About THANS

Transition Houses grew out of an identified need of women for safety and support in spousal abuse situations. ¹ The first transition house in Nova Scotia opened in Halifax in 1978, and the provincial association was incorporated in 1989. The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia (THANS) member organizations provide transitional services to women (and their children) who are experiencing violence and abuse, including culturally relevant services to Mi’kmaw people. THANS eleven member organizations work with women and their children in thirteen locations across Nova Scotia; Sydney, Waycobah, Port Hawkesbury, Antigonish, New Glasgow, Amherst, Truro, Millbrook, Halifax, Bridgewater, Yarmouth, Digby and Kentville.

Our organizations "...provide a full range of support services to women and their children in a safe, supportive environment and... provide survivors of violence with opportunities to learn about available resources and alternatives to facilitate informed personal choices and decisions." ²

Poverty, lack of safe supportive affordable housing, lack of childcare, literacy, education, transportation, and court support are frequent barriers that prevent our service users from moving forward in their lives. THANS works from a feminist-based perspective that seeks to work collaboratively with other community organizations and the three levels of government, as allies, in addressing these barriers and eliminating violence against women.

^{1 THANS' focus is on men’s violence against women in relationships. This is not intended to ignore the problems of violence against people in male same-sex relationships, or of vulnerable males in heterosexual relationships. THANS uses the language of men as the perpetrators and women as victims because those are the facts in the overwhelming number of cases of interpersonal violence between intimates, and is the reality of the member organizations of the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia.}

^{2 Transition House Association of Nova Scotia STANDARDS of PRACTICE, ratified by THANS and DCS, July 2001, page 1}

Diversity, Affirmative Action and Social Inclusion Statement

As a part of The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia’s (THANS) work to end violence against women, our member organizations have supported diversity, encouraged affirmative action, worked toward social inclusion. While each member organization within THANS is autonomous, as an association we advocate for legislative, social and economic change for abused women and their children. Our advocacy work carries with it a responsibility to eliminate racism and discrimination, not only within our own organizations, but also in the broader communities in which we work and live.

As an association, we carry out diversity scans, participate in diversity training, and encourage the participation of under-represented groups within our member organizations’ boards, volunteers and staff structures.As an association that works within the broader struggle for equity and social justice, THANS recognizes that representation from minority and disadvantaged groups facilitates our work, and is essential to understanding and voicing concerns that are central to the association’s mandate. Our success in meeting the needs of a diverse group of service users requires our communities’ fullest possible range of skills, experience and perspectives.

THANS can only connect with the needs of our communities if we reflect our increasingly diverse population.The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia recommits to our work to end violence against women, support diversity and affirmative action, and work toward a world that is truly socially inclusive.

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