BARRHEAD-The Barrhead Community Victim Services Unit (VSU) has seen a marked increased in referrals since the spring.
That is what program manager Heidi Magus told the Barrhead Leader.
November is family violence prevention month so we thought it was a good time to check in with the VSU and find out what impact the pandemic has had on their workload. Unfortunately, the answer is that it has gone up.
The VSU is a non-profit organization that helps support individuals who are the victims of crime, trauma, death or other emergencies in the Barrhead, Swan Hills and Fort Assiniboine regions. 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.
Most notably, she said the VSU is receiving more calls and referrals due to domestic disputes and sexual assault referrals.
"Any time when you are confined to your home, with the kids and have all the other extra stressors involved, it is going to put stress on relationships. And if the relationship wasn't strong, or a person doesn't have the tools to cope with the extra stress, things can escalate," Magus said. "Which is why I am so happy school has started again because it gives vulnerable children some added protection."
She added the reopening of the VSU office to the public has helped in restoring some resemblance of normalcy. However, not everything is business as usual. Victim advocate volunteers may not attend all crisis callouts.
"It all depends on what the situation is and how safe it is with COVID in the surrounding areas," Magus said.
If a victim advocate cannot attend in person, they or someone from the VSU office will do a follow-up on the phone.
The other reason why they have seen an increase in their workload is because of the backlog caused by the temporary closure of the courts.
The increased workload also comes at a time of funding uncertainty.
The majority of their funding comes from a provincial grant, which ends Dec. 31.
"We still haven't anything," she said, noting she has made multiple inquires about the status of their grant, with no response. "I have heard from some VSUs whose grants ran out in September and are still waiting to learn the status of their grants so they are effectively running with no budget."
The reason Magus believes she hasn't heard from the government is that they may have reallocated a large portion of the money they were earmarked to receive.
In June, the United Conservative Party's (UCP) Bill 16 passed third reading. The bill, also known as the Victims of Crime Amendment Act, gives the government the ability to take away money from the Victims of Crime Fund to pay for other initiatives.
The fund was created in 1990 and comes from provincial fine surcharges imposed following convictions to help crime victims through financial relief and support programs, many of them being provided through local victim support units.
Magus added if they do not receive the grant, or is cut significantly, it would be difficult to impossible to make up the shortfall.
The pandemic and public health restrictions have drastically reduced their fundraising ability. They also lost out on a casino date this summer.
Fortunately, she said they are scheduled to have a casino before
Christmas, but with the constantly changing coronavirus situation there is no guarantee that it will take place. And even if it does, that it will generate the same type of revenue.
Magus said regardless of how much money receive they from the government, they will always need donations as the government grant from the Solicitor General cannot be used for certain direct assistance programs. In the past, she has singled out, emergency accommodations, such as hotel rooms.
If people want to donate to the Barrhead VSU through CanadaHelps.org or by writing a cheque the Barrhead Community Victim Services Unit.
