Victim Services Service Providers Training

This page provides training resources for service providers working with victims of crime and women and children impacted by violence. Topics include:

• Webinars for Service Providers
• Victim Services: Supporting Victims Through the Justice System E-learning
• Canadian Victims Bill of Rights Information Materials
• Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse E-Book and Video
• Intimate Partner Violence Safety Planning Online Training
• Safety Planning Resources
• Child and Youth Safety Planning Toolkit
• Child and Youth Safety Planning Videos
• Victim Service Worker Handbooks
• Online Training Initiative to Address Human Trafficking

Webinars for Service Providers

The Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch provides free webinars for service providers on a variety of topics. For more information about upcoming webinars, please contact victimservices@gov.bc.ca.

Victim Services: Supporting Victims Through the Justice System E-learning

This online training provides victim service workers with the knowledge and skills to deliver court support within the justice system in B.C. The eight module online course with interactive activities, comprehensive resources, and video clips will provide workers with an orientation to victim services in B.C., a basic understanding of the justice system, and how to provide court support to victims through the justice process.

New victim service workers employed by community-based victim service programs or police-based victim service programs are the primary target audience for this training. Others may also take this course to refresh their knowledge of the topics covered in the training.

The 10 to 15 hour online course covers a range of areas including orientation to victim services, financial benefits and assistance, impact of victimization, communication skills for working with victims, introduction to the justice system, court support, court support and violence against women in relationships, and assisting victims after the trial.

The training is available to support workers that meet the following requirements:

• Work for a branch-funded violence against women program, victim services program or provincial association
• Have consent to take the training from their employer

Registration form

For more information, please contact victimservices@gov.bc.ca.

Canadian Victims Bill of Rights

On July 23, 2015 the new Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (CVBR) and related legislative amendments came into force. The CVBR standardizes rights for victims to information, protection, participation, restitution, and ensures a complaint process is in place for breaches of these rights. The provincial Victims of Crime Act, established in 1996, will continue to apply and provides victims with similar rights to information as the CVBR.

CVBR information for victim service workers

• The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights - Highlights and Summary for Victim Services
• Know Your Rights
• Complaints Fact Sheet
• CVBR Victim Services Webinar Power Point Presentation
• CVBR Information for Victim Services Chart

Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse E-Book and Video

The Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse E-Book is designed for workers in B.C. who work with older adults who have been abused and neglected. The E-Book covers types of elder abuse and risk factors, B.C. government programs and community services available for older adults who are abused and neglected, and practice tips on how to work with older adults who have been abused. The E-Book also includes resources, information, links, video interviews with local stakeholders, and role play video scenarios on how to address different types of elder abuse.

The video on Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse covers the concepts of capacity, consent, and mental confusion, with specific focus on the issue of financial abuse. The video was developed by the BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support in 2013.

• Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse E-Book
• Understanding and Responding to Elder Abuse Video

Intimate Partner Violence Safety Planning Online Training

A new online course, Intimate Partner Violence Safety Planning Online Training was launched by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (PSSG) in 2026. It replaces the Domestic Violence Safety Planning Online Training. This new course is a practical resource to assist support workers in safety planning with survivors, their children, and families impacted by intimate partner violence. The course includes foundational elements and tools for safety planning that can be adapted to different circumstances.

Learners can use the training at their own pace, and it will require approximately five to six hours. The course consists of three modules: 

• Intimate Partner Violence and Approaches to Safety
• Working with Survivors to Develop Safety Plans
• Collaborating Across Sectors 

The course is for workers employed in Community Safety and Victim Services Branch-funded programs, including:

• Community Safety and Victim Services Branch-funded programs including Violence Against Women programs:
  • Stopping the Violence Counselling
  • Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling, and Empowerment (PEACE)
  • Outreach Services
  • Multicultural Outreach Services
  • Sexual Assault Services
  • Sexual Assault Centres
  • Community-Based victim Services
  • Police-based Victim Services 
• Provincial Associations:
  • BC Society of Transition Houses
  • Ending Violence Association of BC
  • Police Victim Services of BC
• Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs)

•    Have consent to take the training from employer.
•    Agree to complete the training within 90 days from initial log in to the course.

If you have questions, please contact victimservices@gov.bc.ca.

Registration Form

Safety Planning Resources

• Factors to Consider when Domestic Violence Safety Planning
• Creating a Safety Plan Booklet
• Personalized Safety Planning Template

Child and Youth Safety Planning Toolkit

Safety Planning with Children and Youth: A Toolkit for Working with Children and Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence is a resource to assist support workers in developing safety plans for children and youth. It provides information for those working with mothers, caregivers, and children and youth who have been exposed to domestic violence. The toolkit is intended for use by both new and experienced service providers.

The toolkit offers steps to follow when safety-planning with children and youth, as well as specific information for safety planning with children and youth at each developmental level (i.e., ages 3-5, 6-11, 12-14, and 15-18). It also includes practice tips, sample templates, suggested methods, and resources.

Child and Youth Safety Planning Videos

Module 7 of the Domestic Violence and Safety Planning Training has five instructional videos on how to safety plan with children and youth at each developmental level. These instructional videos can be viewed below.

• VIDEO, Scene 1: Safety Planning with Children Developmental Level Years 3 to 5
• VIDEO, Scene 2: Safety Planning with Children Developmental Level Years 6 to 11
• VIDEO, Scene 3: Safety Planning with Youth Developmental Level Years 12 to 14
• VIDEO, Scene 4: Planning with Youth Developmental Level Years 15 to 18
• VIDEO, Scene 5: Safety Planning Considerations for a Child/Youth Testifying in Court

Victim Service Worker Handbooks

These handbooks were developed to assist and support those working with victims of crime:

• Victim Service Worker Handbook – Victims of Crime
• Victim Service Worker Handbook – Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR)
• Victim Service Worker Handbook – Victims of Sexual Assault

Online Training Initiative to Address Human Trafficking

The Online Training Initiative to Address Human Trafficking is a free and comprehensive online training program that will help you recognize fundamental concepts related to human trafficking, including definitions, risk factors and victims’ needs, as well as best practice responses to support trafficking victims.