loss of control

_____ You leave and then return to your partner repeatedly, against the advice of your friends, family and loved ones

_____ You have trouble ending the relationship, even though you know inside it’s the right thing to do

_____ Your partner constantly keep track of your time

_____Your partner accuses you of being unfaithful or flirting when you have not done so

_____Your partner constantly criticizes or belittles you

_____Your partner controls all finances and forces you to account for what you spend?

_____Your partner destroys or takes your personal property or sentimental items?

_____Your partner has affairs.

_____Your partner threatens to hurt you, your children or pets

_____Your partner threatens to use a weapon

_____Your partner pushes, hits, slaps, punches, kicks, or bites you or your children?

Incident
Any type of abuse occurs (physical/sexual/emotional)

Tension Building
Abuser starts to get angry
Abuse may begin
There is a breakdown of communication
Victim feels the need to keep the abuser calm
Tension becomes too much
Victim feels like they are ‘walking on egg shells’

Making-Up
Abuser may apologize for abuse
Abuser may promise it will never happen again
Abuser may blame the victim for causing the abuse
Abuser may deny abuse took place or say it was not as bad as the victim claims

Calm
Abuser acts like the abuse never happened
Physical abuse may not be taking place
Promises made during ‘making-up’ may be met
Victim may hope that the abuse is over
Abuser may give gifts to victim

The cycle can happen hundreds of times in an abusive relationship. Each stage lasts a different amount of time in a relationship. The total cycle can take anywhere from a few hours to a year or more to complete.

It is important to remember that not all domestic violence relationships fit the cycle. Often, as time goes on, the ‘making-up’ and ‘calm’ stages disappear.

Adapted from the original concept of: Walker, Lenore. The Battered Woman. New York: Harper and Row, 1979.

Source:http://www.coalitionagainstviolence.ca (used by permission)

Erasing Your Tracks
Concerned about someone finding out where you’ve been on the internet?
Here’s how to reduce the chances that your internet travels will be traced.
Browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox are designed to leave traces behind indicating where you’ve been and what you’ve been looking at on the Internet.
It’s hard to absolutely guarantee that your travels on the Internet can’t be traced at all, but here are some simple things you can do to reduce the chances that someone can look through your computer and find out what you’ve been reading.

In general, you want to erase two things:
· Your Cache (this is where the computer stores copies of files you’ve recently looked at with your browser).
· Your History List (this is a single file containing the addresses of the places you’ve recently visited).

If you use Internet Explorer
· Open the TOOLS menu, select INTERNET OPTIONS.
· Select the GENERAL tab at the top.
· In the section called “Temporary Internet Files,” click on “Delete Files”
· Your cache will now be cleared.
· On the same screen, in the section called “History,” click on “Clear History”
· Your history list will now be cleared.
· Note that clearing the cache and history in Internet Explorer automatically clears your address bar.

If you use Firefox
· Open the TOOLS menu, select OPTIONS.
· Select the PRIVACY tab located on the left side of the menu bar.
· Select the “History” tab and click on “Clear”
· Your history will now be cleared.
· Select the “Cache” tab and click on “Clear”
· Your cache will now be cleared.
· Note that clearing the cache and history in Firefox automatically clears your address bar as well.

There is also another option called “Clear all information stored while browsing.”
***This will remove ALL of your browsing history, cache, recently downloaded files, all saved information and searches, all cookies and saved passwords.***

· Select this tab and click OK.
· You will get a pop up to confirm that you are about to erase all information.
· Click OK.

One additional but important tip
When you clear the cache and the history list, you erase not only the information on where you’ve been, but any other information that had been previously stored there.

So, if your partner checks and sees that the cache and the history list have been completely emptied, he’ll not only know that you know how to do this, but he might guess that you’re trying to hide something.

One possible way to avoid suspicion is to clear the cache and history once you’re done looking at information you don’t want your partner to know about. After they’re cleared, spend some time visiting sites that you think your partner wouldn’t object to. This way, the cache and history list start to get filled up and your partner might be less likely to notice that old information is missing.

Other browsers
Other browsers will be slightly different in the detail of what’s required to do these two things. But in any case, what you’ll need to do is clear your cache (or “temporary files”) and erase your history list. Again, this doesn’t guarantee that your browsing can’t be traced. Someone with greater computer sophistication will still be able to reconstruct your net travels. But it’s a good thing to do to make it more difficult for someone to know where you’ve been.

