The Security Service of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais received a grant of $433,440 in funding over a five-year period to implement a new project called MAINtenant ensemble that will support victims of domestic violence and increase the monitoring of offenders.

The project was made possible by a grant given to the local police department by the Public Safety Ministry of Québec and by the funding of . . .

the municipalities of the MRC des Collines. MAINtenant ensemble officially launched on Nov. 25 and one of their first tasks was assembling a multidisciplinary team specialized in domestic violence at the Public Security Service office. The team consists of Catherine Madore-Thibault coordinating agent, Nadia Dessureault detective, and Stephanie MacLeod caseworker.

With this program, which is a first of its kind here in Quebec, they are hoping to do more for survivors of domestic abuse now that they have more funding to support them. “The department at the MRC des Collines was very happy,’’ said MacLeod because “they always wanted to step in and do more; it’s just we were limited,” she said.

In the past two years alone, MacLeod said they saw an increase of about 30% in increased cases of domestic violence, which was “concerning,” she said. According to statistics from the Police department this year alone they saw 65 cases of domestic violence as of July 6, and a projected number of cases to go up to 127 cases by the end of 2021.

Part of the project is partnering up with the women’s shelter, Maison Libère Elles who are providing mobile caseworkers to step in to help relocate and help families as needed. Maison Libère Elles is a non-profit organization that offers specialized assistance and accommodation to women who have experienced domestic violence and are there to help provide women and their young children with a safe environment serving the community in the MRC.

In the Outaouais region there are only seven shelters including Maison Libère-Elles, which is the only one located in the MRC-des Collines-de-l’Outaouais. In July 2021, the Maison Libère-Elles’ statistics showed that there was an increase of 74 per cent of incoming calls and a 38 per cent increase of interventions within living environments for the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 periods, so far.

The Equity spoke with Jimena Carnero Awareness Case Work, from Maison Libère-Elles and said the partnership with the police, “is to maximize all the support all the intervention we bring to the victim,” because violence is not always physical and although police do a great job said Carnero, “they cannot be experts at everything.

Carnero pointed out that while her shelter serves the MRC it also serves neighbouring territories such as Alymer, Hull and even Montreal. But what they hope to do more of is support women in their region because she said they noticed a disconnect, where the police are reporting an increase in domestic violence cases, but they are not seeing that reflected with the women coming to their doors or asking for help. Therefore, this partnership is going to allow the shelter to be there when the police intervention happens and bridge that gap, and allow them to “be more present in our territory, our community,” said Carnero.

Having a designated team at the police department and liaising with Maison Libère-Elles, MacLeod explained that they are able to be at the scene and support the work the police do. Starting January 2022, the partnership with Maison Libère Elles will allow the shelter to provide mobile caseworkers going out on police interventions. So far they plan to hire four caseworkers, right now they only have two but in the new year plan to continue the hiring efforts.

Therefore, when police are called for a domestic violence case and the situation is safe, a caseworker is then sent to the family’s home to provide support and any help with relocating the family to a shelter or a relative’s home. If the family doesn’t have a car and is unable to arrange transportation, the shelter has an agreement with a taxi company and can ensure the family goes where it needs to, MacLeod said.

Once the caseworker from Maison Libère Elles ensures the family is safe, the team at MRC des Collines will follow up within 24 hrs of the event. MacLeod‘s role as a caseworker is doing more of the psychosocial and emotional support and ensuring people know about their service. In cases where it’s harassment, assault, sequestration, mental health, or family disputes, “I will still call them within five to 10 days after the event,” said MacLeod. To see if the situation has escalated and has led to domestic violence because what they are trying to do is prevent the situation from getting to that stage.

“Early intervention for us is key,” said MacLeod.

If the situation did not get violent, they will offer referrals if the family needs it and then they close that case. MacLeod added that although police recognize they are not specialists in this field they are sensitive to domestic violence and violence against women, “that’s where having the mobile caseworkers and myself work at the department here is really great,” she said.

Part of the program, MacLeod pointed out, is providing police officers with training with local shelters. The full-day training will be held in 2022 with Maison Libère Elles their main partner and a portion will also be with Donne-toi une chance, a men’s shelter, as they both have different missions; they will be providing tips on how to intervene with both victims and aggressors. Furthermore, they will be working with Maison Libère Elles and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecution and they will hold presentations in schools this upcoming year.

Carnero said the police and shelters have always been working together but this partnership will allow them to work much closely together and said because this is the first of its kind she said “we need to make this a success,” and hopes other regions will get inspired and adopt what they are doing once they have a guide that works best.

She highlighted that this year alone the Outaouais reported 18 cases of femicide and said one is too many and that shelters and police need to work together to prevent that from happening.

“It’s gotten to a point that the next one is going to be someone I know,” said Carnero. “We need to act, we need to do something, it’s not normal.”

The domestic violence team can be reached by phone at 819-459-2422 extension 3333, or via email at ensemble@mrcdescollines.com. For all emergencies, they ask that you dial 9-1-1.

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