Family Violence Initiative

Projects funded by the Department of Justice Canada under the Family Violence Initiative (April 2008 - March 2009)

Title: Family Violence Information Package Project

Applicant/Beneficiary: Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland

DESCRIPTION: This project started in 2007 and involved travelling across Newfoundland and Labrador to hold focus groups with victims of domestic violence, seniors, youth, Aboriginals, persons with disabilities, service providers and persons who speak English as a second language. The outcomes of these consultations provided insight into the type of information needed for those experiencing family violence, as well as the best format to provide this information. The project concluded in 2008.

Title: Beyond Shelter Walls: System Change, Best Practices and Policy Initiatives to Address Violence Against Women in Canada

Applicant/Beneficiary: YWCA Canada

DESCRIPTION: This project was phase III of a multi-year project called "Turning Points". Phase I included an environmental scan of YWCA shelter services for women leaving violent situations and examined emergency shelter services for women in Canada overall. Phase II resulted in a report entitled Effective Practices in Sheltering Women Leaving Violence in Intimate Relationships, which was completed in 2006, and recommended that all levels of government go "beyond shelter walls" and provide increased funding and services for women leaving abusive relationships. The third phase of the project involved conducting focus groups, regional consultations and cross-sectoral collaboration and developing a national policy paper focused on reducing violence against women in Canada in areas including criminal justice and policing, legal, housing, income support, employment training, immigration, health and social services. The project concluded in December 2009.

Title: Domestic Violence Urgent Response

Applicant/Beneficiary: Family Service Regina Inc.

DESCRIPTION: As part of its Domestic Violence Programs, the organization continued to work with the Regina Police Service, Regina Probation Services, and the Crown Prosecutor’s Office to develop a tailored and immediate intervention for victims of domestic violence and abusers in extremely high-risk relationships. This involves developing an individualized intervention plan for each victim as part of a collaborative community response to facilitate and assist in the gathering of evidence from victims. The project is co-funded by the Policy Centre for Victim Issues and the Family Violence Initiative of the Department. The project concluded in February 2010.

Title: Updating, Revising, and Printing Family Violence Materials

Applicant/Beneficiary: Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick

DESCRIPTION: The Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick researched, updated, revised and printed family violence materials in English and French. The objective was to assist abused women going through the criminal justice process, share information about abuse with young couples who are preparing to get married, and assist women in ending abuse in their relationships. The project concluded in June 2008.

Title: Sharing Lessons Learned from the Muslim Family Safety Project

Applicant/Beneficiary: Changing Ways

DESCRIPTION: The project involved developing a culturally sensitive resource guide for organizations and service providers in Canada to reach out to minority groups in efforts to reduce rates of family violence. The report, Guidelines for Service Providers: Outreach Strategies for Family Violence Intervention with Immigrant and Minority Communities builds on the success of the Muslim Family Safety Project (MSFP) in London, Ontario, identifies outreach strategies for mainstream service agencies to promote increased cultural community engagement and leadership to address family violence.

Title: Recognizing and Responding to Family Violence

Applicant/Beneficiary: Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan

DESCRIPTION: The project developed relevant information for victims of family violence on how to safely get out of a violent relationship; developed supporting resources for people encountering victims of family violence; and provided youth with information about dating violence and respectful relationships. The project was co-funded between the Department’s Family Violence Initiative and the Victims Fund. The project concluded in March 2009.

Title: Family Violence Issues – How to Reach Minority Communities

Applicant/Beneficiary: Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia

DESCRIPTION: This needs assessment focused on identifying effective delivery methods that use non-traditional methods for communicating with new immigrants and Mi’kmaw about legal issues relating to family violence. The project concluded in June 2009.

Title: Family Violence Publications –Reprint and Distribution 

Applicant/Beneficiary: Public Legal Information Association of Nova Scotia

DESCRIPTION: This project reviewed, updated, reprinted and distributed existing publications in the area of family violence that had gone out of print. The project concluded in March 2009.