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There's Help Out There

More than 50% of Canadian women have experienced at least one incidence of abuse by the age of sixteen.

Asking for help can be the hardest thing to do. It can be excruciatingly difficult for victims of violence. There is help but where to start?

Cell Phones

Earlier this year, Rogers and Fido in partnership with the Assaulted Women's Helpline to provide #SAFE, in Ontario which provides 24-hour access to a free crisis line from any Rogers or Fido mobile phone. That's a step in the right direction, but what about women who can't afford a cell phone?

Safety is paramount. A cell phone is a must for safety but often women who leave violent situations find themselves in a much different socioeconomic situation and may be cut off from family and friends, obvious locations to find them. They may not have financial resources but the phone companies, like Rogers and Fido do.

SupportLink is the solution. It's been available for over decade after an initial pilot project. The program provides victims at risk from domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking with intensive and comprehensive personal safety planning, along with free airtime and wireless phones, pre-programmed to dial 911. Rogers and the other supporting Corporations are not involved in the decision making. Victim’s Crisis Assistance and Response Centres decide who is eligible for the program. The project is a joint initiative of the Ontario government, Rogers Wireless and Ericsson Canada. Rogers provides the network and Ericcson provides the phones for free, if someone contacted Rogers who are in personal jeopardy and needed help such as a cell phone for emergency purposes Rogers front-line staff would be put in touch with SupportLink.

Shelters

Open a phone book , the first page lists emergency numbers including the Assaulted Women's Helpline. That one call can lead to a safe home in an Abused Women's Shelter for up to three months. Clothing, personal grooming items and other supplies can be made available for anyone fleeing an emergency situation where it is unsafe to do anything but get out. The Abused Women's Shelters are aware of the potential and immediate alteration in one's economic status. A social worker is assigned who will help guide a woman through the social safety network that exists in Ontario.

Escaping a violent situation may mean walking out with what one can grab if anything, especially when the decision to leave is sparked by the desire to get their children away from the situation.  Huong Pham, Executive Director of the Assaulted Women's Helpline provided the quote opening this article.

Toronto Victims' Services

In Toronto help is also available through Toronto Victims' Services whose mandate is to "provide responsive, accessible and accountable programs and services. Our focus is on restoring and enhancing victims’ quality of life and preventing re-victimization."

The services they provide include immediate on-site support and crisis intervention,  assessment of victim’s needs, links to the local community resources available, counseling, advocacy, and safety services.

Women's Resources in Ontario

Consuela Kuettner, Shelter Program Supervisor, Women's Resources, discussed their programs. "We do a lot with safety plans. We have a 24-hour 1-800 crisis line, so help is available immediately. We can provide a safety plan, relocation helping to support women to get out of the situation safely. We'll call the police or an ambulance on their behalf if it is safe to do so."

She added, "we have outreach programs for women in transition from shelters to the community. Across Ontario we have translations and interpretation services. Some are offered through the Domestic Violence Community. That includes transportation to court, to doctors in this area and possibly to other areas. Our agency has a library with education videos about women's issues, violence, addictions etc including. Some shelters have programs for child witness programs who have witnessed abuse."

Help is available in Toronto and across Ontario. The first critical step is accessing them. Not always easy. Many have web sites. Libraries in Toronto have computer stations that can provide a safe location to explore what is available and some allow users to set up email accounts via hotmail, gmail or yahoo.

For those that are in abusive situations, the first step is picking up the telephone. It's not that simple, it is a life altering experience but it can end the cycle of violence for women and especially for their children.