Enhanced supports for victims of crime coming September 1, 2022

In a news release from the Alberta government, the following changes will come into effect to the victim assistance program starting September 1, 2022:

Increase the 45-day limit on applications to two years.
Provide victims with quick access to emergency financial assistance, such as emergency support for domestic violence victims and relocation assistance for human trafficking victims.
Increase counseling services to $12,000.
Provide victims with court attendance reimbursement.
Reimburse families of homicide for funeral expenses.
Provide extended medical health benefits to victims with serious injuries.
Provide additional financial supports to victims with severe injuries.

Some specific supports include up to $600 for emergency temporary accommodation ($1,000 for victims of human trafficking), relocation expenses for human trafficking victims up to $5,000, and an immediate cash disbursement up to $1,000 to cover unexpected costs incurred by the victim.

Also announced is a change in how supports will be delivered. Currently, in Alberta, victim services are delivered through community-based organizations such as child advocacy centres, sexual assault centres, and police-based victim services units (VSU). Right now in Alberta, there are 71 police-based VSUs, 62 of which are board-operated independent VSUs, and nine VSUs which are municipality-managed.

Going forward, victim services will transition to a “four-zone model” in order to improve reliability and give greater flexibility. The four zones (Eastern, Western, Southern, Central) will replace the existing 62 governance boards and will establish a new layer of support staff for each zone that will provide strategic, logistical, and administrative support to frontline caseworkers.

The zones will align with the existing RCMP districts, and VSUs will remain co-located within police detachments. Each zone will have representation from communities within the zone.

Regional Program Manager for the Northeast Corridor Victim Services Melody Littell says a zone model will make accessing support quicker for victims.

“Working in a zonal model will help provide a more consistent and streamlined support system for the victims we serve,” said Littell. “It puts the province’s victim services teams all on the same page and ensures victims have access to the information and supports they may require anywhere in their service delivery zone.”

Moving to the zone model means that some support staff that don’t currently exist will need to be brought on in order to support caseworkers.

Finally, the Alberta Government backtracked on who can access the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Fund. Once the changes come into effect, the fund will only be eligible to fund supports and services for victims of crime. Public safety initiatives such as ALERT, drug treatment courts, Crown prosecutors, and RAPID Response will be funded by the General Revenue Fund. Administration noted that since 2020, approximately $30 million was used from the fund to support public safety initiatives.

Many of the changes made by the Alberta Government today restore supports that were previously available in the Victims Financial Benefits program. In 2020 the UCP passed Bill 16, which allowed the province to take money from the victims’ fund in order to pay for other public safety services.

NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir issued the following statement in response to the UCP’s recommendations to improve victim services and support in Alberta:

“The UCP continues to fail victims of crime as they delay and deny much-needed support.

“The decision by the UCP to reduce the application timeline from two years to 45 days left many Albertans without the necessary support this fund was designed to provide. Now, after dismantling this program and sitting on this report for over a year, the UCP ended up reversing their initial decision causing years of harm to victims.

“The UCP raided the Victims of Crime Fund to backfill their reckless cuts to the justice system. According to the Auditor General, this led to spending on victims’ benefits being cut in half and cuts to victims’ organizations. This money belongs to victims and should not be used for other purposes.

“These recommendations fail to restore funding and support for victims of crime who have been waiting for the UCP to set up a new support program for the last two years.

“Victims of crime need support, not another report full of empty promises.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

by Drew Stremick

Enhanced supports for victims of crime coming September 1, 2022

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