Windsor-Essex agencies drafting proposals for IPV funding

A group of more than 40 agencies and service providers met Thursday to draft a proposal for accessing some of the $100 million promised by Ontario.

“Now it's up to communities, I think, and service providers to really look at what will be helpful,” said Shelley Gilbert, executive director of Legal Assistance of Windsor.

Gilbert said she was pleased with the turnout and interest in submitting a request for funding to work together.

On Aug. 16, Ontario started accepting applications for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) funding proposals. The window closes on Oct. 11.

Grants of between $100,000 and up to $5 million are available to be spent over three years.

Gilbert said one early idea was having a single ‘point person’ to help survivors from the time of the call.

“We have to walk with people. They are frightened. They feel alone. They may be isolated. They may be new to our community,” said Gilbert. “So having the ability as a program, as a service provider to talk it through with someone, to walk with them to the police station, for instance, to make a statement, to learn about what making a statement and going through criminal court will be like is really important.”

Gilbert notes the group also discussed treatment for suspects involved in IPV.

“There are men and boys who don't want to continue giving harm and making harm. So how do we support those individuals who want to do better? Who want to be a, you know, part of a family?” said Gilbert.

Meantime, Windsor police are “operationalizing” their plan to tackle IPV.

“In order to solve some of these problems we're going to have to partner with people that want to partner with us,” said Superintendent Paolo DiCarlo with Windsor Police.

They are planning to organize a specialized unit – similar to the Nurse Police Team – which would see officers working with victim services so survivors can get the support they need as soon as police are on scene.

“It's a benefit for everybody because we're providing real time information, real time resources to people that actually need it,” said DiCarlo.