Family Violence Initiative
Projects funded by the Department of Justice Canada under the Family Violence
Initiative
(April 2003 - March 2004)
Title: Safety for Children Begins at Home: A National Initiative to Enhance
Police & Community Response to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
Applicant/Beneficiary : Centre for Children & Families in the
Justice System of the London Family Court Clinic
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the project is to develop an information manual
that will be a user friendly, Canadian resource for police officers. The manual
will provide information on domestic violence and its impacts on children,
and on special considerations for police officers responding to domestic violence
calls. It will also include a section that profiles promising practices across
Canada.
The project will provide a comprehensive framework for Canadian law enforcement
professionals responding to the needs of children exposed to domestic violence,
and serve to bring police officers together with other community partners involved
in coordinated responses to domestic violence.
Title: Domestic Violence Tracking Project Phase II
Applicant/Beneficiary : Saskatchewan Justice
DESCRIPTION: The aim of this project is to conduct an evaluation of policies
and procedures in police-reported domestic violence cases. Through an examination
and evaluation of current policies and procedures in domestic violence cases,
the project will provide both, information on current practices, as well as
recommendations for changes where necessary.
The results of the tracking survey will be used to improve policy, programs
and procedures in response to domestic violence. It will also be used to promote
new approaches to dealing with reported incidents of family violence.
Title: Shelters for Abused Women: Assessment and Effective Practices Project
Applicant/Beneficiary : YWCA Canada
DESCRIPTION: The YWCA of Canada will be carrying out the second phase of
a multi-year project (with lead by Status of Women Canada) that is critically
examining the delivery of programs and services in the YWCA of Canada shelter
system. The second phase of this project consists of an assessment of effective
practices in YWCA shelters and to produce a report that will clearly describe
these practices.
This project will identify services and programs in the Canadian shelter
system, which staff and volunteer identify as "effective practices". The resulting
information will contribute to developing policies and programs in-line with
the needs of women and children involved in family violence.
Title: Parent Abuse Research in Immigrant Communities
Applicant/Beneficiary: Saint Mary's University, Department of Sociology and
Criminology
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this project is to collect preliminary, experiential
data about the abuse of parents/ caregivers by their adolescent children in
immigrant communities in Nova Scotia. Without information and education, parents
are slow to identify the child's behaviour as abuse, they do not know about
available services, and are reluctant to access the services they are aware
of. This project will pilot test the protocols and methodology required to
develop a participatory action research strategy within marginalized communities
in Nova Scotia.
Through the development of culturally appropriate educational information
for parents and service providers, the project will result in increased community/
service provider capacity to respond to the needs of parents abused by their
teenagers.
Title: Trafficking in Women and Girls
Applicant/Beneficiary : Canadian Council for Refugees
DESCRIPTION: The project intended to collect existing information regarding
trafficking in women and girls, to create an informal network for information
sharing and to hold a one day national conference to bring together key players
in the area, with a view to review information, explore needs, analyze barriers,
review local situations and develop recommendations for follow-up.
The project results will be the development of recommendations for policies,
programs and measures to ensure the protection of trafficked persons, especially
women and girls. Ongoing linkages at the local and national levels between
different players will permit more effective responses to the needs of trafficked
women and children.
Title: Evaluation of Correctional Services Canada Family Violence Prevention
Programs
Applicant/Beneficiary : The British Columbia Institute Against Family Violence
(BCIFV)
DESCRIPTION: This interdepartmental partnership project intended to support
the evaluation of Correctional Services Canada's Moderate and High Intensity
Family Violence Prevention programs. The project consisted of 6 phases over
two years including; 1) analyses of offender feedback forms submitted following
the completion of treatment; 2) an analysis of pre- and post-treatment measures
routinely administered by the CSC programs; 3) follow-up interviews with a
sample the current partners of offenders who have completed the programs; 4)
follow-up interviews with a sample of parole officers supervising offenders
who have completed the programs; 5) a post-treatment follow-up analysis of
recidivism rates for those offenders released into the community; and 6) the
piloting of safety planning guidelines for use with potential victims.
The evaluation suggests that offenders are being appropriately assigned to
Moderate and High Intensity treatment and the intake and assignment process
for family violence perpetrators is working as intended. Results and recommendations
of the evaluation will help to improve prevention treatment programs for offenders
and improve safety-planning guidelines for victims.
Title: Elder Abuse – The Hurting Times
Applicant/Beneficiary : Senior Resources Centre of Newfoundland & Labrador
DESCRIPTION: The objective of the project is to promote awareness and knowledge
about elder abuse among health care professionals, older adults and the general
public and develop an innovative support program for victims of elder abuse
that is available in their community through their peers. This objective is
being achieved through the provision of information sessions on elder abuse
to interested peer advocates volunteers and other seniors in their communities,
as well as the development of a Speakers Bureau and working with the media.
The project supports the development and implementation of new cost-effective
approaches to service delivery for victims of elder abuse.
Title: National Forum on Family Violence
Applicant/Beneficiary : Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
DESCRIPTION: This national forum provided the police executives an opportunity
to better educate themselves on family violence issues and initiatives, to
explore approaches and profile good practices in the police and community response
to family violence, and to network with other police chiefs, professionals
and government agencies in relation to the issue.
