2-1-1 Woman Abuse Protocol for PEI Social Assistance Workers

Section A: Purpose, Role and Values

The Purpose of this protocol is to, through service delivery as it relates to Financial Assistance:

* encourage safe and appropriate responses to women; and
* encourage disclosure and intervention at the earliest point.

The Role of Financial Assistance workers as it relates to woman abuse is to:

* provide emergency financial assistance to women leaving abusive situations;
* provide women with accurate information about eligibility for assistance;
* assist women in obtaining appropriate ongoing assistance; and
* make referrals to appropriate resources.


The Values that guide this protocol are:

1) Respect: In order to assist our clients we must show respect for them. Respect builds confidence and nurtures empowerment. It is important to have non-judgmental attitudes and recognize women as equals.

2) Listening: We can better meet the needs of clients if we pause to hear what those needs are.

3) Empowerment: We empower women by encouraging them to make their own decisions. Support her to make her own decisions by ensuring that she has the information she needs and the knowledge that there are resources available to her. She has the answers - believe in her and help her to identify her own strengths by giving information rather than advice.



B1. The Stages of Responding to Abuse

**There are potentially three stages in responding to abuse situations:

1) The first is the Emergency Response stage, at which point the worker will focus on the safety of the woman and her children.

2) The second is the Crisis Response stage, during which the Worker will focus on assisting the woman to access necessities.

3) The third is the On-Going Response, which begins when the safety and necessity issues have been dealt with and the time has come to begin planning for the future.

** See Appendix A for the “Responding to Abuse Situation” flowchart.

The Emergency Response is outlined in detail in sections B2 “Receptionist’s Response,” B3, “Intake Worker’s Response,” B4, “Financial Worker’s Response” and C1 “Emergency Response.” The Crisis and On-Going Responses are outlined in more detail in Section C, “Designated Worker’s Response.”

It is important to work together with the woman to carefully assess her situation before moving to the next stage. Some of the procedures followed for clients, in non-abuse situations, can jeopardize the woman’s safety.

While each Financial Assistance office will have a Designated Worker to work with women in or leaving abusive relationships, there are several points in her contact with Financial Assistance that a woman may disclose abuse. She may call looking for information to help her make her decision about whether to leave. She may call in an emergency situation or in the process of leaving. She may not disclose abuse to the receptionist but may wait until she is in a private space with the intake worker. Or, she may already be a client and choose to disclose the abuse to her financial worker when she begins thinking about leaving. It is important that all those who work within Financial Assistance be prepared to assist a woman who is in an abusive relationship and to acknowledge her situation with belief and an attitude of “I’m here to help” as opposed to “Prove to me that you need help.” See Appendix A for “Responding to Abuse Situations Flowchart.”

There are also times when encouraging the woman to disclose abuse is important. This screening should be done by the Intake Worker or by Financial Workers who suspect that a current client is experiencing abuse.

Following are the responses for each point of contact within Financial Assistance:


B2. Receptionist’s Response
If a woman identifies herself as being in an abusive relationship when she calls in, the Receptionist will use the following Emergency Response:

Emergency Response for Receptionists

Step 1 Ask the Questions:



* Are you safe now?
* Do you have a safe place to go to?
* Do you need transportation to a safe place?
* Do you need medical or police assistance?

Step 2 Explore whether the client has the means to leave and will offer to provide the means to assist the client and family to remove themselves from risk.



Step 3 Explore whether the woman would like any emergency services contacted.



Step 4 Make a referral to the Family Violence Outreach Worker.



Step 5 Refer the woman immediately to the Designated Worker.





See Appendix B for “Receptionist’s Response Flowchart.”



B3. Intake Worker’s Response
If a woman identifies herself as being in an abusive relationship at intake, the Intake Worker will use the following Emergency Response:

Emergency Response for Intake Workers:

Step 1 Ask the Questions:

* Are you safe now?
* Do you have a safe place to go to?
* Do you need transportation to a safe place?
* Do you need medical or police assistance?

Step 2 Explore whether the client has the means to leave and will offer to provide the means to assist the client and family to remove themselves from risk.

Step 3 Explore whether the woman would like any emergency services contacted.

Step 4 Make a referral to the Family Violence Outreach Worker.

Step 5 Refer the woman immediately to the Designated Worker.



If the woman does not disclose abuse during the intake process, the Intake Worker will ask:

“Are there any other services that may be helpful to you that I can refer you to, for instance, the Family Resource Center, Family Violence Outreach, Community Legal Information Association, etc.?”