PEEL COMMITTEE AGAINST WOMAN ABUSE

CREATING A SAFETY PLAN

It is important to know that although you do not have control over your (ex) partner’s violence, it is possible to increase your own, as well as your children’s, safety when being subjected to this abuse. Creating a safety plan involves identifying action steps to increase your safety, and to prepare in advance for the possibility of further violence. This information package offers many suggestions and ideas that we hope you will find useful. However, don’t try to do everything right away. Take it a step at a time, and start with the ideas that seem most doable for you.

In creating a safety plan it is important to remember that:

• Although you cannot control your (ex) partner’s violence, it may be possible to increase your own and your children’s safety.
• A safety plan is needed whenever the possibility of abuse is identified.
• This safety plan information is specifically designed for actions that you can take.
• This safety plan information also includes actions you can take to increase your children’s safety.
• It is important to become familiar with and to review and/or revise your safety plan regularly. Abusive situations and risk factors can change quickly.

REMEMBER:

Many women have escaped and survived abusive situations. This information package was put together by women who have survived and offer their advice to you.

1. AN EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN

The Emergency Escape Plan focuses on the things you can do in advance to be better prepared in case you have to leave an abusive situation very quickly. The following is a list of items you should try to set aside and hide in a safe place (e.g. at a friend’s or family member’s home, with your lawyer, in a safety deposit box):

a) Take a photocopy of the following items and store in a safe place, away from the originals. Hide the originals someplace else, if you can.

• passports, birth certificates, immigration papers, for all family members
• school and vaccination records
• driver’s license and registration
• medications, prescriptions, medical records for all family members
• welfare identification
• work permits
• divorce papers, custody documentation, court orders, restraining orders, marriage certificate
  lease/rental agreement, house deed, mortgage payment book
• bank books
• insurance papers
• address/telephone book
• picture of spouse/partner
• health cards for yourself and family members
• all cards you normally use e.g. credit cards, bank cards, phone, Social Insurance

b) Try to keep all the cards you normally use in your wallet:

• Social insurance cards
• Charge cards
• Phone card
• Banking cards
• Health cards

c) Try to keep your wallet and purse handy, and containing the following:

• car/house/office keys
• chequebook, bank books/statements
• driver’s license, registration, insurance
• address/telephone book
• picture of spouse/partner
• emergency money (in cash) hidden away

d) Keep the following items handy, so you can grab them quickly:

• emergency suitcase with immediate needs
• special toys, comforts for children
• jewellery
• small saleable objects
• items of special sentimental value
• a list of other items you would like to take if you get a chance to come back to your home later
• Open a bank account in your own name and arrange that no bank statements or other calls be made to you. Or, arrange that mail be sent to a friend or family member.
• Save and set aside as much money as you can – out of groceries if necessary.
• Set aside, in a place you can get to quickly, $10 to $15 for cab fare, and quarters for the telephone.
• Plan your emergency exits.
• Plan and rehearse the steps you will take if you have to leave quickly, and learn them well.
• Hide extra clothing, house keys, car keys, money, etc. at a friend’s house.
• Keep emergency suitcase packed or handy/ready to pack quickly.
• Consider getting a safety deposit box at a bank that your partner does not go to.

The Police will bring you back to the home later, to remove additional personal belongings, if it is arranged through the local division. Take the items listed above as well as anything else that is important to you or your children.

When you leave, take the children if you can. If you try to get them later, the police cannot help you remove them from their other parent unless you have a valid court order.

2. CREATING A SAFER ENVIRONMENT

There are many things a woman can do to increase her safety. It may not be possible to do everything at once, but safety measures can be added step by step. Here are a few suggestions:

1. AT HOME

If you are living with your abusive partner/spouse:

• Get your Emergency Escape Plan in order and review it often.
• Create a telephone list with numbers of local police, nearest women’s shelter, assaulted women’s help line, crisis help line, family members, counsellors, children’s friends.
• Make arrangements with friends or family so that you can stay with them if necessary.
• Try to predict the next likely violent episode and make plans for the children to be sent to friends, family etc. (Try to anticipate his “cycle,” e.g. when there is a full moon.)
• Teach the children to let you know when someone is at the door, before answering the door.
• Teach your children how to use the telephone (and your cellular phone, if you have one) to contact the police and the fire department.
• Create a code word with your children and/or friends so they know to call for help.
• Teach your children how to make a collect call to you and to a special friend if your partner takes the children.
• Plan your emergency exits, teach your children and know them well.
• Teach your children their own Safety Plan

If you are not living with your abusive partner/spouse:

