Province announces new program to assist Albertan’s facing domestic abuse

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 18, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

On Tuesday the province announced a new support program for survivors of family violence who are going through the court process as it announced the launch of the Family Violence Court Liaison program.

These new family violence court liaisons will provide dedicated case management services to families in an attempt to improve communication and coordination between the different areas of court.

Victims will also be provided additional wraparound support through the new program, which include safety screening and direct referrals to community resources.

The program will accept participant referrals from internal partners such as family court counsellors and external partners such as community organizations that support victims of gender-based violence.

The province says the goal of the program is to help reduce the amount of stressful situations for survivors of family violence including having to repeatedly tell the stories of their traumatic experiences.

“Survivors of family violence should never feel alone or overwhelmed when navigating the justice system,” said Mickey Amery, minister of justice. “This program ensures survivors have someone by their side to help them feel supported and empowered to move forward.”

The pilot program was already launched in Edmonton and Calgary throughout the fall and is part of the province’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-based Violence as well as the Family Justice Strategy.

“Supporting survivors and all those impacted by family violence where and when they need it is a core pillar of our government’s comprehensive plan to end gender-based violence,” said Tanya Fir, minister of arts, culture and status of women. “By helping survivors navigate the justice system and providing critical wraparound services, we can ensure women and families are kept safe and get the coordinated care they deserve.”

Funding for the new program is being provided as part of the Federal government’s National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence and is currently scheduled to run until September 2027 with the possibility of future expansion.

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