If by answering the above question, the woman in some way identifies herself as being in an abusive relationship, the Intake Worker will follow the steps outlined above.



See Appendix C for “Intake Worker’s Response Flowchart.”





B4. Financial Workers

When Financial Workers find that within their caseload, they are dealing with a woman in an abusive relationship, they will use the following Emergency Response:





Emergency Response for Financial Workers





Step 1 Ask the Questions:

* Are you safe now?
* Do you have a safe place to go to?
* Do you need transportation to a safe place?
* Do you need medical or police assistance?

Step 2 Explore whether the client has the means to leave and will offer to provide the means to assist the client and family to remove themselves from risk.

Step 3 Explore whether the woman would like any emergency services contacted.

Step 4 Make a referral to the Family Violence Outreach Worker.

Step 5 Discuss with the Supervisor and the woman whether she will be referred to the Designated Worker.



If the woman is to be referred to the Designated Worker, the current Financial Worker will assist in making the transition easier by providing introductions and perhaps remaining with the woman for the first meeting with the Designated Worker.

If the woman is to remain with the current Financial Worker, the Financial Worker will follow the Crisis Response and On-Going Response guidelines outlined in Section C and will consult regularly with the Designated Worker. See Appendix D for “Financial Worker’s Response Flowchart.”

Section C: The Designated Worker’s Response to Abuse Situations



In order to reduce risk to women and children’s safety and to support women in the crucial moment of deciding to leave, it is the goal of the Designated Worker to respond to the woman within 24 hours (excluding weekends).



C1. Emergency Response
After receiving a referral, the Designated Worker will use the following response:





Emergency Response

Step 1 Determine whether there are immediate safety issues by again asking the questions:

* Are you safe now?
* Do you have a safe place to go to?
* Do you need transportation to a safe place?
* Do you need medical or police assistance?

Step 2 Explore whether the client has the means to leave and offer to provide the means to assist the client and family to remove themselves from risk.

Step 3 Explore whether the woman would like you to contact any emergency services, such as the police, an ambulance or Anderson House.

Step 4 Make a referral to the Family Violence Outreach Worker, if the first contact Worker hasn’t done so.

See Appendix E for “Designated Worker’s Response Flowchart.”



C2. Crisis Response



Once the emergency situation has passed, the Designated Worker will proceed with the following
response:


Crisis Response
Once safety issues have been addressed, the Designated Worker will focus on assisting the woman and her children to access necessities.


C2(a) The First Appointment
It is crucial that this first appointment with the woman is respectful, encouraging, and empowering, and involves excellent listening skills. During that first meeting/contact, the Worker should:



* Find a private space where you won’t be interrupted
* Book out enough time
* Forward your phone
* Before the meeting, take care of anything that would require you to take breaks from the meeting so that you’re not distracted.
* Pay attention to subtle things that might infer a power over approach, for example, try to find a space with round tables, let women choose their own seats
* Discuss confidentiality
* Be sensitive to cultural issues. If the client’s first language is not English, it is important to ask “Are you comfortable speaking English?”. If the answer is no, offer to provide services in her language or, if this is not possible, ask her if she would like to bring someone with her to the meetings. Do not use the abuser as the interpreter.
* Be sensitive to literacy issues. Ensure that the woman understands the information being presented or suggest that she bring the information home and think about it, if it is safe for her to do so
* Ask the woman what her needs or goals are for this interview by asking “What needs to happen at the end of the interview?” and “Do you need assistance right away?”, and “ are you simply exploring your options?”
* Check on safety of children involved and discuss your obligation to report to Child Protection if you have a reasonable belief that child abuse is occurring. Encourage her to speak to Child Protection herself or offer to connect with them or other supportive agencies on her behalf
* Remember to slow down and just listen - take the focus off paperwork and deadlines if necessary.
* Refer her to other services as necessary.


C2(b)Confidentiality
Women leaving abusive relationships require respectful confidentiality, a breach of which can endanger her safety. There are a number of things that Financial Assistance Workers can do to ensure confidentiality:



* The sharing of information within the office, between regions or with other services providers about clients will be strictly on a need to know basis and serious thought will be given in each situation about how much referral agencies and other Financial Assistance Workers need to know
* Have access to private space and close your door when you meet with women in or leaving an abusive relationship
* Explain how information is shared in the office and with outside agencies and ask her if it is safe to do so
* Establish an office policy that there is no interruptions except in cases of emergency
* Be sensitive about the location of the Financial Assistance Office - is it obvious to observers where she is going?
* Don’t leave telephone messages at your client’s home identifying yourself as a Financial Assistance Worker
* Block your telephone calls so that your number doesn’t show up on caller ID

C2(c) Contacting Your Client

If it is necessary to contact your client, find out conditions under which it is safe to do so.



