MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
Violence Against Women
Family Services Day
May 11, 2011
Purpose
To provide an overview of:
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Violence Against Women (VAW) programs, services and funding within the context
of MCSS
Factors that influence policy decision-making
Key achievements
Current VAW policy activities
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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2011 Ontario Budget
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On March 29, the Finance Minister delivered Ontario’s 2011 Budget.
The government committed its intention to eliminate Ontario’s deficit by 2018 while
making investments in education and healthcare.
Although our programs were not highly profiled, our ministry’s budget increased by
5.5% over last year ($506.3 million) to $9.8 billion, which is 7.9% of overall provincial
budget of $124.1 billion.
The budget increase is primarily for social assistance and developmental services:
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1% increase in social assistance (over $465 million)
$40 million increase for developmental services
• $15 million to support people who are living at home through Passport and Special
Services at Home
• $25 million for agencies to provide critical support and stabilize funding to hundreds of
people who are in need of urgent care
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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MCSS Budget - $9.8 Billion
The 2011-12 budget for MCSS is $9.8 billion. The following are the top six budget commitments:
Program
2011-12 Budget
($ Million)
Financial & Employment Supports
7662.8
Developmental Services
1695.9
Adults' Social Services
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includes VAW, interpreter and intervener services,
homelessness initiatives, domiciliary hostels and
Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy
281.1
Family Responsibility Office
50.3
Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
17.6
Ministry Administration
40.2
We provide over $141 million annually to VAW programs and services.
That is a 46% increase since 2003.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Ontario’s Strategic Fiscal Cycle
Q1 Q2
2010-11
2011-12
2009-10
2010-11
2008-09
2009-10
Apr | May | Jun
Jul | Aug | Sep
Jan | Feb | Mar
Oct | Nov | Dec
Q4 Q3
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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2010/11 VAW Interim Actual Expenditures
Counselling Services
($28.1M)
20%
Dedicated Supportive
Housing
Other VAW Initiatives*
($2.0M)
($2.2M)
Capacity Building
2%
2%
($1.7M)
1%
Domestic Violence
Community
Coordinating
Committees ($1.4M)
1%
Transitional and
Housing Support
Program ($14.4M)
10%
Repairs and
Maintenance
($2.3M)
2%
Emergency Shelter
Services ($81.1M)
56%
Early Intervention for
Child Witnesses of
Domestic Violence
($6.1M)
4%
Crisis Phone
Counselling ($2.6M)
2%
*Includes: Other Broader Public Sector Services i.e. Federal Non-profit Housing Program, OCHAP Rent Supplement,
Client Satisfaction Survey funding.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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MCSS Funded VAW Programs
Counselling
– $28.1M in 2010/11
– The funding to community-based counselling agencies helps women and their children
overcome the effects of abuse
– Approximately 60,000 women and 12,000 children served annually
Transitional and Housing Support Program (THSP)
– $14.3M in 2010/11
– This program helped over 20,700 abused women last year find and maintain housing and
connect with community supports such as counselling, legal services, job training and
parenting
– There are 127 transfer payment agencies delivering the program, including shelters,
counselling agencies, and second stage housing providers
Early Intervention Program for Child Witnesses of Woman Abuse
– $6.1M in 2010/11
– This program helps children recover from the effects of witnessing woman abuse and
helps abused women with parenting issues
– Approximately 130 support groups serving 3,000 women and 5,000 children
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Violence Against Women Programs
cont’d
Shelters
– $81.1M in 2010/11 for 97 emergency shelters for abused women
– More than 2000 shelter beds are available in communities across the province, serving
approximately 14,000 women and 10,000 children annually
Province-Wide Crisis Help lines
– $2.6M in 2010/11 provided annually to support telephone counselling services that provide
support, information and referrals
– This includes $1M to support the Assaulted Women’s Helpline that provides province-wide service
in English and multiple languages through a translation service and $1M to support the provincewide French line
– This also includes $0.5M to support the 97 local shelter crisis lines
– According to latest data available, approximately 92,500 calls are received annually
Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committees
– $1.4M in 2010/11
– DV3Cs are community-based committees that include representation from women’s service
agencies (e.g., shelters, counselling agencies, family services) and the justice, health and
education sectors
– Currently there are 44 DV3Cs unevenly distributed throughout the province. Most regions have
three to six committees, while south west region has ten and Toronto region has only one
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Key Achievements
In addition to funding enhancements, the ministry has led a number of policy initiatives in the
following areas:
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Enhancing VAW sector capacity
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Training of front-line VAW workers
Social Housing Provider Training
Funding collaboration forums
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Two French Language Services Forums
Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee Forum
CAS/VAW Collaboration Agreement Consultations
Child Witness Service Provider Forum
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Key Achievements cont.
