Those fleeing family violence who end up in the Red Deer hospital emergency room can access immediate crisis support from the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART).

DART is the result of a partnership between the hospital and The Outreach Centre. Its seven on-call staff take referrals from the emergency room, prepare safety plans for patients and connect them with needed resources to leave their abusive situations.

According to Barb Barber, executive director at The Outreach Centre, DART has received 88 referrals, which included 107 children, since its inception in April -- people in their most vulnerable state.

“At that point of crisis when they’re at the hospital, we only help them with their 24-hour safety plan and give them some information,” Barber said. “There’s so many other things going on that they’re not processing some deep conversation. But I think to be able to provide people that, at the point of crisis, lets them know that they’re not alone and there is help out there.”

That was the case for a patient named Rebecca, who provided a testimonial through Alberta Health Services.

“They helped me realize that the current abuse I was facing did not define who I was and that I could escape my current abuse if I was willing to access continued supports,” she said in a statement through AHS.

Ronnie Biletsky is the coordinator for the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Response Team and domestic violence at the hospital. She said with DART behind them, nurses feel empowered to intervene.

"The nurses are feeling more comfortable about asking the domestic violence question because before they felt scared to ask. Because what if the patient said, yes? They felt they didn't have a lot to support them,” Biletsky said.

“Now, the nurses are going above and beyond in advocating for the patient, telling them about their interaction with DART."​