Response to Woman Abuse: Policy and Protocol Initiative Phase 1: Assessment Phase (completed August 1999) Goal: to determine current policies and protocols in place as well as the gaps in policy and protocol and to develop resources which will assist in policy development. Major Activities of Phase 1: Workshop At the April 22, 1999 workshop, 65 policy makers, front line service providers, victims of woman abuse and community organizations gathered in Charlottetown to identify current protocols and to determine the gaps and needs in policy and protocol for responses to woman abuse within relationships in Prince Edward Island. During the day, some messages emerged loud and clear... Survivors of family violence and community organizations must be significantly involved in policy development and evaluation. The "powers-that-be" need to take action and put woman abuse high on the list of priorities. Policies can't change attitudes. We need a holistic, co-ordinated response to woman abuse. Policy and Protocol Gap Map Information gathered at the workshop and through interviews with women was used to develop a "Policy and Protocol Gap Map" to provide working groups in Phase 2 (the Development Phase) with a map of the current situation with regard to family violence policy in each sector and across PEI along with suggestions for change and implementation. Research The co-ordinator researched and compiled resource binders containing sample woman abuse policies and protocols from other provinces and states to assist in the development of policies and protocol in Prince Edward Island. Resource binders were compiled for: Social Assistance Health Schools and Communities; and Justice Corrections Courts Victim Services Crown Attorneys Police Phase 2: Development Phase (completed August 2000) Goal: to bring together survivors of woman abuse and community organizations with policy makers and front line service in the areas of Justice and Income Assistance providers to form working groups to develop policy and protocol and to plan strategies for implementation, sustainability and evaluation; Justice, Income Assistance and Hospital Emergency were identified as the target groups for Phase 2 by using information gathered at the workshop and from interviews with survivors of woman abuse. Status of Women Canada financed the work with Justice and Income Assistance and the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention supported the work in the area of Hospital Emergency. Major Activities of Phase 2: Working Groups in Income Assistance, Justice and Hospital Emergency Working groups of survivors of woman abuse, community organizations, policy makers and front line service providers in the areas of Justice, Hospital Emergency and Income Assistance were brought together to develop and evaluate protocols for responding to woman abuse as well as to develop strategies for implementation, evaluation and sustainability. A Provincial Binder of all protocols is accessible in each hospital emergency department, financial assistance office and in the offices of each of the justice service providers involved in the project or by calling Rona Brown, Provincial Family Violence Consultant, at (902) 368-6712. Responding to Woman Abuse: Policy and Protocol Development Tool This comprehensive policy and protocol development tool was designed to assist other sectors to develop policy and protocol for responding to woman abuse. Phase 3: Implementation Phase (September 2000 - December 2001) Goal: to bring together survivors of woman abuse and community organizations with policy makers and front line service providers in the areas of Justice, Income Assistance and Hospital Emergency to: carry out the strategies for implementation, including raising awareness about the developed protocols, the dynamics of woman abuse and the need for appropriate and safe responses to victims by service providers; and to develop a victim-centered framework for evaluating woman abuse policies and protocols in Phase 4. Major Activities of Phase 3: Collaboration Workshop The Coalition will bring together the working groups for a 1 day workshop to facilitate the development of a collaboration strategy to ensure a holistic response to women victims of violence. Resource Development The Coalition will bring together a multi-sector Implementation Team including survivors of woman abuse, community organizations and service providers to create plain language resources and materials about woman abuse for inclusion in Justice and Income Assistance protocols. These resource materials will include: a Resource Manual, designed to raise awareness among service providers about woman abuse; an easy to access Woman Abuse Services Guide for service providers with information about organizations and agencies in Prince Edward Island responding to woman abuse, with service descriptions and contact names and numbers; and a web site with information about and links to service providers in Prince Edward Island Information Sessions The Implementation Team will plan a series of multi-sector information sessions involving survivors of woman abuse as presenters to raise awareness among front line service providers about the developed protocols for responding to woman abuse, the dynamics of woman abuse, the needs of victims of woman abuse and the community resources available to assist victims of woman abuse. Evaluation Framework A one-day workshop will be planned to develop a Gender-Based Evaluation Framework for the on-going evaluation of woman abuse protocols. Phase 4: Evaluation Phase Goal: to involve victims of woman abuse and community organizations in the evaluation of the policies and protocols and their implementation. Phase 5: Sustainability Phase Goal: to carry out the strategies for sustainability and to do on-going evaluation of the policies and protocols.