A community based centre dedicated to changing the cycle of family violence through co-located staff and linked community services.

1
A community based centre dedicated to changing
the cycle of family violence through co-located
staff and linked community services.

• An overview of progress

2
The Dream

• At a time of great trauma people will find an
  easily accessible, nurturing environment where
  their needs can be met in one place by people who
  work together for them.
• From the Today Centre clients will be supported
  to connect with the services they need in a
  timely way
• The Today Centre will connect with current
  services, initiatives and systems to work
  together to strengthen responsiveness to clients.
  
• The key always What is the best way to work
  together from a client perspective?

3
What Families and Individuals told us

• Past clients identified
• Feeling emotionally drained and humiliated by
  re-telling of stories many times
• Having children feel confused and frightened
  being separated from parent during interviews
• Feeling frustrated traveling around the city
  with children to access services and then having
  to wait for a long time.
• A lack of timely information and help to access
  systems they needed ... A fear of spiraling into
  poverty

4
The Beginnings

• Domestic Violence Centre Initiative (DVCI)
  started by Community Initiatives Against Family
  Violence (CIAFV) in response to community
  consultation.
• Consultation identified serious lack of
  coordinated systemic response to family violence
• Interviews with those impacted by family violence
  reinforced findings of consultation

5
Initial Funding Sources secured

• Current funding secured to establish Centre
• Sources United Way of Capital Region, Status of
  Women Canada, Alberta Childrens Services,
  Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying Branch
  and the City of Edmonton.
• In kind support from partners

6
Current Status

• Incorporation complete
• Move to a governance board
• Extensive exploration of possible site for centre
• Reconnection with extended community
• Name and Identity of centre established
• Hiring of a project manager to operationalize the
  Centre

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Naming the Centre, choosing a logo

• Messages
• Action oriented change starts today
• Family an inclusive term
• Help Centre- help and assistance is available NOW
• Easily understood
• Images- optimistic, forward moving, hopeful

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The Today Centre Vision and Mission

• Vision
• A healthy community safe and free of family
  violence.
• Mission
• Providing linking, collaborative community wide
  services for those affected by family violence.
•  

9
The Today Centre Values

• At The Today Family Violence Help Centre we
  believe
• The definition of family includes a diverse range
  of relationships and supports each familys right
  to self-define.
• All persons have the right to be treated with
  dignity and respect.
• Services must be delivered in a timely,
  client-focused manner.
• Each persons choices must be honoured and
  respected.
• Each person has the capacity to make positive
  change in her/his life.
• Awareness of the latest issues, resources and
  research pertaining to family violence and
  sharing this information with other service
  providers will enable us to best serve those
  affected by family violence.

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The Today Centre

• The Today Centre (co-located services
  integrated delivery) (linked services linking
  protocols)
• The Centre will use an integrated service
  delivery model comprised of co-located services
  and linked community services.
• The Today Centre core services must be as strong
  as the linked ones.
• The model is client-driven.

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Service Delivery Model
Community
Community-based services by agencies/organizations
with linking protocols
Referrals
Referrals
Co-located Services
Referrals
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The Today Centre

• Intends to
• Serve seniors, women, children and men from
  diverse cultures impacted by family violence.
• Provide seamless, culturally appropriate access
  to services in a safe secure environment
• Ensure services include early intervention,
  prevention, assessment, treatment and referral
• Provide enhanced coordination between
  professionals , agencies and systems to better
  serve people impacted by family violence

13
Proposed Outcomes

• Reduce barriers to appropriate support for those
  impacted by family violence
• Provide clients with a holistic service approach
• Reduce harm and impact to those affected by
  violence
• Increase accountability from those who perpetrate
  violence
• Reduce repeat victimization
• Increase in the level of reporting of family
  violence
• Active participation of clients in their own
  movement towards a healthier safer life.

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Learnings

• A grass roots movement for change takes a long
  time but is more inclusive and encourages input
  and ownership from all involved
• It is important to keep communities and other
  stakeholders updated on a regular basis
• It is challenging coordinating support of various
  levels of government
• Strong, consistent leadership is critical

15
Learnings

• It is important to have champions of the vision
• It is important to allow enough time for design
  and implementation.
• There is always difficulty in predicting external
  variables. The economic boom in Edmonton
  dramatically increased the cost of acquiring and
  renovating space. Securing a place for the centre
  is still a challenge.

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Next Steps

• Connection with community stakeholders to further
  develop the role of the centre to support
  families and individuals
• Descriptors and definitions of collaborative
  services developed with collocated partners and
  our partners in the community
• Explore intentional linking with existing
  coordinated services and initiatives to
  collaborate with Today Centre in a way that is
  mutually beneficial and reciprocal
• Increased effective information sharing with the
  community and stakeholders

17
Next Steps

• Validation of staff requirements for the
  collocation of partner staff and delivery of
  services
• Ongoing work to secure an appropriate site for
  the Centre
• Options for collaborative service delivery
  developed
• Increase public awareness of Centre as it nears
  completion

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The Today Family Violence Help Centre

• Vision Towards a healthy community safe and
  free from family violence.

• For more information contact Dianne Dalley,
  Project Manager for the Today Centre
  diannevdalley_at_yahoo.ca
• Dr. Stephen Hart If you want to do something
  about public safety, pay more attention to
  domestic violence.