• Change the locks on the doors and windows. Install a peephole in the door. Change the locks on your garage and mailbox.
• Teach your children to tell you if someone is at the door and to not answer the door themselves.
• Keep your restraining order near you at all times.
• Make sure that the school, day care, and police have a copy of all court orders, including restraining orders, custody and access orders, as well as a picture of the abusive partner.
• If possible, try to predict the next likely violent incident and be prepared.
• If you have call display on your phone, be careful about who can get access to the store numbers (example, last number dialed, etc.).
• Have your telephone number unpublished, as it is harder to track than when it is unlisted. Block your number when calling out.
• Consider getting a cellular phone and pre-program numbers of people to call.
• Contact your local Victim Services to inquire about your eligibility for the Supportlink / D.V.E.R.S. emergency response system program.
• Consider moving your furniture around differently as this is something your partner may not anticipate, and cause him/her to bump into it and give you warning that he/she is in the house. Also put your kitchen utensils and knife block in the cupboards so they are not as accessible.
• If you live in an apartment, check the floor clearly when getting off the elevator. Look in mirrors and be aware of doorways in hallways. Speak to security, or make an anonymous call, requesting safety in your building.
• Purchase rope ladders to be used for escape from upper floors.
• If you have a balcony, consider putting wire around it.
• Replace wooden doors with steel/metal doors if possible.
• Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers for each floor.
• Consider the advantages of getting a guard dog.
• Install an outside lighting system that lights up when a person is coming close to your house.
• Do whatever you can to install security systems, including additional locks, window bars, poles to wedge against doors, an electronic system, etc. – anything to provide added security.

2. IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

• Tell your neighbours that you would like them to call the police if they hear a fight or screaming in your home.
• Tell people who take care of your children which people have permission to pick up your children.
• Tell people in your neighbourhood that your partner no longer lives with you, and they should call the police if he/she is seen near your home. You may wish to give them a photo and description of him/her and of their car.
• Ask your neighbours to look after your children in an emergency.
• Hide clothing and your Emergency Escape Plan items at a neighbour’s house.
• Use different grocery stores and shopping malls, and shop at hours that are different from when you were living with your abusive partner.
• Use a different bank or branch, and take care of your banking at hours different from those you used with your abusive partner.
• Change your doctor, dentist and other professional services you would normally use.
• Do not put your name in your apartment building directory.

3. AT WORK

Each woman must decide for herself if and/or when she will tell others that her partner is abusive and that she may be at risk. Friends, family and co-workers may be able to help protect women. However, each woman should consider carefully which people to ask for help. If you are comfortable, you may choose to do any or all of the following:

• Tell your boss, the security supervisor, and other key people or friends at work about your situation.
• Ask to have your calls screened at work. It would also help to have these calls documented.
• Discuss the possibility of having your employer call the police if you are in danger from your (ex) partner.

When arriving or leaving work:

• let someone know when you’ll be home.
• carry your keys in your hands.
• get a remote or keyless entry car door opener.
• walk with someone to your car.
• scan the parking lot.
• walk around your car, look under the hood and check if anything has been tampered with and check brakes.
• Remember to keep your car seats forward, so you know if someone is hiding in the car.
• if your partner is following you, drive to a place where there are people to support you, e.g. a friend’s house, police station.
• if you have underground parking, consider parking across the street.
• keep a sign in your car saying “call police”.
• if you are walking, take a route that is populated.
• change the patterns of when you arrive and leave work and the routes you take home.
• if you see your partner on the street, try to get to a public place, e.g. a store.
• if you see your partner on the street, call attention to yourself and request help.

3. AN EMOTIONAL SAFETY PLAN

The experience of being abused and verbally degraded by partners is usually exhausting and emotionally draining. The process of surviving and building a new life requires much courage, and incredible energy. To conserve your emotional energy, and to support yourself in hard emotional times, there are a number of things you can do:

• Attend as many Crisis Counselling group sessions as you can.
• Become involved in community activities to reduce feeling isolated.
• Take a part-time job to reduce isolation and to improve your finances.
• Enrol in school to increase your skills.
• Join support groups of other women to gain support and strengthen your relationships with other people.
• Take time for yourself to read, meditate, play music, etc.
• Spend time with people who make you feel good and provide support.
• Take part in social activities, e.g. movie, dinner, exercise.
• Take care of your sleep and nutritional needs.
• Keep your Client Profile up to date to help you feel prepared for upcoming events.
• Keep a personal journal to write about your feelings, especially when you are feeling low or vulnerable. Keep it in a safe place or burn it.
• Take time to prepare yourself emotionally before entering stressful situations like talking with your partner, meeting with lawyers, or attending court.
• Try not to overbook yourself – limit yourself to one appointment per day to reduce stress.
• Be creative and do whatever makes you feel good.
• Write something positive about yourself everyday – your own personal affirmations.
• Do not find your comfort in excessive use of alcohol or food – it only serves to increase your depression.
• Avoid excessive shopping and impulse buying.
• Join a health club or start an exercise program. It will increase your energy level and increase your sense of well being.
• It’s OK to feel angry, but find positive and constructive ways to express your anger.
• Remember that you are the most important person to take care of right now.

