The Ontario Rural Woman Abuse Study (ORWAS), final report

4. FINDINGS: WOMAN ABUSE IN RURAL ONTARIO (continued)

4. FINDINGS: WOMAN ABUSE IN RURAL ONTARIO (continued)

4.7 Social Services

Range and Availability of Services

Some of the women interviewed did not know about the existence of services available in their area.  Others spoke of seeing pamphlets in doctors’ offices and day-care centres or parent resource centres.  The biggest deterrent to women making use of these services seemed to be lack of transportation.  Although shelters do provide transportation, women who need to access other services are at a disadvantage, according to service providers.

Social Assistance

Many of the women had to go on social assistance when they left their abusers.  Although they generally found that it was not hard to get on social assistance, they were all distressed by having to do so.  Many women spoke of the stigma attached to being ‘on welfare’ and the shame they felt.  One woman told of how a landlord was hesitant to rent to her when she mentioned welfare.  Several women said that the ‘start-up’ fund was extremely helpful in getting them back on their feet after they left their relationships.  In spite of their reluctance to apply for social assistance, many of the women said that the people were helpful and made the difficult task of requesting funds a little easier.

Children’s Aid

Calling the Children’s Aid Society for assistance when leaving their abuser was not an option for many of the women because they were afraid that their children would be taken away.  In fact, some women reported that this is what happened to them.  Other women had more positive experiences with the CAS, finding that they were supportive of the decision to leave.  There were mixed reviews concerning the ability of the CAS to protect children from abusive fathers.  Service providers discussed the proposed policy change which will encourage mothers to leave abusive situations because witnessing violence has now been identified as a form of child abuse.  Although the CAS has more power to force a woman to leave, other agencies do not follow this philosophy as it does not empower a woman to make decisions for herself.

“And I’ve talked to the Children’s Aid Society about the alcohol and drugs that they are allowed at their Dad’s and nothing got done.”  (Espanola survivor)

Community Services

With the exception of shelters, very few community services were mentioned.  In one community, there is a drop-in centre for women with children.  In another community, survivors spoke about group counselling sessions that were available at the local hospital.

“The counselling was great, wonderful.  As far as any other areas of social services, I found that the services were absolutely useless … there’s absolutely nothing out there for a single mother.”  (Cochrane survivor)

Role of Shelters

The shelter was identified as the place in their communities where all the women were guaranteed support and understanding.  The shelters provided referrals and assistance with accessing legal services, social assistance and housing.  They provided counselling and information about abuse, as well as advocacy and court support.  Although not all of the communities had a shelter, many of the women made use of a shelter in another community.  One community had the services of an outreach worker from the shelter.  These programs allow the shelters to continue to function as an important support system for women after they leave their abusers.  The shelter provided support to the women that they often did not receive anywhere else.

“The role they played was that they validated what I was already beginning to believe in my own head, that it was not just a rocky marriage, that it was definitely an abusive relationship.”  (Espanola survivor)

Information about Shelters

Many of the women survivors indicated that they were not aware of the existence of a shelter and/or had trouble finding the locations when they actively looked for the information.  Several women indicated that if they had known about the shelter, they would have left earlier.  Some women found out through the Parent Resource Centre or the community cable channel, while others said they came across it in the Yellow Pages.  Some community members were also unaware of the existence of a shelter in the area.

“I don’t even know if there is a shelter in town where you can go.  I have no idea.”  (Espanola community member)

Experience with Shelters

It was common for survivors to state that without the help of the local shelters, they did not know how they would have left their abusers.  Shelters were seen by the women as a safe place to share their feelings, to listen and be heard.  One community focus group also felt that the shelter was well regarded in the community, as evidenced by the gifts of volunteer time and donations of food and clothing.

Access to Shelters

Community residents and service providers expressed their concern that they have trouble getting women to go to the shelters because they are in another community.  In addition to the women’s reluctance to leave their community and their children’s school is the fact that few of them have cars or other transportation.  Outreach services were identified by many of the women, the service providers, and the community members as a necessary service for the women who would not or could not come to the shelter.  One community noted that unfortunately the shelter had to end its outreach program due to funding cuts.

Emergency / Crisis Response

Service providers discussed the fact that shelters provide toll-free numbers, as well as free transportation to and from the shelter, but that many women are unaware of these services.  Although the police provide crisis response, one community found that the volunteer fire department responds more quickly.  As stated before, the response of the police is not always helpful.

Lack of Options

Most women felt that there was a definite lack of options for abused women in a small town or rural area in terms of services available to them.

“And there’s no place to hide in Espanola.”  (Espanola survivor)

Accessing Services : Implications for Safety

The shelter was the only place identified in the community as a safe place for women to go if they were being abused.  Even then, some women felt they were still not completely safe, because in a small community, most people know where the shelter is.  If the shelter is too far away from their home, or if transportation isn’t readily available, most women will not make use of the shelter.

4.8 Medical, Health and Mental Health Services

4.8.1 Range and Availability of Services

Most communities reported having access to a medical clinic and a hospital.  Mental health services were less accessible.  Most of the communities reported having some counselling services, but northern communities are particularly disadvantaged in that they only had the services of a visiting psychiatrist.  Several women spoke of waiting lists for mental health services.  One survivor, who had moved from southern Ontario to northern Ontario, remarked on the vast difference in the availability of medical services between the south and the north.

“One of the biggest problems I see is easy access to psychological services.  The program [in place now] where there’s someone who comes into the community once a week always has a tremendous waiting list … We really do need services right in the community.”  (Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry community leader)

4.8.2 Medical and Mental Health Care Personnel

The responses of medical and mental health personnel were not viewed favourably by several of the women.  Reasons included lack of sensitivity, lack of understanding of the issueand little knowledge of resources.  One survivor told of how her doctor had prescribed medication ‘for her nerves’ which left her with an addiction.  There were one or two women who reported positive experiences with health care personnel.

4.8.3 Medical and Health Centres

Women noted here that even though services may be available in small towns, sometimes they are reluctant to make use of them because of the potential breaches in confidentiality mentioned previously in this report.  One woman reported that the counsellor she was referred to was a member of an organization that she was working for, and that the counsellor her husband was referred to held the mortgage on their home.  Anonymity is often a problem in rural areas:  persons working in the medical or social services are often well known to the abused woman and her family.

4.8.4 Mental Health Services

Mental health services were used by many of the women, but reports varied about the level of satisfaction with these services.  One problem raised by several of the service providers was that of mandate.  In recent years, the mandate of community mental health agencies has changed and clients who do not have a mental health disorder do not qualify for service.  Other service providers expressed their frustration with the lack of services in the community, which leads to long waiting lists.

Some women survivors also expressed their dissatisfaction with mental health services.

Others had positive experiences:

4.8.5 Emergency / Crisis Responses

Emergency response is most often the responsibility of the hospital, although in Vermilion Bay, the local doctor at the clinic handled crisis calls.  Most of the women, many service providers, community residents and community leaders spoke positively about the doctor in this community.  Several service providers raised inaccurate reporting of abuse as an issue.  This can occur when a woman complains of depression or anxiety but does not disclose abuse.  It can also occur when the hospital does not properly record the cause of the injuries.

“ … And kept in the hospital overnight and they don’t even put that title on it, they put something else on it and they put them in a room by themselves.”  (Grey-Bruce service provider)

4.9 Supportive and Enabling Factors for Women Living with Abuse

Based on the information gathered from the various ORWAS participants, the following list identifies many of the needs of women living with abuse in rural areas.