"Creating a Framework for the Wisdom of the Community:" Review of Victim Services in Nunavut, Northwest and Yukon Territories
4.0 Yukon Territory (cont'd)
4.3 Services Available in Yukon Communities (cont'd)
4.3.3 Successes in Victim Service Delivery
Respondents noted a number of successes in victim services delivery. Specifically noted were the number of comprehensive services for victims in YT, increased community awareness, an increase in effective justice interventions, an increase in traditional healing opportunities, more effective trauma treatment, and increasingly successful working partnerships. Each of these is briefly discussed here, beginning first, with respondents’ direct comments.
Comprehensive Services for Victims
"I’ve been doing this for 12 years and with every government there has been support for community-based treatment for sexual abuse and spousal abuse treatment … there’s nowhere else in the country where that has existed … Ontario slashed domestic violence programs across the board and more recently in B.C. … thankfully we haven’t had to experience that … the public doesn’t see that all the time, particularly when the perception in the media is that service provision is minimal.
"The full continuum of services are case managed so our safety plans for victims are better … it strengthens the support for victims to offer consistent service.
"We think in a community development way about crime prevention … that vision pushes us to reach out … we try to find the best way to help out the community to do what they need to do to be healthy.
"Information and services available to people is much more available and focused.
"We’ve had a lot of success with some victims coming forward on sexual assault matters … they’ve achieved a real sense of empowerment, especially if there’s a conviction … they’re able to go on with their lives.
"They let us into the schools and its been a success … a lot of youth come to see us at our weekly lunch … we ran successful conflict resolution circles … the clients we helped in the court system successfully completed their diversion and are doing well.
Most respondents, as evidenced above, feel that the Yukon has developed a very professional and comprehensive continuum of victim-centred programs. There are still gaps in services and challenges, as noted in the next section, but in general there is a sense that a very solid foundation of services now exists.
In particular, respondents noted the effectiveness of the following services:
- the Crime Prevention Victim Services Trust Fund, Yukon Justice;
- the Family Violence Prevention Unit (FVPU) Victim Services and Offender Programs, Yukon Justice;
- the Child Abuse Treatment Services, Yukon Health and Social Services;
- the Adolescent Sex Offender Treatment Program, Yukon Health and Social Services;
- Kaushee’s Place Transition Home;
- the Peer Support Network, Bringing Youth Towards Equality and Youth Shaping the Future Council; and
- the Healthy Families and Community Wellness Programs, Yukon Health and Social Services.
Respondents stated that these, and other services are increasingly adept at therapeutic intervention, service delivery, case management and inter-agency cooperation. Public awareness and support of these services is also relatively high due to ongoing information campaigns and consistent professional service over many years. Several respondents noted that the focused outreach programs of these agencies have successfully engaged previously ‘hidden’ and unreachable victims of crime.
Also notable is the high number of specialized victim services. The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yukon offers comprehensive programming for adult women with FAS many of whom are chronically victimized or drawn into criminal behaviour. There are several programs targeting youth victims, namely, Youth Victim Services, Family Violence Prevention Unit, Yukon Justice; Child Abuse Treatment Services, Yukon Health and Social Services; Bringing Youth Towards Equality and Youth Shaping the Future Council; Residential Treatment Programs, Yukon Health and Social Services; Youth Sex Offender Treatment Program, Yukon Health and Social Services; Skookum Jim Friendship Centre Youth Diversion Program; and youth programs at the Alcohol and Drug Secretariat, Yukon Health and Social Services. There are a number of programs focused on First Nation residential school survivors. These are the Committee on Abuse in Residential Schools, Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society, and Kwanlin Dun First Nation Community Social Justice Project. There are also five shelters for abused women and children throughout the Yukon.[140]
In addition, many Yukon First Nations periodically offer family camps and other traditional healing activities for their members. First Nations are also active participants in Community Justice Committees and community-based restorative justice initiatives.
Increased Community Awareness
"We had to go into our fourth printing of ‘Options, Choices and Changes’ (a guide for abused women) … we’ve printed and distributed about 8,000 copies of this guide."
"The ‘Family Violence Resource Directory’ is updated every two years and is widely distributed and widely used."
"Public education has lead to a higher awareness in young people."
Virtually all respondents pointed to an increased level of community awareness, throughout Yukon, of family violence, child abuse and sexual assault issues. Publications dealing with these issues are widely distributed and read. Respondents say that community gatherings, community justice initiatives, and comprehensive and universal services to victimized people are impacting all segments of Yukon society.
