Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture

Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST) conducts individual therapy sessions for Refugee Refugee Claimant Temporary Foreign Worker and Youth clients who are survivors of torture and trauma (in line with the definitions of the UN Convention Against Torture). VAST also runs ongoing daily weekly and monthly groups including: 'Getting Through It' to provide information and support for refugee claimants during their claim process; ‘Arts Making in Community’: Helps clients heal in the community through connecting them to their internal experiences; Move & Relax’: A trauma-informed group using body movements to release psychological trauma stored in the body; ‘VAST Outdoors': Facilitates local hiking or walking trips for therapeutic benefits; The ‘Survivors Advocates’ program: Initiated in partnership with the UN and later with IRCT. Capacity building for emerging leaders and client advocates; The ‘Cultural Broker Certification Program Focused on Arabic Speaking’ Trains Arabic speaking people to support Arabic speaking newcomers to settle in Canada while bridging the cultural gap between them and service providers. The ‘Women’s Survivors Resource Network’ program which is for women coming from situations of armed conflict and violence who wish to support women who have been in similar situations. The Research and Knowledge Center promotes research on torture prevention and human rights issues. This knowledge is shared via online and in-person workshops delivered to the Settlement Healthcare Education and Legal sectors throughout BC and Canada. In 2024 VAST activities were conducted in person and virtually. VAST expanded in-person services to Abbotsford and launched peer-led healing circles in response to the ongoing crisis in Palestine and Israel. Our anti-racism and detention-focused advocacy grew stronger alongside province-wide trauma-informed trainings that equipped frontline workers across BC. We also released the 7th edition of Voi