1. MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES Violence Against Women
Family Services Day
May 11, 2011

2. Purpose To provide an overview of:
Violence Against Women (VAW) programs, services and funding within the context of MCSS
Factors that influence policy decision-making
Key achievements
Current VAW policy activities
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

3. 2011 Ontario Budget
On March 29, the Finance Minister delivered Ontario’s 2011 Budget.
The government committed its intention to eliminate Ontario’s deficit by 2018 while making investments in education and healthcare.  
Although our programs were not highly profiled, our ministry’s budget increased by 5.5% over last year ($506.3 million) to $9.8 billion, which is 7.9% of overall provincial budget of $124.1 billion.
The budget increase is primarily for social assistance and developmental services:
1% increase in social assistance (over $465 million)
$40 million increase for developmental services
$15 million to support people who are living at home through Passport and Special Services at Home
$25 million for agencies to provide critical support and stabilize funding to hundreds of people who are in need of urgent care
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

4. MCSS Budget - $9.8 Billion
The budget for MCSS is $9.8 billion. The following are the top six budget commitments:
Program
Budget
($ Million)
Financial & Employment Supports
7662.8
Developmental Services
1695.9
Adults' Social Services
- includes VAW, interpreter and intervener services, homelessness initiatives, domiciliary hostels and Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy
281.1
Family Responsibility Office
50.3
Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
17.6
Ministry Administration
40.2
Our VAW funding comes from the adult social services budget line
We therefore need to compete with these other programs for funding
As you can imagine, many of our clients may receive funding from more than one program
We provide over $141 million annually to VAW programs and services.
That is a 46% increase since 2003.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

5. Ontario’s Strategic Fiscal Cycle
Outer ring – strategic policy planning
Middle ring – implementation, reporting and tracking
Inner ring – public reporting
Q1:
Printed estimates are released – basis of government spending for the fiscal year
Q1 is a good time for stakeholders to connect with ministries to make their issues/pressures known… although ministries will need to balance requests with government agenda
Q2 and 3:
Strategic planning for upcoming multi-years.
Ministries conduct cost and risk analysis and submit requests for new funding
Due to current fiscal constraints, our ministry was advised not to submit new requests last year
Likely to be repeated this year considering government priority is the elimination of deficit by 2018
Q4:
if approved by treasury board, funding requests will go on to cabinet – forms the budget for the following year.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

6. 2010/11 VAW Interim Actual Expenditures
Shelters
Shelters receive the bulk of funding due to costs of running a residential program.
The funding covers over 2000 beds across the province and each bed is funded at a minimum of $30,000/yr
It is a very expensive program to run and many shelters rely on fundraising to make ends meet
*Includes: Other Broader Public Sector Services i.e. Federal Non-profit Housing Program, OCHAP Rent Supplement,
Client Satisfaction Survey funding.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

7. MCSS Funded VAW Programs
Counselling
$28.1M in 2010/11
The funding to community-based counselling agencies helps women and their children overcome the effects of abuse
Approximately 60,000 women and 12,000 children served annually
Transitional and Housing Support Program (THSP)
$14.3M in 2010/11
This program helped over 20,700 abused women last year find and maintain housing and connect with community supports such as counselling, legal services, job training and parenting
There are 127 transfer payment agencies delivering the program, including shelters, counselling agencies, and second stage housing providers
Early Intervention Program for Child Witnesses of Woman Abuse
$6.1M in 2010/11
This program helps children recover from the effects of witnessing woman abuse and helps abused women with parenting issues
Approximately 130 support groups serving 3,000 women and 5,000 children
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

8. Violence Against Women Programs cont’d
Shelters
$81.1M in 2010/11 for 97 emergency shelters for abused women
More than 2000 shelter beds are available in communities across the province, serving approximately 14,000 women and 10,000 children annually
Province-Wide Crisis Help lines
$2.6M in 2010/11 provided annually to support telephone counselling services that provide support, information and referrals
This includes $1M to support the Assaulted Women’s Helpline that provides province-wide service in English and multiple languages through a translation service and $1M to support the province-wide French line
This also includes $0.5M to support the 97 local shelter crisis lines
According to latest data available, approximately 92,500 calls are received annually
Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committees
$1.4M in 2010/11
DV3Cs are community-based committees that include representation from women’s service agencies (e.g., shelters, counselling agencies, family services) and the justice, health and education sectors
Currently there are 44 DV3Cs unevenly distributed throughout the province. Most regions have three to six committees, while south west region has ten and Toronto region has only one
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

9. Key Achievements
In addition to funding enhancements, the ministry has led a number of policy initiatives in the
following areas:
Enhancing VAW sector capacity
Training of front-line VAW workers
Social Housing Provider Training
Funding collaboration forums
Two French Language Services Forums
Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee Forum
CAS/VAW Collaboration Agreement Consultations
Child Witness Service Provider Forum
The intended audience for training is:
Social housing providers and property managers (e.g., non-profit, co-op, public);
Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards, including staff from their social housing coordinated access centres; and
Private landlords with rent supplement units.
Scope
In addition to the priority topics identified in the needs assessment, the training will focus on topics such as:
the role of social housing providers in supporting woman tenants facing issues of abuse to secure and maintain housing units;
providing tools and resources to familiarize social housing providers with community-based services for abused women.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

