Safe Centre of Peel opening second location to support survivors of intimate partner violence

Centre to co-locate with Peel CAS in Mississauga

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

There's now more support in Peel for survivors of intimate partner violence.

On November 15, the Safe Centre of Peel announced plans to expand its services to a new location in Mississauga. The announcement was made at a breakfast launch attended by Safe Centre partner agencies, local dignitaries, and guest speakers Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack from Alliance for Hope International. 

The Safe Centre of Peel is a collective of 17 partnered agencies who all work together to support survivors of intimate partner violence. 

The Safe Centre of Peel will soon be co-locating with the Peel Children's Aid Society (Peel CAS) in its building at 25 Capston Drive.

In a media release, Peel CAS Communications Consultant Alicia Land said the announcement is an important step towards enhancing services for survivors of intimate partner violence in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga.

“IPV is such a growing concern in Peel that the Region declared it an epidemic in June 2023,” said Land.

At the Region of Peel's June 22 Council meeting, a representative from the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA) made a delegation and asked that Peel declare intimate partner and gender-based violence an epidemic. Regional Councillors unanimously supported the request.

Land explained the Safe Centre has been providing services since 2011 from its current location at 60 West Drive in Brampton. It will continue to provide service there as it expands to its second Mississauga location.

Land said expanding to a second location will increase the Safe Centre's capacity, allowing it to serve more clients and make it easier for those experiencing violence to get help.

Sharon Mayne is the CEO of Catholic Family Services Peel-Dufferin, the lead service agency of the Safe Centre of Peel. She was very happy to announce the expansion of the centre's services.

“This co-location agreement will allow us to build on the successful and ongoing collaborations currently taking place, and better serve those facing or fleeing violence in the region,” said Mayne.

The Safe Centre of Peel's new location is expected to be ready to serve the community within the next year, said Land.

“Peel CAS has been a part of the centre for many years, with two dedicated Family and Intimate Partner Violence teams based at the Safe Centre office in Brampton,” said Land. “The Peel CAS building is a modern, welcoming, family-friendly environment, newly built in 2020, with plenty of space available for this co-location.”

Mary Beth Moellenkamp, CEO of Peel CAS, and said intimate partner violence is the most common reason for referrals to Peel CAS.

“Year over year, Peel CAS continues to see the number of intimate partner violence related assessments increase in risk and rate of severity,” said Moellenkamp. “Family violence is a complex issue requiring the sort of multi-faceted approach to community partnerships exemplified by the Safe Centre of Peel. We look forward to welcoming our partners into our building, creating new opportunities for enhanced services and collaboration.”

Land said it isn't easy to seek help with an abusive relationship, and that it can be even harder if one must visit multiple sites spread out over a large area. That's why the Safe Centre of Peel operates under the “Family Justice Centre” model where many agencies all work out of one location, she said.

“This makes it easier for survivors to access the range of support that they need and creates new opportunities for cooperation between service providers,” said Land.

Those interested in learning more about the Safe Centre of Peel can visit scopeel.org.