  
About Us
In 1987, the
Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral
Services (VCARS) was launched as a pilot project in three locations
in Ontario, and was designed to test a police/community response to
the needs of victims. The VCARS pilot project was evaluated in
1990 and found to be a very effective model for the delivery of
victim crisis assistance services.
The
VCARS program is a community response program
providing immediate on-site service to victims of crime or
disaster, 24 hours, seven days a week. With the consent of
a victim, police officers call on VCARS to send a team of
trained volunteers to provide on-site, short-term assistance to
victims and make referrals to community agencies for longer-term
assistance. VCARS programs work in
partnership with local police services and are
managed by community boards.
Funding for VCARS programs is administered by the
Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General Victim Services
Secretariat and funded through the Victims' Justice Fund from
surcharges on fines imposed by the courts.
Thunder Bay and
Area Victim Services (TBAVS) has been providing service since December
2002 and became incorporated in March 2003. Our first class of volunteers were sworn in
on December 2, 2002.
TBAVS
mandate is to provide, through volunteers, IMMEDIATE
emotional and practical assistance to victims of crime and
tragedy, through police and fire personnel, and
with consent of the victim, 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Class #11 and Regional Class #3 graduated in the
fall of 2007, and
Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Service
(VCARS) is now delivered in partnership with police,
fire and community services, thanks to a team of
approximately 43 volunteer service providers
and 12 board members.
Police or Emergency
Services personnel called to the
scene of a crime will, with consent of the
victim, summon VCARS volunteer
service providers for on-site, short term emotional and practical
assistance, and referrals to other community agencies.
VCARS volunteers are
supporting victims in co-operation with Police Services and Fire and Rescue
Services in the Thunder Bay and immediate rural area. Such support would be provided for situations such
as:
- Sexual Assault
- Domestic Violence
- Assault
- Property Crime
- Robbery
- Homicide
- Suicide
- Motor Vehicle Collisions
- Multi-Casualty Occurrence
- Fire
- Elder Abuse
- Grief and Bereavement
This support includes:
- Immediate On-site support
- Telephone Support (this
is not a crisis line)
- Referral information
- Gender Specific (if requested)
VCARS
volunteers provide
referrals to help meet the unique needs of the individual. These may
include other agencies or support links such as:
- Victim Impact Statement Assistance
- Criminal Injuries Compensation Forms Assistance
- Court Support
- Shelter/Transition Houses
- Legal
- Health Unit
- Culturally Specific
- Translation
- Counseling
- Funeral Home/Bereavement
- Crisis Lines
-
Victim Quick Response
Program - VQRP screening
and application assistance
- and many others
webpage last updated
05/12/2008
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