4. A CHILD’S SAFETY PLAN

This plan was developed to help mothers teach their children some basic safety planning. It is based on the belief that the most important thing that children can do for their mothers and their families is to get away from the area of violence! They cannot stop the abuse, although they often try by distracting the abuser or directly interfering in the abusive episode. It is important to tell the child that the best and most important thing for them to do is keep safe.

Children who experience woman abuse can be profoundly affected. It is very traumatic for them to be faced with violence directed at them or at someone they love. Personal safety and safety planning are extremely important and necessary for children whose families are experiencing violence. Children should learn ways to protect themselves. There are several ways to help you develop a safety plan with your children.

• Have your child pick a safe room/place in the house, preferably with a lock on the door and a phone. The first step of any plan is for the children to get out of the room where the abuse is occurring.
• Stress the importance of being safe, and that it is not the child’s responsibility to make sure that his/her mother is safe.
• Teach your children how to call for help. It is important that children know they should not use a phone that is in view of the abuser. This puts them at risk. Talk to your children about using a neighbour’s phone or a pay phone if they are unable to use a phone at home. If you have a cell phone, teach your children how to use it.
• Teach them how to contact police at the emergency number.
• Ensure that the children know their full name and address (rural children need to know their Concession and Lot #).
• Rehearse what your child/children will say when they call for help. In the case of young children it should be simple yet specific, i.e. “someone is hurting my mom”.
• It is important for children to leave the phone off the hook after they are done talking. The police will call the number back if they hang up.
• Teach your children about neighbour block parents and how to use them.
• Teach your children the safest route to the planned place of safety for them.
• Pick a safe place to meet your children out of the home after the situation is safe for you and them (so you can easily find each other).

5. DURING A VIOLENT INCIDENT

Women cannot always avoid violent incidents. However, in order to increase your safety, here are some things you can do:

• Remind yourself that you have an Emergency Escape Plan, and go over it in your mind.
• Start to position yourself to get out quickly or near a phone so you can call 911, if necessary.
• Try to move to a space where the risk is the lowest. (Try to avoid arguments in the bathroom, garage, kitchen, near weapons, or in rooms without access to an outside door.
• Use your code word with your children so they can call for help.
• Use your judgement and intuition – if the situation is very serious, you can agree with your partner or give him/her what he/she wants to calm him/her down. You have to protect yourself until you are out of danger.
• When, or after, you have been assaulted, call the police at 911 if you can. Tell them you have been assaulted by a man/woman, (don’t say your husband/partner), and leave the phone off the hook after your call.
• Make as much noise as possible (set off the fire alarm, break things, turn up the stereo or TV) – so that neighbours may call the police for you.

Abuse Can Take Many Forms Physical: Any unwanted or non-consensual physical contact or assault Verbal and Emotional: The attack on one’s emotional and mental well being through name-calling and put-downs

Psychological:
Any threatening, intimidating, isolating, or controlling behaviour

Sexual:
Any unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact or comments

Financial:
Control of all finances Spiritual Abuse: Any maltreatment of a person in the name of God, faith, religion, or church

You May Be In An Abusive Relationship If
If you are wondering if you are in an abusive relationship, complete our quiz by clicking here. The information contained in the quiz is not meant to be an exhaustive list of abuse warning signs. However, it is a list of many of the common experiences of woman who have been abused. If you have checked off any of the items you may be in an abusive relationship. We encourage you to seek help.

Cycle of Violence
Family violence experts over the years have noted that there often is a fairly predictable pattern of behaviour in abusive relationships. This is called the Cycle of Violence. To Learn About the Cycle of Violence Click here. (Used by permission)

Power and Control Wheel and Equality Wheel
Back in the 1980s the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, Minnesota designed a wheel graphic showing the characteristics of abusive and non abusive relationships. These wheels have been widely used in the field of Violence Against Women work.

To view the Power and Control Wheel click here. (Used by permission)
To view the Equality Wheel click here. (Used by permission)

Safety Planning
You have the right to be safe. If you are living in an abusive relationship, or have recently left one, or if you are afraid for your safety due to abuse creating a safety plan can assist you to feel safer and more in control of your life. We encourage you to create your own safety plan. We have provided a document which provides a great deal of information and suggestions about what should be included in your safety plan and steps that you can take to make you feel safer. To view the safety plan document, click here.