10. Key Achievements cont. Enhancing the quality of service delivery
Revised VAW Client Satisfaction Survey
VAW Policy Framework
Guidelines to VAW Shelter Policy and Procedure Development
VAW Shelter Survey
Improving VAW services to Aboriginal women
Violence Against Aboriginal Women Training
Renewal of Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS)
Aboriginal Help Line for abused women living in northern and remote areas (under development)
Providing funding to an Aboriginal Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

11. Moving Forward - Key Influences
A number of internal and external reports have influenced VAW policy directions in the past and will continue to do so as we move forward:
December 2004
Fall 2007
2008 and 2009
July 2009
April 2011
Domestic Violence Action Plan
Strategic Framework to End VAAW
Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Reports
Domestic Violence Advisory Council Report
Sexual Violence Action Plan
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

12. Domestic Violence Action Plan
The Domestic Violence Action Plan (DVAP) was developed through a Ministerial Steering Committee involving the following 13 ministries:
Ministry of Community and Social Services Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Ministry of the Attorney General Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Ministry of Education
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Office of Francophone Affairs Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (includes the Ontario Seniors Secretariat and the Ontario Women’s Directorate)
DVAP strategic direction and policy initiatives are determined largely through an inter-ministerial process led by the Ontario Women’s Directorate.
The DVAP has resulted in a comprehensive, balanced approach across ministries designed to better protect women and children now and reduce domestic violence in the future.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

13. Domestic Violence Action Plan Achievements
Better community-based supports for victims, including:
Increased MCSS funding by 48 per cent for programs to help victims of domestic violence
Access to health, legal and social services in 60 languages for nearly 6,000 women through our Language Interpreter Services program
369 more shelter beds
Earlier intervention for women and children at risk by:
Training 22,000 front-line professionals and service providers, like emergency room doctors and nurses, to identify domestic violence and support victims
Setting new measures in the Occupational Health and Safety Act to address workplace violence, including domestic violence and harassment
Public education campaigns that change attitudes and prevent violence from happening by:
Engaging 200 communities through the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign, helping them recognize the signs of abuse, how to help, and where to find services in the community
A stronger justice system response, including:
A domestic violence court program in 54 Ontario court jurisdictions
Changes in family law to give women better access to restraining orders
More services for the francophone community, including:
New francophone shelters in Toronto and Timmins
Enhancements to the French crisis line
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

14. Report Recommendation
Response to Reports
The ministry has taken several steps to respond to recommendations contained in these reports
including, but not limited to:
Report Recommendation
Ministry Response
Violence Against Aboriginal Women Strategic Framework
To improve services to Aboriginal women who are victims of violence.
Aboriginal specific DV3C
Aboriginal help line (in development)
Domestic Violence Death Review Reports
A need to increase collaboration between the VAW and CAS sectors.
Undertake a review of the existing CAS/VAW Collaboration Agreements.
Domestic Violence Advisory Council Report
Maintain and enhance current investments in the VAW system.
$0.85M annual increase to base funding for VAW counselling agencies retroactive to April 1, 2009.
A need to break down government silos and create a more interconnected and collaborative approach across the VAW system.
$0.40M to enhance base funding of existing DV3C’s and fund an additional five committees beginning in 2009/10, to increase their capacity and overall collaborative efforts across sectors to improve the community response to domestic violence.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

15. Other Key Influences Government Platform Minister
The government platform sets the agenda for the four year mandate of the government
Minister
As policy analysts it is our job to present ministry senior management and the Minister with informed policy advice and implement the policy based on Minister’s direction
VAW Regional Office Leads
VAW leads have a direct relationship with VAW agencies which includes service contract management
MCSS meets with the VAW regional leads on a monthly basis to gather input on all corporate policy initiatives with a focus on strategic operational planning and implementation
VAW leads participate on all corporate led working groups
VAW Stakeholders
Where possible, MCSS consults directly with representatives from the VAW sector to gather input on our ministry initiatives
CDSB welcomes the opportunity to meet with stakeholders to learn more about the issues/challenges and successes experienced in the field
Involvement of regional offices and our stakeholders is integral to the success of VAW initiatives.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch

16. Current Key VAW Activities
The ministry is currently focusing on the following priorities:
Aboriginal Women’s Helpline Project in the North
Review of the CAS/VAW Collaboration Agreements
Renewal of Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy
VAW Provincial Strategic Plan
Mental Health and Addictions
Participation on the Sexual Violence Action Plan Interministerial Working Group (led by the Ontario Women’s Directorate)
Ontario’s Sexual Violence Action Plan is a province-wide strategy that will prevent violence through public education, improve services for victims, and strengthen the response of the criminal justice system.
This plan builds on the progress made by the Domestic Violence Action Plan, launched in 2004.
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Community and Developmental Services Branch