Some women have only specific times when they can call and talk safely. Ask whether it is safe to call back or whether the woman prefers to contact you at a specific time. Whenever contacting a woman in an abusive relationship it is helpful to ask, “Is it safe for you to talk?”.

Keep in mind that it may be dangerous to leave a message on an answering machine or to allow the office number to appear on the woman’s call display. Do not leave messages with a partner or children unless the woman has specifically indicated it is safe to do so. An unexpected call or message has often triggered a further assault.



C2(d) When a Woman is Calling for Information Only
A woman may call Financial Assistance for information as part of her planning process, even though she is not yet ready to leave or to make formal application for assistance. In this case, provide any basic information she requires such as an estimate of the amount she could receive, how other expenses such as moving or first and last months rent could be covered, the timing of obtaining assistance, etc.

When a woman is still in the home and is in the planning process for leaving, an application can be completed prior to securing a new address for herself and her children. Once she has found an address, the application can be processed immediately.

At this point, check whether the woman is aware of other support services such as shelters, counseling services, and phone numbers, stressing that support is available and that there may be important issues such as obtaining interim custody of the children that may also need to be addressed. The worker will be prepared to provide printed resources appropriate to the region, including contact information, if the woman is interested.



C2(e) When the Woman Needs to Leave Immediately
If it is a situation where the woman needs to leave immediately, then determine if the woman has a need for the resources to remove herself from risk and arrange for payment for transportation to Anderson House if necessary.

Book an appointment at the woman’s earliest convenience at a location of the woman’s choice. The woman could be seen at the office, a coffee shop, at a friend’s or relative’s home, at the shelter, at the hospital, etc. During that appointment, complete a full application with the woman.

Verification and identification will not be required at that point in an emergency situation if the woman has had to leave without identification and records.

Women who have left abusive relationships will not be placed in the situation where she is forced to contact her abusive partner for information. Although there may be financial assets in the relationship, a part of the abuse may be financial abuse in which the partner controls resources and denies her access to money or to information about financial status.

Respond to women in a positive and respectful way which supports the decision to ensure her safety by leaving an abusive partner. Any need to deal with child or spousal support can be delayed until a more appropriate time. It is inappropriate to ask the woman to press her abusive spouse for support in a crisis situation. If the woman feels that taking action on support will place her at further risk, the need to deal with support will be delayed. (For further information, refer to Section C2(h) “Child and Spousal Support and Division of Assets”).

C2(f) If the Woman is Going to Stay with Family Members or Friends
At all times, extended family support in the form of housing/shelter is explored as an option for a place to go. If this is an option, discuss with the woman what assistance she is eligible for.

C2(g) Establishing a New Residence
Inform the woman of the Priority Placement Policy which places women leaving abusive relationships at the top of the priority list for Family Housing (see Appendix F).

If the woman wants to move out and has found her own temporary or permanent accommodation, immediate assistance will be provided based on need.

If the woman is creating a safety plan for leaving, she may need to find the accommodation and secure it with a deposit before leaving her partner. It is the worker’s responsibility to determine the client’s needs; to gain an understanding of her requirements with respect to rent or utility deposits and special needs. It is important to be aware of resources in the community that the woman can access for some of these needs.

In no circumstances will it be suggested that a woman return to an abusive partner as a
solution to financial difficulties.

C2(h) Child and Spousal Support and Division of Assets
The abusive partner will not be approached regarding support without discussion with the woman
since this can create a specific risk to her safety. Her opinion will be respected if she indicates that
proceeding with support will endanger her and create a risk to her safety and/or the safety of her children. (For more information see C3(a))

C2(i) Relocating Outside the Region
If the woman feels that her situation is dangerous and that she needs to relocate outside the region to ensure her safety, the designated worker will work with the Supervisor to develop a case plan to help the woman relocate.

C2(j)When the Woman Stays With Her Partner
The Financial Worker must respect that it is the woman’s decision whether to leave her situation and can only assist by ensuring that she is aware of resources to support her choice to leave. It is important to never advise the woman to leave but to simply let her know that whatever her choice, there is support for her. It is important to let her know, however, that Child Protection may be contacted. If that need arises, support her to contact them herself.