Hiding your internet tracks
In some cases, women in abusive relationships are concerned about their abuser tracking their internet activities. There are ways in which you can hide your internet tracks so that no one is able to see what websites you have viewed. To learn how to hide your internet tracks click here.

Our intake process is a two part process.

Part 1 – Telephone Screening
Prospective clients are asked to call our office during normal business hours. (905) 820-8984. Any staff member can complete a telephone screening. This is a brief screening to determine eligibility and suitability for our agency. It is also a time when we can provide basic information and safety planning that may be helpful to a prospective client. Once a prospective client is deemed appropriate for our agency, they are placed on a waiting list for the next available counsellor. The length of the waiting list varies throughout the year. Prospective clients will be advised at the time of the telephone screening if there is a waiting list and the approximate wait time for counselling.

Part 2 – Intake Appointment – Counselling
When a counsellor has a space available for a client, she will contact that client and set up an appointment for that client to come to the office for an intake appointment. This appointment involves the completion of a more formal intake form and additional screening. It is possible that this process may take two appointments to complete. Once completed the client is scheduled for regular counselling appointments.

Part 2 – Intake Appointment – Groups
Our groups are open to appropriate clients who are receiving other services (eg counselling) at this agency and also to clients who are only interested in participating in groups. A prospective client on the waiting list for counselling can participate in groups during her time on the waiting list.

Once a staff member completes a telephone intake where the prospective client has indicated an interest in groups, her telephone intake form will be given to the Group Facilitator. The Group Facilitator will call the client and complete a more detailed Group Intake assessment over the phone. She will answer the questions that the woman might have regarding the groups and will identify with the client, the appropriate groups for her to attend.

We offer the following services:

Counselling
We offer professional counselling on a one to one basis. We primarily work with abuse issues and the effects of abuse on clients. We offer short and longer term counselling. Counselling sessions are generally one hour in length and are scheduled regularly according to both client and counsellor availability.

Psychoeducational Groups
We offer a variety of psychoeducational groups between the months of September and June each year. These are small groups, no more than 10 clients per group. They are interactive in nature and are primarily educational in nature. Groups are offered in both daytime and evening time slots.
Each year the following core groups are offered: ” Free Yourself from Abuse ” How to Recognize Safe People ” Setting Healthy Boundaries ” Healthy Self-Esteem ” Building Healthy Relationships ” Anger Management
Additional group topics will be offered at various times during a year according to client need and interest.

Legal Support
We are not lawyers and therefore cannot give legal advice. We do however, provide legal information, brochures and booklets which contain a great deal of information about the legal system and the rights of women. Our staff are familiar with the contents of these booklets. We can assist a client in locating a lawyer in the area. We are also able to provide court support for both family court and criminal court cases related to domestic violence issues.

Client Advocacy
Many of our clients are involved with a variety of different community agencies or would benefit from this involvement. We provide advocacy in assisting clients to connect with other agencies.

Mission Statements

The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory
The Salvation Army is an international Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible; its ministry is motivated by love for God and the needs of humanity.
The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

Women’s Counselling Centre
The Women’s Counselling Centre is a client centered therapeutic environment providing holistic counselling from a feminist perspective. Our clients are women in Peel Region who have experienced any form of abuse. We provide counselling, psycho educational groups, legal support and client advocacy.

Vision Statement
Within the next five years, the Women’s Counselling Centre will be a strong resource in the community for women who have experienced abuse. We will do this by providing preventative education, counselling support, advocacy and resources related to violence against women.

Values Statements
Safety and Security: We believe that all people have the right to be safe.
Respect and Dignity: We believe that all people have value and we will treat them with respect and dignity.
Compassion: We believe that a basic need of all people is compassion. We will provide a caring environment where women can heal, learn and grow.
Client Centred Approach: We believe that people are their own experts. Our services recognize the woman’s strengths and choices. We will empower women to work towards their goals.
Anti Racism / Anti Oppression: We believe in equality for all people. We will empower women to live free of racism and oppression.
Holistic Care: We believe that people are comprised of body, mind and spirit. We strive to deliver care that gives attention to each of these areas.
Spiritual Care: We believe that it is important for people to nurture their spirituality. We encourage women to be actively involved in the spiritual and religious practices of their choice.
Excellence: We believe that it is important for us to strive for excellence. We will do this by establishing measurable goals and objectives and by evaluating results.
Integrity: We believe that it is essential to be honest and trustworthy. As a professional team we work together in accountability incorporating these values.
Ethics: We believe that it is important for us to work within established ethical practices in everything that we do.
Relevance: We believe that our programs are to be relevant to the needs in our community.
Co-Operation: We believe that it is important for us to work in cooperation and partnership with other community agencies.