By Josh Hall/ rdnewsNOW

Red Deer Regional Hospital program for domestic abuse victims receives funding

Nov 2, 2017 | 9:24 AM

Emergency room patients at Red Deer Regional Hospital now have 24/7 access to family violence crisis intervention services.
 
The services are being made available through the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART). Alberta Health Services recently announced DART will receive two-year funding following a successful three-month pilot program earlier this year.
 
“The biggest accomplishment we’re hoping to find is we can link patients to the right service at the right time,” says Ronnie Biletsky, Coordinator with the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Response Team and domestic violence services at RDRHC.
 
“So when a person is in crisis, they’re offered that immediate response so that they’re able to be heard and that we offer them whatever support they need because only the patient knows what they truly need at that moment.”
 
Since launching in April, DART has received more than 80 referrals, including patients like Rebecca.
 
“DART did something amazing for me,” she 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.”
 
Barb Barber, Executive Director of the Outreach Centre explains DART is comprised of one full-time coordinator and seven on-call staff. She says DART is one of several services helping to give victims more confidence to come forward. 
 
“Is family violence on the rise? I’m not sure,” Barber admits. “What I think is happening is we’re providing more programs and services for people to come forward and so people feel more comfortable that if they go for help, there is going to be help there for them.”
 
For more information on support for victims of domestic and family violence, contact the Outreach Centre at 403-347-2480.