CVAP Counselling in Vancouver: How Victims of Violent Crime in BC Get Counselling Paid For

Notice: For general interest only; may contain inaccuracies. Not a diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, or professional, clinical, or legal advice. Reading this creates no counsellor-client relationship. By reading this page, you agree to these terms. Full disclaimer. In an emergency, call 911.

این مقاله به زبان فارسی: مشاوره با پوشش CVAP در ونکوور: قربانیان جرایم خشن در بریتیش کلمبیا چطور هزینهٔ مشاوره را دریافت می‌کنند

Short answer: if you were injured, physically or psychologically, by a violent crime that happened in British Columbia, the provincial Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) can pay for your counselling. Immediate family members and some witnesses can also qualify. You apply to CVAP, and once counselling is approved the counsellor bills the program directly. Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC, provides CVAP-funded trauma counselling in downtown Vancouver and by video across BC, in English and Farsi.

What is CVAP?

CVAP is run by the Government of British Columbia under the Crime Victim Assistance Act. It provides benefits that help people cope with the effects of violent crime where the same benefit is not available from another source. Counselling is one of those benefits. Others include medical expenses, protective measures and income support. CVAP does not pay compensation for pain and suffering.

Who can apply?

• Victims of a violent crime committed in BC, such as assault, sexual assault, robbery with violence, criminal harassment or intimate partner violence.
• Immediate family members of an injured or deceased victim.
• Some witnesses who have a close personal connection to the victim and saw the crime or its immediate aftermath.

The crime must have taken place in British Columbia. Provincial information indicates that the applicant does not have to live in BC.

Is there a deadline?

In most cases, yes. Under changes announced by the province in 2023, the limit is two years for crimes that occurred on or after January 1, 2024, and one year for crimes before that date. There are important exceptions:

• There is no time limit for a victim’s own application where the crime is or includes a sexual assault, or involved sexual misconduct while the victim was under 19.
• For a person under 19, the limit is extended past their 19th birthday.
• CVAP can extend the limit where the person could not reasonably have applied in time.

If you are unsure whether you are still inside the limit, apply anyway and explain the delay. The decision rests with CVAP.

Not sure where to start? Text or WhatsApp Samuel at 604-721-0604 and he will tell you what the first step is in your situation.

How do I apply, and how long before counselling starts?

1. Download the victim, family member or witness application from the BC government’s CVAP page, or ask a victim service worker for a paper copy. VictimLink BC, at 1-800-563-0808, can connect you with a victim service program that will help you complete it at no cost.
2. Send the form to CVAP. You can name the counsellor you want to see.
3. CVAP reviews the application. Full adjudication can take time because the program gathers information from other sources.
4. Where an application from a victim or immediate family member looks likely to be eligible, CVAP can grant interim counselling of up to 12 one-hour sessions as soon as the application is registered, so that treatment does not wait for the final decision.
5. Once sessions are approved, Samuel bills CVAP directly and submits the reports the program requires.

The first call with Samuel is free and takes 20 minutes. There is no receptionist and there are no forms on his side. You can call before you have applied.

What does trauma counselling after a violent crime involve?

After an assault, the nervous system often stays on alert long after the danger has ended. People describe jumping at footsteps, avoiding the street where it happened, broken sleep, anger that surprises them, and shame about not having fought back or about having frozen. Freezing is an automatic survival response and does not mean you allowed what happened.

International guidelines, including those of the World Health Organization (2013), recommend trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR for post-traumatic stress in adults, and a Cochrane review found both more effective than waiting or usual care (Bisson et al., 2013). Samuel’s approach follows that evidence:

• Safety and stabilisation first: sleep, grounding and a plan for the situations you currently avoid.
• Processing the memory with EMDR, at a pace you control. You do not have to describe every detail aloud.
• Working with shame and self-blame using Internal Family Systems.
• Neurofeedback where sleep and constant alertness remain a problem.
• Return to ordinary life: work, transit, the neighbourhood, relationships.

Can family members get counselling too?

Yes. A parent whose child was assaulted, or a spouse living with a partner’s nightmares and fear, is affected as well. Immediate family members apply on their own form. The 2023 changes also widened access for grandparents and grandchildren.

Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay anything for CVAP counselling?

Approved sessions are billed to CVAP directly. Samuel will tell you before you begin if any amount would not be covered.

The crime happened years ago. Is it too late?

Not necessarily. Sexual assault has no time limit for the victim’s application, and CVAP can extend the limit in other cases. Apply and explain.

Can I choose my own counsellor?

Yes, provided the counsellor meets CVAP’s requirements. Samuel is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and works with CVAP clients.

I was hurt in a car crash, not a crime. Does CVAP apply?

Crash injuries are covered by ICBC, which pre-approves 12 counselling sessions in the first 12 weeks regardless of fault. Samuel bills ICBC directly as well.

Will my family or community find out?

Counselling is confidential. CVAP receives the reports it needs to fund treatment. Nothing is shared with family or community members.

Can I have sessions in Farsi?

Yes. Samuel works in English and Farsi.

Book a free 20-minute call

Call or text 604-721-0604, message on WhatsApp at the same number, or book at drsamuel.ca/book-a-call/. Evening and weekend appointments are available, in person in downtown Vancouver or by secure video anywhere in BC. Related: EMDR Therapy in Vancouver. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. جلسات به فارسی برگزار می‌شود.

Written with expert editorial assistance.

References

• Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Cooper, R., & Lewis, C. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003388.pub4

• Crime Victim Assistance Act, SBC 2001, c. 38. https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/01038_01

• Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime/victim-of-crime/financial-assistance-benefits

• Government of British Columbia. (2023). Crime victim support expands to grandparents and grandkids [News release]. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PSSG0073-001612

• World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241505406