Like anyone working with abused women, Financial Assistance workers may find themselves dealing with the fear and ambivalence that a woman faces in leaving an abusive partner. There may be times when a plan is developed and implemented and the woman then returns to the abusive partner. The worker will recognize that if this happens, it is usually in response to escalated abuse, harassment, or fear on the part of the woman and is an understandable response to what she is facing. Don’t give up on her - let her know that she can always come back to see you.

When the woman is not yet ready to leave her partner and the couple or family is on assistance, she may ask to have the income support cheque issued in her name, particularly when her partner is financially controlling and denies her access to the finances. If she’s not an existing client, complete the application with her as the head of the household and issue the cheque in her name.

If the cheque is already being issued in her partner’s name, this can be changed by assigning the cheque to the spouse rather than to her partner. Another option if the family is on assistance is to arrange to pay rent directly to the landlord if the woman would find this helpful.

If any of the above options are being requested, safety issues need to be discussed with the woman since her partner could be angered by the change, placing her at further risk. Once again, the woman is the best expert on safety in her own situation but the issue will be raised to ensure she has considered this factor.

C2(k)Other Financial Assistance Policies
It is important to let women know about policies that may impact on them including:

* Policy 5-1 about matrimonial homes;
* Policy 7-3 regarding appeals;
* other.



C3. On-Going Response
Once issues of safety and necessity have been addressed, the Designated Worker will assist the woman to begin planning for the future. It is important to work together with the woman to carefully assess her situation before moving to the next stage as some of the procedures followed for clients in non-abuse situations can jeopardize the woman’s safety.

C3(a) Child and Spousal Support and Division of Assets
Once issues of safety and necessities have been dealt with, planning for future can begin. Refer the woman to the Family Support Orders Program. The woman and a lawyer from the Family Support Orders Program will discuss issues of safety and risk and make a decision about proceeding with seeking custody or support.

It is important that the Worker inform the woman that once support is settled by the courts, any monthly support amount will be considered income and deducted from any assistance she receives. As well, it is important to let the woman know the impact of other possible outcomes of seeking support or a division of assets, including how a lump sum payment or possession of the matrimonial home will impact on her assistance.



C3(b) Education and Retraining
Addressing immediate safety and survival issues is the first priority with women in or leaving abusive relationships. However, eventually the woman may want to explore options for employment, retraining or furthering her education so that she is not permanently disadvantaged by her circumstances. When the worker and the woman determine that she is ready and able, the worker will refer her to the Employment Counselor, explaining the Counselor function and approach. The Counselor and the woman will further assess her readiness for education and retraining.

Please note: Women experiencing domestic violence may not be in a position at time of initial contact to deal with employment and/or employment related issues. Therefore, the initial contact and follow up will concentrate on issues related to the violence and ways to alleviate the crisis.





Section D: Resources
It is important to encourage a woman to disclose abuse so that she becomes aware as soon as possible of the supports that are available to her. Putting posters, cards and pamphlets about woman abuse in the waiting rooms and in the women’s washrooms will send the message that it is safe to disclose the abuse in this office. Worker’s should be aware of services for women in abusive relationships available in the worker’s area and have written material readily available to give to women who feel safe in taking it. See a list of Emergency Services at Appendix G
Important: Workers should not recommend joint marital counseling by any persons or agencies as couple counseling can potentially increase the danger to the woman and reduce the extent to which the male partner is held accountable for his use of power, control and violence.



Section E: Training for Financial Workers
It is important to their own safety that Receptionists, Intake Workers, Financial Workers and Designated Workers have training which provides an awareness of dynamics and stresses of family violence. Included in the training will be skills-building in the area of communication and listening skills, regular training in dealing with woman abuse situations with an emphasis on the protocol and interview practices.

This training is mandatory for all staff and will be included in the Orientation and Development of new staff. Survivors of violence will be included in the training as presenters and/or trainers. Designated Workers will receive specialized training in woman abuse.



Section H: Worker Safety
Workers will be conscious of the need to attend to their own safety as well as that of the woman and any children involved. If there is any chance of an abusive partner coming to the home, the worker will explore other places to meet. If the partner calls requesting information about the woman, the worker can state that all information is confidential and s/he has no right to disclose whether the person the partner is inquiring about is even a client. Arranging to debrief with another worker after the interview will be important for workers to ensure that they don’t carry the emotions into their next interview or meeting.

Section I: Protocol Evaluation
The Protocol and the practical applications of it will be evaluated regularly to ensure that the purpose of the Protocol is being met and that the work being done is making a difference for women. Survivors of violence will be an integral part of the evaluation process.