There was $14 million promised to Ontario’s sexual assault centres while Wynne’s government was in power.
When the Ford government was elected, they announced that an additional $1 million would be given on a one time basis that will run out on March 31st. It’s unknown at this time what funding will take place going forward.
That funding allowed SAVIS Halton the ability to hire one extra counsellor.
SAVIS’ executive director, Alma Arguello, talks about what will happen to that counsellor and gives us an idea of how much they need the support including group counselling.
This counsellor has a caseload of about 45-50 people.
Those survivors will be put on a waitlist that will go from four and a half months to five months currently to up to ten months come April 1st.
They will have to triage their survivors or they will be put on a waitlist until another counsellor can take on the load.
Arguello says they have been trying to meet with MPP Parm Gill to help them understand the severity of the issue.
Arguello says they will triage emergent cases as best as they can if the funding stops.
Executive director of Halton Women’s Place, Diane Beaulieu, explains they don’t have waitlists but they do have to turn women away as they are over capacity all the time.
An announcement of $2 million has been made by the associate minister responsible for women’s issues, Jill Dunlop.
However, SAVIS Halton says there haven’t been any details about that announcement that have been released at the time of writing.
SAVIS Halton will provide those losing access to counselling support through their crisis line as well as support from other counselling staff. Usually individuals will have a few sessions and then will be connected to a support group if they still want or need that support.
Halton Women’s Place as a women’s shelter is being impacted differently in that they currently don’t know if they will be getting funding for their gender based programs.
They would be losing out on approximately 100 thousand dollars and will have to turn to fundraising when they already have a fundraising budget of $1 million.
Beaulieu says Halton Women’s Place provides services to all women and children whether they have space or not by providing outreach services at their location or by visiting the client wherever they are.
Those information services include court support, working with CAS, and transition services that will help them find housing and maneuver the system.