The forum helped to increase the profile of this issue among leaders in the
policing community and provided them with the necessary tools (including information,
contacts, research and ideas) to effectively address the issue in the context
of their work.
Title: Family Law and Family Violence Tool Kits – Evaluation
Applicant/Beneficiary : Public Legal Education of Alberta (PLENA)
DESCRIPTION: This project built upon PLENA's original distribution of the
Family Law/Family Violence tool kit. Since the limited distribution last year
and the follow-up training for the service providers, requests for additional
tool kits have increased. This project supported the reprint of the Family
Violence information to be included in the toolkit and funded a follow-up evaluation
of the toolkit in 2003/2004.
The Family Law and Family Violence Tool Kit brochures and booklets provide
family violence service providers with the information, knowledge and capacity
to meet client needs and deliver services to Albertans. This results in better-informed
family violence service providers as well as better services to victims of
domestic violence in Alberta.
The objective of the evaluation is to gauge the relative utility and product
satisfaction associated with the tool kits. The evaluation will bring together
intermediaries to engage in a dialogue regarding the utility of the kit and
the associated information sessions and training forums.
Title: Conference - A Practioner's Guide to Intimate Partner abuse/femicide
Applicant/Beneficiary : Metro Interagency on Family Violence
DESCRIPTION: Intended to educate service providers, this conference in Atlantic
Canada presented a diagnostic tool for assessing the risk of intimate partner
femicide and offered safety planning guidance in conjunction with the risk.
This project provided enhanced access to, and community support for proven
family violence prevention, intervention and protection measures.
Title: Intermediary Training Guide Pilot Project
Applicant/Beneficiary: PLEA Saskatchewan
DESCRIPTION: This project supported the development and piloting of a Family
Violence Intermediary Training Guide. This Guide will provide persons working
with victims of family violence with information and resources related to domestic
abuse, such as accessing help in the community, accessing the criminal and
civil court systems, The Victims of Domestic Violence Act, as well as the
legal system as a whole. A corresponding workshop outline and promotional materials
were piloted in 2003/2004.
This project will contribute to increased capacity of intermediaries working
with victims of domestic abuse to respond to the legal information needs of
their clients. It will also help to enhance ability of victims of domestic
abuse to participate in the legal process by providing information regarding
court proceedings, extra-judicial measures and opportunities for their involvement
in the process.
Title : Colloque national "femmes francophones en situation minoritaire
solidaires dans la lutte à la violence faite aux femmes" (National Forum
on francophone women in minority situations)
Applicant/Beneficiary: La Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes
françaises (FNFCF)
DESCRIPTION: This national forum brought together both service providers
and key representatives from each province and territory to discuss issues
regarding domestic violence for francophone women in minority situations.
The forum contributed to a better understanding of the circumstances of francophone
women in minority situations in the provinces and territories and the development
of a national list of services available. Also, a national action plan was
developed to address the needs of francophone minority women in abusive situations.
The national plan of action should result in increased prevention of violence
against francophone women in minority situations.
Title: Nuluaq Project – Infopaper
Applicant/Beneficiary: Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association
DESCRIPTION: The Nuluaq project represents a national strategy for abuse
prevention in Inuit communities. The Family Violence Initiative funded the
creation and distribution of an Infopaper (written in plain language English
and Inuktitut) that will assist in the connecting of individuals and agencies
working to prevent abuse in Inuit communities.
The infopaper will provide a forum for sharing the experiences of those committed
to preventing abuse in Inuit communities and will seek to improve networking
in the field.
Title: Evaluation and Consultation of "Supporting Child Witnesses of Family
Violence" Manuals – Phase II
Applicant/Beneficiary: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
DESCRIPTION: This project consists of two phases: 1)To evaluate the existing
manuals through questionnaires to the volunteers and caseworkers who are utilizing
the materials, and 2) To conduct a focus group/consultation with 5 or 6 Aboriginal
experts to examine cultural sensitivity and relevance of the existing manuals.
This evaluation/consultation will result in the modification of the resource
manuals to make them a valuable tool for agency volunteers and caseworkers.
The review will maximize their effectiveness and make the manuals culturally
appropriate for use in off-reserve Aboriginal communities.
Title: Child Sexual Abuse: Protection, Investigation and Canada's Laws Phase
I & II
Applicant/Beneficiary : Canadian Red Cross
DESCRIPTION: This project consists of the development of an accessible and
comprehensive resource tool for Canadian professionals and paraprofessionals,
working with children or in relevant professions, entitled "Child Sexual Abuse:
Protection, Intervention and Canada's Laws".
The tool will enhance awareness, provide definitions and define impact, vulnerable
populations, disclosures, protection, intervention, investigation and Canada's
laws in relation to child sexual abuse.
Title: A National Network of support and capacity building for frontline
workers addressing partner violence against immigrant and visible minority
women
Applicant/Beneficiary : Canadian Council on Social Development
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the project is to develop a service/agency network
in order to help to link service providers; provide a way to share knowledge
with frontline workers thus enhancing their understanding of the nature and
causes of partner violence against immigrant and visible minority women; ensure
support for victims through access to relevant and appropriate services; coordinate
a more comprehensive response to victims; and, promote best practices.
A significant outcome of the network will be an outline of a national protocol
for service delivery. This document would ensure a sustainable, long-term solution
to many of the issues facing both frontline workers and the immigrant and visible
minority women they serve.
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