Transition Houses Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- What kind of help can I
get in Transition House?
- How safe is the
Transition House?
- How can I access your
services?
- Do I have to file a
police report before I can use the Transition House?
- Who can stay in the
Transition House?
- What happens after I
leave the Transition House?
What kind of help can I get in
Transition House?
Transition House
staff are trained to respond to issues relating to violence against
women, and have had many years of experience. Support staff are
available to provide you with emotional support, information,
resources, and community referrals. We are here to share the
information and experiences that we have gained, and to support the
decisions that you make. We can provide minimal transportation in the
community and can assist you in getting to any medical, legal, or
social service appointment relating to your current situation. We have
two child support workers who are available to provide support services
to your children.
If you choose, the
School Board can assign a teacher to come into Transition House to
tutor your children during their stay.
How safe is the Transition
House?
Safety of residents
is our number one priority in Transition House. For this reason, the
house address is completely confidential and each resident is asked to
keep the address confidential. To help keep the location confidential,
we ensure that the house "fits" into the neighborhood and doesn't draw
attention to itself. There are security features, all of which are
found in a typical home with security features. There will be security
bars on some of the more obscure windows, but they have been designed
to appear as windowpanes.
All information about
residents is held in strict confidentiality. We will not tell anyone
that you are in a Transition House - this includes police, social
services, and other transition houses.
Women are asked not
to have guests or family over to the house because of the confidential
address. Everyone coming into the house is carefully screened. There is
a confidential phone number where women can receive phone calls from
people they trust.
If staff needs to
meet you in the community, it will be in a public location (such as the
hospital or police station).
How can I access your services?
Women can contact Transition House staff at
any time. There is a staff member available 24 hours per day to talk to
you. If a staff member is not in the office, an answering machine
service will contact a support worker by pager.
Before coming into
the Transition House, you will have to speak to a Transition House
worker. She will ask you about your situation, whether you have been in
Transition House before, and will review some of the house guidelines.
You must be able to care for yourself and your children. This means
being able to cook meals, clean your room, and live cooperatively with
other women and children.
Do I have to file a police
report before I can use the Transition House?
You do not have to
report to the police or any other agency in order to enter a Transition
House. Our role is to respect your decisions, not make them for
you.
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Who can stay in a Transition
House?
We accept any woman
who has experienced abuse. This includes physical abuse, sexual abuse,
financial abuse, or emotional abuse. We also accept women who are
experiencing threats from landlords or partners (i.e. stalking, break
& entering). If you are not sure if your situation is appropriate
for a Transition House, please phone and discuss it with a
worker.
The Transition House
strives to be an inclusive and safe space for all women - we
have zero tolerance for racism and homophobia.
You need to be clean
and sober before coming into a Transition House. With the exception of
prescriptions, there are no drugs or alcohol allowed in the house.
What happens after I leave the
Transition House?
The Transition House
staff realizes that 30 days is a short time to make major decisions
about your life. Support staff are available to assist you in exploring
all of your options. The Transition House offers a variety of resources
on issues that women and children face when they leave abusive
situations.
If you choose to live
in the Abbotsford or Mission communities after your stay, an Outreach
Worker is available to provide follow-up services, such as on-going
emotional support, resource information, and referrals to other
community support services. You can also access our Women's Support Services programs and/or
the Children Who Witness Abuse
programs.
Some women decide to
locate new housing, either in the Fraser Valley area or elsewhere.
Finding affordable housing is difficult, but it can be done! The
Transition House receives all local newspapers, which may assist in
your
search.
There is a provincial
program by B.C. Housing, which operates all subsidized housing in B.C.
They sponsor a program for abused women and their children called
"Priority Placement". If you would like more information about
this program, follow the link or ask a Transition House worker.
Women's Resource Society of the Fraser Valley.
Copyright © 2002. All rights reserved.
Revised:
February 04, 2005
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