Effective Justice Interventions
"There can be as many as 20 Emergency Intervention Orders per month under the Family Violence Prevention Act.
"The Domestic Violence Treatment Option Court engages more victims and the process keeps them safer while the offender is in treatment and going to court regularly.
"Restorative justice is working here … the elderly women in our circle make the offenders accountable for what they did … regular court is easy for them by comparison.
"We have seen reconciliation between victims and offenders.
"The courts are more knowledgeable on victims and family violence.
"The Victim Impact Statement is a medicine wheel: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual … the victim needs a lot of support to fill it out … one victim told me ‘every time I pick it up I cry’ … so we got together four women and it took four sessions with all of us to walk through the VIS … you start realizing its like a new beginning … the judge said it was the best VIS he’d ever seen.
According to respondents, awareness is growing about the Yukon Family Violence Prevention Act and more abused women are using it as a resource.[141] A recent initiative, the Domestic Violence Treatment Option Court,[142] is, according to some respondents, providing abusers who take responsibility for their violence with more immediate treatment, and their victims with increased safety.
There were some concerns expressed by respondents about alternative justice initiatives such as diversion programs, healing groups and sentencing circles (see the next section). However, several respondents believe that the alternative justice initiatives in their community are working. They report that community justice committees, sentencing circles, healing circles, peacemakers court and other community justice activities are having a beneficial local impact and are taken seriously by the community. And, they report that victims have felt supported by the process, not intimidated.
Overall, respondents believe that the judiciary, and the justice system in general, is becoming more informed and aware of the issues around victimization.
Several respondents reported positive therapeutic benefits resulting from the victim’s involvement in the Victim Impact Statement process. They stressed that these benefits were more evident when victims were assisted in the process by supportive friends and family.[143]
More Traditional Healing Opportunities
"A lot of elders talk about trauma … that’s why we have our sweats and circles."
"They used spiritual health for healing … my mom took me to a place where sweat lodges and prayers were used all the time for anything and everything."
"Prayer and circle … spirituality is the number one healer … that’s what helped me."
"A community recently held a healing initiative for residential school victims, family violence victims … it was a week-long session … these kinds of gatherings of people, supported by Chief and Council, to help people become aware of victimization are helpful … they create a safe place to talk about it … it’s mainly needed for residential school victims and their children, reconnecting people to the circle of the community."
First Nations and government service providers all note the increasing use, and growing impact, of traditional Aboriginal spirituality, and traditional culture, in healing victimized people. Restorative justice initiatives and healing programs built on this approach are well established and accepted forms of healing in many communities.
These traditional healing approaches include on-the-land and camping programs for families, youth and elders; sweat lodge ceremonies; healing circles; prayer; intervention by elders; and traditional herbal medicines. Most First Nations and other organizations using traditional healing approaches, such as residential school recovery programs, also employ ‘western’ methods of therapeutic intervention such as one-to-one counselling, women’s shelters and psychiatry. Some respondents stated that their own successful healing journey was largely dependent on traditional healing.
Effective Trauma Treatment
"We have helped a lot of people deal with the trauma of residential school abuse.
"We have a well-educated staff team that can diffuse multiple and numerous traumas.
"We think looking at the community that they’re ready to deal with historic abuse … they just need to hear some stories from us.
"I’ve seen more of our people sobering up.
"Women are learning to leave before the violence starts.
"Staff are getting trauma training certification and we invite other agencies to send their staff to training free of charge.
Several respondents stated that their agency and other services are becoming more effective at treating the underlying traumatic experiences contributing to the chronic victimization, violent behaviour and other problems of their clients. In other words, there is growing success among service providers in addressing more than the symptoms of trauma.[144]
As evidence, respondents report that they see women in abusive relationships leaving their partner before the violence escalates further, thus reducing the danger to themselves and their children. And although this was not a universally expressed sentiment, a few respondents believe they are seeing increased levels of sobriety in the First Nations population.[145]
Several respondents shared their admiration for the fact that increasing numbers of people, working in various capacities with victims, are trained specifically in the dynamics of traumatization and the recovery needs of victimized people. Most agencies and government departments make their training programs available to others working in the field of victimization. Training programs have included information about the effects on treatment staff of working with traumatized individuals.
