Community Partnerships

BRIDGES has created partnerships with various government departments, organizations and community groups to address the impact of intimate partner violence in local communities. Below are some brief examples of these partnerships:

For the people of Northern Nova Scotia, BRIDGES staff works with the women’s shelter Autumn House in Amherst, Nova Scotia to provide services to partners or ex-partners of women attending the shelter. Staff at both agencies work collaboratively to facilitate safety and work toward repairing harm.

The BRIDGES Executive Director serves on the Advisory Council for the Status of Women Canada (now Women and Gender Equality Canada). In this position, the Director acted as a consultant to the Federal Government, RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces on initiatives to address gender-based violence. Meetings were held in Ottawa every 4-6 months and were hosted by the Minister for the Status of Women, The Honourable Maryam Monsef.

BRIDGES founded the Colchester/ East Hants Interagency on Family Violence. It meets monthly at the Truro Police Service. The Interagency includes representatives of local agencies that address family violence. At the meetings, agencies share information on their services and protocols and guest speakers address topics of interest. This networking is integral to Bridges efforts to coordinate community response to intimate partner violence.

The Executive Director participates in the Halifax Metro Interagency on Family Violence. BRIDGES Executive Director, Tod Augusta-Scott was instrumental in establishing dialogue between those in the domestic violence field and those in the restorative justice field.

The Executive Director worked as a consultant for the document, Department of Community Services Family Strengthening and Support Framework: A framework to support children, youth and families (2020).

BRIDGES staff participate in developing the Domestic Violence Courts in both Truro and Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. This court tries to be more responsive to the circumstances of each individual case.

BRIDGES continues to work closely with New Start Counselling in sharing clinical supervision and in hosting conferences.

BRIDGES sponsors Guys Work, a school curriculum developed by Morris Green with the financial support of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. The school curriculum that addresses masculinity and social issues facing grade seven boys, including dating violence and domestic violence.

See more about GuysWork here

BRIDGES created a position for a Team Coordinator that is in contact with everyone who has been charged by police for domestic violence. The Coordinator offers the person counselling to address their immediate crisis but also makes referrals to address issues of employment, housing and education. This position was created with the financial support of Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

BRIDGES staff works extensively with the Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia to assist families affected by intimate partner violence.

During 2019, Bridges Executive Director, Tod Augusta-Scott supervised a clinician working with the abuse intervention program for Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.