Essential information

• With the new variant and the high number of COVID cases, new provincial restrictions came into effect on Dec 20 and Dec 22. For more information on the provincial and regional restrictions visit: Provincial and regional restrictions – Province of British Columbia For COVID updates, visit BC’s Response to COVID-19. New!
• The Provincial Health Officer (PHO) continues to hear from a variety of stakeholders who are requesting that the PHO implement a mandate requiring vaccinations for front-line staff of the community social services sector. The mandatory vaccine order is not being extended at this time, but the PHO is continuing to monitor areas of risk to determine if further vaccine orders will be needed for other sectors, including the social services sector. The PHO response is here addressing those requests and providing an update on the safety of vaccines, the risk of exposure from unvaccinated individuals, vaccine mandates in other settings, and ongoing monitoring for the need of such orders in the future. The update also provides information about other steps you can take to ensure services are safe and details about the new BC Vaccine Card program.
• Proof of vaccination and the BC Vaccine Card – BC Government
• Find a drop-in vaccine clinic in your community – BC Government
• Informed Consent and the COVID-19 Vaccine – Public Guardian and Trustee of BC
• Underserved Population Prevention and Response Community Partners and Island Health Linkages – Island Health
• Vancouver Coastal Health is offering home visits for vaccinations. If you are unable to leave your home for a vaccination appointment, please call 1-833-838-2323 and inform the call centre representative that you are unable to attend a clinic. You will be referred to their Home Health team who will call you back for an assessment to receive a home visit.
• [Vancouver Island Health] Underserved Population, Marginally Housed GENERAL – Environmental Site Checklist Shelters and Facilities for Temporary Housing – Island Health
• [Vancouver Island Health] Shelter COVID Safety Plan Template – Island Health
• [Fraser Valley] Breakroom Strategies to Stay Safe during COVID-19 Guidelines – Fraser Health Authority
• BC MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICERS (By Region) – The Provincial Health Offices have indicated that the best way to connect with the local BC health authorities regarding Covid-19 is through this list. The list also includes the after hours contact info.
• Prevention & Risks: Facemasks – BCCDC
• BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool – BC Government
• COVID19 Financial Government Support

Resources for Housing Providers

• With the new variant and the high number of COVID cases, new provincial restrictions came into effect on Dec 20 and Dec 22. Please continue operating with your COVID safety plans, which includes operating at reduced capacity for transition houses. With respect to vaccinations, BC Housing will be taking direction regarding the immunization of transition housing staff from the Provincial Health Officer; at this time, public health has said they will not mandate staff to be vaccinated. If you have questions related to the booster dose, please visit this site: Get your booster dose – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca) – BC Housing New!
• Update to Eligibility and Registration for the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster – Island Health New!
• COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program for Community Organizations – Canadian Red Cross New!
• Women’s Transition Housing and Support Program Update (September 2021) – BC Housing & AHMA
• COVID-19 Return-to-work Planning Guide – BCNPHA & AHMA
• Non-Profit Housing Provider’s Guide to COVID-19 Vaccinations – BCNPHA
• Residential Treatment and Supportive Recovery Services In British Columbia – BC Centre on Substance Use
• Supporting people who use substances in shelter settings during the COVID‑19 pandemic – Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse
• COVID-19 and People Experiencing Homelessness: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies – Canadian Medical Association Journal
• Pandemic Intake Assessment Flow Chart Template – BCSTH
• Intake Process During Pandemic Template – BCSTH
• Resident Information During Pandemic Template – BCSTH
• Quarantine Protocol for Residents Template – BCSTH
• Hotel Stay Guidelines Template – BCSTH
• Promising Practices for Transitional Housing Programs Responding to a Pandemic – BCSTH
• Using Shared Laundry Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic – National Collaborating Centres for Environmental Health
• COVID-19 Precautions for Multi-unit Residential Buildings – National Collaborating Centres for Environmental Health
• Guidance for providers of services for people experiencing homelessness in the context of COVID-19 – Government of Canada
• Infection Prevention & Control Resources for Homelessness Service Settings – City of Toronto
• Privacy Emergency Kit Sharing information during an emergency – Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

French Resources

• Plan en cas de pandémie
• Plan de continuité des services en cas de pandémie des maisons d’aide et d’hébergement lavalloises
• Plan de continuité des services des maisons en cas de sinistre