Successful Working Partnerships
"We have participated with other organizations in community projects without losing our focus as a women’s shelter.
"We’ve built successful relationships with Family and Children’s Service, youth services, police.
"Victims Services is always at the table when considering community justice … safety is a primary concern and we get that message out there … people have to understand we’re working with vulnerable people.
"We have developed a great connection with some of the schools to help them deal with child victims of abuse and we get 2 to 3 calls a week from other agencies asking for advice in dealing with child victims.
"We have a really good working relationship with NGOs now … those relationships support effective programming to meet women’s needs and give credibility to addressing women’s issues in Yukon.
"Our partnerships with community service agencies are a big success.
Respondents report that they have had good success in building working relationships with other community agencies and government departments. Judging by inventory results these working partnerships appear to be most highly developed in Whitehorse. But all service providers interviewed during this research process displayed a thorough knowledge of the services available to all victimized people in the Yukon.
- [140] These 5 shelters serve a population of 31,256 people in 17 communities. In the Northwest Territories, there are 5 shelters for 42,000 people in 30 communities.
- [141] The Yukon Territory Family Violence Prevention Act has three components: an Emergency Intervention Order; a Victim’s Assistance Order; and a Warrant of Entry. Each of these components is outlined as follows: an Emergency Intervention Order is available through the RCMP (24 hours, 7 days a week), or the territorial Department of Justice, Victim Services staff (weekday office hours); is issued over the phone by specialized Justices of the Peace (JPs); can allow the assaulted partner and their children to stay in their home, if it is safe to do so; can have an abusive person removed from the home by a police officer; will prevent the abusive person from contacting the assaulted person and their family, or any other persons listed in the court order; and allow an assaulted person to apply for a Victim’s Assistance Order in addition to the same type of conditions available in an Emergency
Intervention Order. In the Victim’s Assistance Order, the victim must apply in person at the Court Registry during weekday office hours in Whitehorse, Dawson City or Watson Lake. Outside of those areas, one must apply to the Whitehorse court by phone (toll free number). This order can give a person temporary possession of personal property; it can prevent the abusive person from taking or damaging one’s property; it can require the abusive person to pay the assaulted person or their children for any loss of income, medical expenses, moving and legal expenses; it can require the abusive person to agree to the conditions in the court order; it can only be issued by a Territorial Court Judge and the victim must attend a court hearing. There is a kit available through Victim Services that can assist the victimized person. If access to the assaulted person is being blocked and there are fears that they may be in danger, a Warrant of Entry can be pursued. A Warrant of
Entry is available through the RCMP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; is issued by a JP or Territorial Court Judge by telephone; and can authorize a police officer to enter a residence, assist or remove a victim or violent spouse, and search the home for signs of violence to use as evidence.
In intent, this legislation allows women and children to remain in their home, greatly reducing the increased strain on assaulted women and children when they are forced to leave and find shelter elsewhere. The housing shortage in most remote Aboriginal jurisdictions often means that women and children are forced to return and live with an abusive spouse and father, despite their desire to end the relationship. - [142] The Domestic Violence Treatment Option Court hears cases, on a weekly basis, where the offender has been charged and accepts responsibility for his violence. The sentencing hearing is postponed while the offender attends the Spousal Assault Program. He is required to attend court on a monthly basis to report on his treatment progress. At the completion of treatment, a written report is given to the court on the progress of the offender and a sentence is given which reflects this progress and addresses future counselling and safety issues. During this process, the victim is supported with safety planning, referrals and counselling if they choose. They are also given updates on the offender’s progress and assistance with release conditions and the preparation of a Victim Impact Statement.
- [143] In the Yukon, there are a number of agencies which help victims with Victim Impact Statements: the Victim Witness Assistance Program, Justice Canada; the Family Violence Prevention Unit, Victim Services, Yukon Justice; Kwanlin Dun First Nation Community Social Justice Program, Victim Services; Crimes Against the Person Unit, RCMP; Victim Assistance Program, RCMP; and Kaushee’s Place, Yukon Women’s Transition Home Society.
- [144] Symptoms of unresolved trauma can include addictions, family violence, child abuse, criminal behaviour, and chronic victimization. See the section 4.2.3, "Existing Informal Methods of Dealing with Victims in Yukon," for more details.
- [145] Levels of sobriety in the non-Aboriginal population were not discussed by respondents.
- Date modified: