What We're About!

(Our Mission)

By encouraging healthy patterns of living, Pacific Centre Family Services enhances and promotes the quality and dignity of life of individuals and families within our diverse community.

What We Do!

Pacific Centre Family Services Association is dedicated to maintaining outstanding services for the people we work with through education, counselling and creative programming. We have locations in Colwood, Langford and Sooke, British Columbia, Canada and feature the following programs:

• Alcohol and Other Drug Program (Counselling and Referrals for Adults)
• Community Outreach Prevention and Education (Support for Youth 5-18)
• Youthtalk (email counselling for youth)
• Affordable and Fee for Service Counselling
• Safer Families (group and individual counselling addressing family violence)REACH young parents' daycare
• Youth Services (Parent/Teen Counselling and Mediation)
• Stopping the Violence (Counselling for Women Dealing with Abuse)
• Youth and Child Counselling and Expressive Therapy Program (SAIP)

What About Accountability?

PCFSA's operations are administered by an Executive Management Team and are overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising members of the community.

Professionally trained counselling staff includes social workers, counsellors and child, youth and family care workers.

Counselling staff members are professionally qualified and/or may also be registered with:
- Board of Registration for Social Workers
- Canadian Counselling Association or BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
- Registered Art Therapists
- Child and Youth Care Association of BC

To fulfill its commitment to high levels of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction, Pacific Centre Family Services Association seeks feedback from a range of stakeholders including program participants, community partners, staff and funders.

Pacific Centre Family Services' child and family programs are accredited through the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

• Pacific Centre Family Services Association is a non-profit society registered in 1968 under the Societies Act of British Columbia and serving families and individuals in Greater Victoria (# 119075372)

Meet Mitzi Dean, Executive Director

Before moving to Victoria in 2005, Mitzi Dean served as a national development manager for children's services with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the U.K.'s largest child protection charity. Her duties in this role included developing a national strategic framework for the NSPCC's 180 programs, including those relating to child abuse and maltreatment, parenting support, education and community development. Mitzi, who grew up in southeast England, has worked in child protection social work and community based social services across Great Britain for over 20 years. Her areas of special interest include child abuse, addictions and intimate partner violence. Her Master's in Philosophy research degree focused on historical aspects of child sexual abuse through comparing incidence and experiences in cases from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This work resulting in a number of papers being presented at international conferences. Her other publications include therapeutic stories for children who have been traumatized and book reviews on child-related studies. Mitzi's voluntary work history extends over decades and different countries, including working in a Romanian orphanage and a transition house in the UK providing refuge for women experiencing relationship violence.

A Brief History of

Pacific Centre Family Services Association

1872 Prior to September 18^th, Havenwood (acreage on the border of Esquimalt Lagoon, Colwood) was crown land until it was purchased by John Switzer, owner of the Belmont Tanning & Boot and Shot Manufacturing Company.  It passed through a few hands until the site was cleared in 1921-2

1922 The first cottage was built on Havenwood, followed by Pendray House, completed in 1927

1966  More buildings had been constructed and under different owners the property had been used as a country club and rest home.

1968  On September 23^rd, Dr. Charles Gregory instituted the “Island Child Development & Research Centre” which was incorporated with Constitution and By-Laws. It ran a residential home for 28 children with emotional & behavioral difficulties located at Deer Leap House at 743 Pears Road in Metchosin, owned by the society.

1969  Name changed to Pacific Centre for Human Development, with original Constitution and new By-Laws

1972 Pacific Centre for Human Development began leasing Havenwood from Mrs. Ellis. 

1977  Summer camp initiated

1979 Peg Peters was appointed as Executive Director; and worked until 1990

1980  Havenwood was purchased by Pacific Centre for Human Development 

1983  Pendray House was the victim of arson by two youths which gutted the main stairwell and part of the upstairs.  It was rebuilt over the following 3 years.

1988  Name changed to Pacific Centre Family Services Association.

1990  Dr. Larry Scyner was appointed as Executive Director, and remained with the Association until May 2001

1997  PCFSA workers were unionized for the first time

2003 PCFSA received full 3 year CARF accreditation in its first attempt.

2004 Bee Creek renovation began

2004 Launch of PCFSA website

2005  Staff and programs moved to Wale Road and Peatt Road sites

2006      PCFSA received 3 year CARF accreditation for the second time

2007 Havenwood sold to Corporate Hospitality Developments of Calgary

A History of

Pendray House