“The Importance of Language Used When Responding to Victims” is the title of a three-hour workshop Wednesday, April 24, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the multipurpose room of the Keremeos Health Centre, corner of Seventh Avenue and Third Street. The public is invited.
“The words we use when responding to persons who have been traumatized can make a significant difference in how and how quickly they recover”, says RCMP Victim Services Coordinator Ron Shonk. “And these persons can be your friends or members of your own family. Any of us can be subject to trauma, whether it be through experiences of crime, accident, or injury. And any of us can also be helpful, especially if we’re sensitized as to how to respond effectively. We are fortunate that Dr. Linda Coates will be here with us to present the workshop”, he says. “In addition to her professional expertise, she is a totally delightful human being.”
Dr. Coates has received international recognition for her work on the connection between violence and language in diverse settings, and as a pioneering researcher and trainer in “Response-Based Practice”. The Wednesday evening event will also provide opportunity to meet and talk with local health professionals, counselors, caregivers, and first-responders from our areas’ fire, search & rescue, and ambulance teams, as we all benefit from Dr. Coates’ practical and eye-opening teachings and skilled workshop facilitation.
The event is part of our local observation of National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, arranged by SOVAS (South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society), in cooperation with LSCSS (Lower Similkameen Community Services Society).
The presentation is appropriate for persons of high school age and older. There is no charge for the event, which also includes food (Bokbok’s Pizza and Subway Subs) and beverages during the first hour. Posters announcing the evening training are displayed all over town, in the windows of your favorite local businesses. Read them. And then put the event on your personal calendar. The same workshop will be repeated in Penticton on Thursday, April 25, at the Okanagan College Center for Excellence, 583 Duncan Avenue, also at 6p.m.
- Ron Shonk