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Enhancing the quality of service delivery
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Revised VAW Client Satisfaction Survey
VAW Policy Framework
Guidelines to VAW Shelter Policy and Procedure Development
VAW Shelter Survey
Improving VAW services to Aboriginal women
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Violence Against Aboriginal Women Training
Renewal of Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS)
Aboriginal Help Line for abused women living in northern and remote areas (under
development)
Providing funding to an Aboriginal Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Moving Forward - Key Influences
A number of internal and external reports have influenced VAW policy directions in the past and
will continue to do so as we move forward:
December 2004
Fall 2007
2008 and 2009
July 2009
April 2011
Domestic
Violence
Action Plan
Strategic
Framework to
End VAAW
Domestic Violence
Death Review
Committee Reports
Domestic
Violence Advisory
Council Report
Sexual Violence
Action Plan
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Domestic Violence Action Plan
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The Domestic Violence Action Plan (DVAP) was developed through a Ministerial Steering Committee
involving the following 13 ministries:
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Ministry of the Attorney General
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Ministry of Education
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Office of Francophone Affairs
Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (includes the Ontario Seniors Secretariat and the Ontario
Women’s Directorate)
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DVAP strategic direction and policy initiatives are determined largely through an inter-ministerial process
led by the Ontario Women’s Directorate.
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The DVAP has resulted in a comprehensive, balanced approach across ministries designed to better
protect women and children now and reduce domestic violence in the future.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Domestic Violence Action Plan Achievements
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Better community-based supports for victims, including:
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Earlier intervention for women and children at risk by:
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Engaging 200 communities through the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign, helping them recognize
the signs of abuse, how to help, and where to find services in the community
A stronger justice system response, including:
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Training 22,000 front-line professionals and service providers, like emergency room doctors and nurses, to
identify domestic violence and support victims
Setting new measures in the Occupational Health and Safety Act to address workplace violence, including
domestic violence and harassment
Public education campaigns that change attitudes and prevent violence from happening by:
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Increased MCSS funding by 48 per cent for programs to help victims of domestic violence
Access to health, legal and social services in 60 languages for nearly 6,000 women through our Language
Interpreter Services program
369 more shelter beds
A domestic violence court program in 54 Ontario court jurisdictions
Changes in family law to give women better access to restraining orders
More services for the francophone community, including:
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New francophone shelters in Toronto and Timmins
Enhancements to the French crisis line
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Response to Reports
The ministry has taken several steps to respond to recommendations contained in these reports
including, but not limited to:
Report Recommendation
Violence Against Aboriginal Women Strategic
Framework
To improve services to Aboriginal women who are
victims of violence.
Domestic Violence Death Review Reports
A need to increase collaboration between the
VAW and CAS sectors.
Ministry Response
Aboriginal specific DV3C
Aboriginal help line (in development)
Undertake a review of the existing CAS/VAW
Collaboration Agreements.
Domestic Violence Advisory Council Report
Maintain and enhance current investments in the
VAW system.
$0.85M annual increase to base funding for VAW
counselling agencies retroactive to April 1, 2009.
A need to break down government silos and
create a more interconnected and collaborative
approach across the VAW system.
$0.40M to enhance base funding of existing
DV3C’s and fund an additional five committees
beginning in 2009/10, to increase their capacity
and overall collaborative efforts across sectors to
improve the community response to domestic
violence.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Other Key Influences
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Government Platform
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Minister
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VAW leads have a direct relationship with VAW agencies which includes service contract management
MCSS meets with the VAW regional leads on a monthly basis to gather input on all corporate policy initiatives with a
focus on strategic operational planning and implementation
VAW leads participate on all corporate led working groups
VAW Stakeholders
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As policy analysts it is our job to present ministry senior management and the Minister with informed policy advice
and implement the policy based on Minister’s direction
VAW Regional Office Leads
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The government platform sets the agenda for the four year mandate of the government
Where possible, MCSS consults directly with representatives from the VAW sector to gather input on our ministry
initiatives
CDSB welcomes the opportunity to meet with stakeholders to learn more about the issues/challenges and successes
experienced in the field
Involvement of regional offices and our stakeholders is integral to the success of VAW initiatives.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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Current Key VAW Activities
The ministry is currently focusing on the following priorities:
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Aboriginal Women’s Helpline Project in the North
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Review of the CAS/VAW Collaboration Agreements
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Renewal of Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy
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VAW Provincial Strategic Plan
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Mental Health and Addictions
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Participation on the Sexual Violence Action Plan Interministerial Working Group (led
by the Ontario Women’s Directorate)
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch
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