Resources for Anti-Violence Workers

• The COVID-19 Vaccine and Consent for Incapable Adults – Public Guardian and Trustee of BC
• Together, we must Reset Normal – Canadian Women’s Foundation
• Victim Service and Violence Against Women Programs Covid-19 Subsector Resource Guide – MPSSG
• Yoga + Grounding Resources for PEACE, Outreach and Transition House program staff (anti-violence workers) – BCSTH
• BC Restart Plan Guidance for PEACE Programs – BCSTH
• Coercive Control during COVID-19: New Tactics – Battered Justice Women’s Project
• Resources on Gender-Based Violence and the COVID-19 Pandemic – VAW Learning Network
• Free COVID-19 Resources – CTRI
• Parliamentary secretary’s statement on safe spaces for people leaving violence – BC Government
• Staying Safe During COVID-19 – National Domestic Violence Hotline
• Feminist Resources on the Pandemic – Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy
• Access to Childcare for Essential Service Workers During COVID19

Resources for Children & Youth

• COVID-19 safe schools – BC Government
• Information and Resources to Support Parents during Covid-19 – BCSTH
• Activities for Virtual and Socially Distanced PEACE Counselling Sessions and Summer Camp Ideas – BCSTH
• Information and Resources to Support PEACE Counsellors during Covid-19 (updated June 2021) – BCSTH
• Youth Homelessness: Mental Health and Substance Use during COVID-19 – Homeless Hub
• The Lives of Girls and Young Women in the Time of COVID-19 – Berghahn Journals
• Promising Practices – Examples for PEACE Programs Responding to Health Crisis – BCSTH
• 12 Free picture books about Coronavirus – Decoda Literacy Solutions
• Power and Social Control of Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Leisure Sciences
• Example of setting up for a remote PEACE session
• Delivering PEACE Program Support Groups Online During Covid19
• 6 Trauma-Sensitive Yoga & Mindfulness Tools to Support Youth
• 3 Tools for You and Your Children & Teens to Manage Anxiety
• Keep Children Safe from Online Sexual Exploitation & Abuse During the Pandemic – VAW Learning Network
• Guidelines for Parenting During COVID-19 Health Crisis – Rise Women’s Legal Centre
• Visual for coping in a pandemic
• Maintaining Connections and Facilitating Access for Children, Youth and Families – MCFD
• PEACE Program Home Package [Word Doc]

Resources for Indigenous Communities

• First Nations Health Authority
• Metis Nation BC
• BC Aboriginal ChildCare Society: Resources for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care – Navigating Covid-19
• Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada – FAFIA & Dr. Pamela Palmater, Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University
• Resources for Children and Youth – First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
• Resources and Supports for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Families During the Covid 19 Pandemic – BC Council for Families
• Traditional Indigenous Kinship Practices at Home: Being Child-Centered During the Pandemic – Indigenous Motherhood

Tech-Safety Resources

• Seeking Help Online: Safety and Privacy Considerations for Women Experiencing Violence – BCSTH
• BCSTH PEACE Program Template: Informed Consent for Digital Support Services – BCSTH
• Use of Digital Services Technology to Support Program Participants During a Public Health Crisis – BCSTH
• Digital Services Communication Platforms: Comparison Chart for BC’s Anti-Violence Programs [Updated Feb 2021] – BCSTH
• Digital Services Toolkit – BCSTH
• NNEDV: Using Technology to Communicate with Survivors During a Public Health Crisis – Technology Safety

Legal Resources

• Family law cases addressing the COVID-19 pandemic – JP Boyd
• COVID-19 and Family Law Video – JP Boyd
• COVID-19 Legal Questions – BC Government
• Covid-19 Resources for British Columbians – Clicklaw
• COVID19 Legal Resources – BC Government
• Your Existing Family Order During the Covid-19 Pandemic – YWCA Legal Education Program
• Overview of Legal Aid BC, LABC, online and remote services available in response to Covid-19

COVID-19 Info Pages

• Public Health Agency of Canada
• BC Centre for Disease Control
• BC Housing
• Women Shelters Canada
• Homelessness Services Association of BC
• BC Non Profit Housing Association
• Canadian Network for the Health and Housing of People Experiencing Homelessness
• National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Police Victim Services of BC
• BC First Responder’s Mental Health