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The Justice Institute of B.C.
Continuing Professional Education in Family Violence Intervention

The Justice Institute of B.C. was established as a post-secondary education institute in 1978. The Institute is funded through a core budget provided by the Ministry of Education, Skills, and Training, and is managed by a Board of Governors. Through our Interdisciplinary Studies Division the Justice Institute has established a 15 year history of offering job-specific training and continuing professional education to a broad range of employees working in social service, justice, and public safety-related organizations and agencies, and persons working in the non-profit and voluntary sector.

Instructors are chosen on the basis of their direct expertise in working with family violence issues and their skills and experience in adult education. All of our courses are directed toward specific practitioners. Each course description identifies the targeted audience of that training. Our philosophical approach to training in family violence intervention includes the following:

• training reflects eclectic models of intervention, with a feminist perspective as the foundation;
• survivors of violence are the experts of their own experience and therefore must guide the process of intervention;
• a survivor is never to blame for the violence they have experienced, and violence is never acceptable;
• violence or abuse is a process which involves emotional, physical, and possibly sexual violation; and
• all violence/abuse occurs within a socio-political context.

Interdisciplinary Studies has developed a national reputation for providing leading edge professional training in the area of child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, violence against women, and trauma/post traumatic stress.

Interdisciplinary Studies offers certificate programs in the following areas:

• Basic Supervisory Skills
• Child Sexual Abuse Intervention
• Couple and Family Intervention
• Management Development for Residential Settings
• Trainer Development
• Traumatic Stress Interventions
• Working with Youth in Community Settings

Career and Community Studies produces two calendars a year advertising upcoming professional development and community education programs and courses.

To receive a copy of the Fall Calendar, please contact:
Cindy Bettcher, Program Coordinator
Justice Institute of B.C.
715 McBride Boulevard
New Westminster, B.C.
V3L 5T4
Ph: (604) 528-5608
Fx: (604) 528-5640.