On May 4, councillors unanimously approved a request by the VSU to write Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock United Conservative Party (UCP) MLA Glenn van Dijken about their concerns that the province is considering changing the service model.
Council made the decision after hearing via teleconference from a delegation representing Barrhead's VSU consisting of board chair Margaret Osborne and director Don Smith, along with program manager Kristina Lyllonen.
The VSU is a non-profit organization that helps support individuals who are the victims of crime, trauma, death or other emergencies in Barrhead, Swan Hills, Fort Assiniboine and Big Lakes County. Most often the VSU volunteers, or volunteer advocates, are called upon at the request of the RCMP, but also receive referrals from fire services, the Crown Prosecutor’s office, healthcare centres, and ambulance crews.
However, Osborne said that could change if the proposed alterations to the delivery model are approved. She added the government is looking at three prospective models.
"[In one proposed model] the program manager would become a [provincial] government employee, would no longer be involved with the RCMP and there would be no board," she said.
The other service model Osborne said include creating large regions of VSU coverage, similar to Alberta Health Services regions. She stated that the government is proposing that there would be a minimum four regions. It would be governed by a zonal board and funding would come from a Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General (JSG) three to five year contract for service.
The other model would that VSUs would fall under the municipality’s umbrella with funding coming from a JSG agreement with the municipality.
“Unfortunately, the all the province has given us is a lot of information about structure and no details,” she said.
Osborne added that although they would choose the status quo, if they had to choose between the three models they could select the municipal option.
Regardless of the model she said VSUs affiliation with the RCMP would end, what she meant was that units would also no longer be able to be housed in RCMP buildings owned by the federal government. It should be noted that the Barrhead RCMP Detachment is owned by the town, however, plans are in the works for the RCMP to build its own expanded facility.
As a result, she said, it could potentially hurt the connection the VSU and its advocates have with the police, but it would also add considerably to the cost of operations.
In addition to renting a separate office space, the Barrhead VSU would have to pay for additional expenses such as phones, Internet, office equipment and supplies that as the result of sharing the same space are heavily subsidized by the police.
Osborne added VSUs is not in the position to absorb the extra costs and they would need to be "picked up" through additional government grants.
She is also concerned the service victim advocates provide for their clients would also be impacted, becoming more "cold and distant".
"Advocates often go out with the RCMP and work alongside them," she said, adding there is a strong relationship between the police.
"If this relationship is lost, it will impact the connection advocates have with their clients at a time when they need that extra support."
Barrhead's VSU consists of a full-time program manager, a part-time court support worker, an eight-member volunteer board and five volunteer advocates, including three in Barrhead and one in Fort Assiniboine and Swan Hills.
Lyllonen said the province is looking at restricting the mandate of VSUs to only situations where the trauma or tragedy is a direct result of criminal activity.
"This means our advocates would no longer be able to provide support to victims a wide variety of traumas or tragedies including fatal traffic collisions, completed or attempted suicides, [Mental Health Act] files, drug overdoses or any community disasters," she said.
Osborne added that they have spoken to van Dijken about their concerns but was noncommital.
"We are hoping that if you send a letter to MLA van Dijken and Minister of Justice Kaycee Madu in support of Victim Services as we know it, the government might listen," she said. "We have so few resources, especially in rural communities and if we don't have advocates that can help victims with support and direction, it will be a loss to everyone involved."
She said the changes come after the passage of Bill 16 (Victims of Crime Amendment Act).
The legislation allows the province to access money from the Victims of Crime Fund to help pay for some of its other crime prevention measures including Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), the Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) Force, drug treatment courts and the hiring of more Crown prosecutors.
The victims of crime fund, which was created in 1990, comes from provincial fine surcharges imposed following convictions to help crime victims through financial relief and support programs.
The Alberta Police Based Victim Services Association and other community VSUs spoke against the legislation arguing by the time the government pays for the new initiatives there will be little left for them.
Coun. Darrell Troock suggested that the VSU investigate whether there were funding opportunities by partnering with the Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS).
"I agree that the Victim Services Unit provides a valuable service to our community, if the change is coming, we have to look at ways to ensure the program remains sustainable," he said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
