An announcement by the provincial government earlier this week will see $42.6 million come to 34 community-based service organizations over the next three years. One of those organizations receiving the funding will be Envision Counselling and Support in southeast Saskatchewa. 

“This funding commitment will help our community-based organizations continue to deliver supports and services to victims of interpersonal violence and abuse, ensuring that victims don’t have to face challenges alone," Premier Scott Moe said. 

For Envision, their share of the funding will be going to a number of programs. One of those is the Family Intervention Rapid Support Team, or FIRST. 

“We have counsellors based out of our Weyburn, Estevan and Carlyle offices that actually go out into the community to do that outreach, and work with people that may be at risk for any sort of relationships that would have violence of abuse present within,” explained Lynda Rideout, the executive director of Envision, about FIRST.  

Envision is one of four agencies in the province that offer a program like this. 

Another program that will be supported by the funding, which will work out to $14.2 million a year divided amongst the 34 organizations, is the interpersonal violence and abuse program. 

“There are two streams of programming within that,” Rideout pointed out. “One is sexual violence situations and the other is family violence situations. So our programs are offered out of all four of our locations – Weyburn Estevan, Carlyle, and Oxbow – for that. That would be in-office support for people that are affected by those kinds of scenarios, and we have also been out to support in hospital or in the courtroom, whatever our clients may need.” 

The funding, which is coming from the provincial Ministry of Justice, will also be used for the Children Exposed to Violence program that is offered through the Weyburn office.  

“Those three programs are considered part of our core programming, and it’s integral that we receive the funding from the province of Saskatchewan,” Rideout said. “Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to offer those programs.” 

Those who need the services offered by Envision, or have questions about the programs, can visit the Envision Counselling and Support website.