Component: Violence Against Women

Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) Act

Service objectives

  • To provide transitional and housing supports and services for women and their dependents, who have experienced abuse, to help them connect with community supports and find and maintain housing
  • To support the development of a transitional support plan and a safety plan for women and their dependents, who have experienced abuse, based on the principles of person- centered planning, self-determination and choice, and that services provided are reflective of these plans
  • To assist and advocate for women and their dependents regarding their health, safety and well-being
  • To strengthen connections to safe and affordable housing supports and additional services, as needed
  • To assist women in healing from violence as well as supporting their dependents to heal from the effects of witnessing violence

Service description

Eligibility

  • Services are for women and those who identify as women, aged 16 or older, who identify themselves as having been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused by their partners, significant others (could include caregiver or another immediate family/household member)
  • Women may be currently receiving services from an emergency shelter or women's/ family counselling program. Intake is not limited to these referral sources and should include/be accessible to all who are eligible

Individual transition plan and goal setting

  • Services include the development of a transition plan for women
  • The plan should identify the short-term and long-term goals that a woman would like to achieve and the steps they will need to take to achieve these goals. Goals may include, but are not limited to
    • Securing legal assistance; Finding and maintaining housing Applying for social housing Securing financial assistance
    • Connecting with counselling and other support services; and
    • Connecting with community resources (e.g., schools, legal, immigration)
  • The plan will be based on the principles of person-centered planning, self- determination and choice

Individual safety planning and goal setting

  • Services include risk assessment and the development of safety strategies or plans for women and their dependents
  • A safety plan identifies the steps a woman and their children can take to increase their safety and helps to prepare them for the possibility of further violence. It should include, but not be limited to
  • Emergency escape plans for various situations (e.g., going to court, workplace, home); list of emergency and resource numbers; and
  • A list of items to be stored in a safe place (e.g., ID, clothes, etc.)
  • Safety plans reflect the woman’s immediate personal circumstances, needs and choices. The plan will be comprehensive, concrete, include safety strategies and referrals to appropriate services for women who reside in the community

Specific services included

  • Developing transition and safety plans
  • Referrals and advocacy in the following areas
    • Housing
    • Long term counselling
    • Parenting support
    • Educational upgrades
    • Job training
    • Applying for income support
    • Immigration process
    • Cultural interpretation
    • Legal process, including legal aid, court attendance and custody
    • Health and wellness services
  • Providing necessary community supports including:
    • Applying for income support
    • Group supports for women in transition including job training
    • Immigration process including applications
    • Cultural interpretation; and
    • Legal process, including legal aid, court attendance and custody

Services excluded

  • The VAW Transition and Housing Support detail code excludes referrals and linkages provided as part of other services, such as emergency shelters, counselling, crisis phone counselling and child witness program services

Program/service features

Program goals

  • Increase the safety of women and their dependents
  • Assist both women and their dependents by providing strength-based supports to maximize their capacity to live free of violence
  • Assist caregivers in supporting their dependents to heal from the effects of witnessing violence
  • Assist and advocate for women and their dependents regarding their health, safety and well-being

Ministry expectations

  • The type of support will be flexible and based on an individual transition plan which has both short and long-term goals
  • TPRs will work collaboratively with the Social Housing Co-ordinated Access Centres to co-ordinate housing supports available to women who have experienced abuse, as per the following existing local cross-sectoral referral agreements requirements:
    • All THSP providers are expected to have a referral agreement in place with their local Social Housing Co-ordinated Access Centre(s)
    • Each referral agreement should outline how the THSP and social housing providers will work together when
      • A tenant identifies a need for violence against women support services
      • A survivor of domestic violence is placed under the special priority policy
      • A survivor of domestic violence is at risk of eviction
      • A transitional and housing support worker refers a client to an Access Centre; and
      • Additional intersection points can be developed, as necessary
    • The development of the local referral agreements will adhere to the principles outlined in the program guidelines for the Transitional and Housing Support Program (distributed October 2004 or as updated); The referral agreement will include a conflict resolution process for the development and implementation of the agreement. The conflict resolution process should address disputes that may arise during the development, implementation and administration of the local referral agreement; and
    • TPRs participating in local referral agreements are encouraged to include other parties into the existing referral agreements, as appropriate (e.g., emergency homeless shelters, VAW emergency shelter supports, rent banks, etc.)

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service Data Name Definition

# of Referrals to a More Appropriate Service: Transitional and Housing Supports

This data element includes requests for Transitional and Housing Support services that were referred elsewhere because they required a more appropriate service at the same agency or at another agency. This may include a referral to a specific culturally responsive service, a service in another language, or any other service or provider that meets the individual’s needs (e.g., connecting with community resources).  The same person may be counted more than once if they requested service at different points in the fiscal year. Reporting is based on the initial response that takes place following the request for service. Dependents are not counted in this data element.

# of Women Served: Transitional and Housing Supports

Unique or unduplicated count of all individuals who identify as women who received   Transitional and Housing Support services in the reporting year. A woman is counted only once per reporting period. The count represents an active client roster for the year. If the client carries into the next fiscal year, the client is counted again in the new reporting period. Dependents are not counted in this data element.

# of Indigenous Women Served: Transitional and Housing Supports

Unique, or unduplicated, count of all individuals who identify as women and self-declared as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit descent. who received Transitional and Housing Support services in the reporting year. Dependents are not counted in this data element.

# of Referrals Elsewhere Due to Capacity or Placed on Waitlist: Transitional and Housing Supports

This data element includes requests for Transitional and Housing Support services that were: Referred elsewhere because the service was at capacity (e.g., staff have full caseloads and cannot take new clients); or Placed on a waitlist. The same person may be counted more than once if they requested service at different points in the fiscal year. Reporting is based on the initial response that takes place following the request for service. For example, if a woman requests service and is placed on the waitlist and receives the service within the same reporting period, her request for service should still be reported once in this data element. Dependents are not counted in this data element.

Transitional and Housing Supports: Ministry- funded Agency Expenditures

Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver this program in the reporting year (cumulative).