Victim Services Redesign

In 2018, Alberta Municipalities passed a resolution that called for the Government of Alberta to use the Victims of Crime Fund to adequately fund provincial Victim Services Units (VSUs) so they can provide the staffing levels required to assist victims of crime after a 2016 Auditor General’s Report which indicated the need for improved fund management and funding of VSU programs.   

Alberta Municipalities submitted the following key recommendations in 2019 to the provincial government during its short consultation period: 

• The needs, concerns, and diversity of victims of crime should be centered in the development and delivery of programs and services, as well as in related education and training. 
• Programs and services for victims of crime need to be better advertised and coordinated at both the local and provincial level. 
• The province can assist victims of crime in accessing services by supporting rural transportation initiatives and leveraging technology to promote equitable access. 
• VSUs should receive adequate funding so that they can provide general information, needs assessment/service planning, and emotional support to victims, with mental health services for victims being prioritized. 
• The Victims of Crime Fund must be maintained as a distinct fund in order to fulfill its legislated purpose, and not be put into general provincial revenues. 

Almost all police-based VSUs in Alberta must fundraise so they can fund basic services to victims of crime – services that are guaranteed to all Canadians under the federal Victims’ Bill of Rights. Some programs must fundraise as much as 50% of their total operational expenses to continue operating from one year to the next. 

This issue was highlighted in the 2016 Alberta Auditor General’s report, which stated that without improved management of the Victims of Crime Fund, “programs for victims of crime that are run by police-based VSUs and community organizations may not receive sufficient grant funding to deliver on the intent set out in the Victims of Crime Act.”
 
Two years ago, the Government of Alberta passed legislation that expanded the scope of the Victims of Crime Fund to include public safety initiatives, making Alberta the only province that did not restrict the use of its Victims of Crime fund to supporting victims. Two MLAs (Nathan Neudorf and Angela Pitt, both from urban areas) were tasked with leading a working group to review gaps in VSU service.  The Alberta Justice and Solicitor General (JSG) also replaced financial benefits for victims with an interim program while a new victims’ assistance model was developed. According to the Ministry’s 2021-22 annual report, 59% of the $64.7 million spent from the Victims of Crime fund went toward public safety initiatives. About one-third, or $21 million, was allocated to victim services organizations. Only 8.5%, or $5.5 million, went directly to victims. In 2018/19, before these changes were made, $19.4 million was spent directly assisting victims. 

• Alberta Municipalities strongly opposed these changes and worked with the Alberta Police-Based Victim Services Association to launch an MLA letter writing campaign, calling on the province to reverse its changes to the Victims of Crime Fund and provide ongoing, sustainable funding to victim services programs. 
• On July 19, 2022, the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General released a recommendations report after a limited consultation process and announced that the Victims of Crime Fund will again be used entirely for helping victims recover from their physical and psychological injuries and supporting them through the court process (but has yet to advise how the Act will be amended to reflect this change). The province is also expanding supports and providing emergency assistance when required. 

 
The new victim assistance program launched September 1, 2022 will: 

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

Alberta Municipalities published a newsletter article titled “Advocacy win: Province reverses changes to Victims of Crime Fund and supports” that celebrated the success of the advocacy to reverse the changes to the Victims of Crime Fund. While there is some good news worth celebrating, there is also cause for concern. Because of the nature of how the information was released, it is likely that Alberta Municipalities and its members may have missed the implications of additional elements of the July 19 announcement.  The “Recommendations on Victims Services” report contains 19 recommendations, one of which is to dissolve 62 local board operated VSUs across Alberta and shift to a zone model or to have municipalities take over service provision.  Another removes all support for victims of tragedy (i.e. sudden death, car accidents, and potentially even victims of non-violent crime). 
 
Multiple concerns exist with the current proposal and information shared to date including: 

• This change was recommended despite a lack of consultation with municipalities.  
• If municipalities were to take over service provision, there is no information on how long-term funding for municipalities would be guaranteed, so a likely result is another form of provincial downloading. 
• Nowhere in this report does it document any problems with the current service delivery model, nor does it consider keeping the current model as an option.  This, despite the fact that MLAs Neudorf and Pitt advise in the report that “organizations and people go above and beyond every single day to ensure victims are not alone. Your passion, commitment and dedication are an inspiration to all of us and truly make a difference in our communities.” 
• This consultation was not conducted by an independent consultant and as such, did not include gaps in provincial services created by the government’s closure of multiple VSU programs, prior to and during the consultation. 
• The report advises “victims’ needs should be the number one priority,” yet at no time during this three-year process were victims given the opportunity to provide input as to what their needs were. This is in contradiction to the provincial government’s own rights and protections afforded to victims under the  Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act that states the “needs, concerns and diversity [of victims] should be considered in the development and delivery of programs, education and training.” 
• An August 26, 2022, letter from Minister Shandro to Mayor Dueck (Town of Tofield) states that Alberta Municipalities attended engagements on the proposed changes and by all indications were comfortable with this approach. 
• The recommendations outline several program elements of concern because it is not clear if supports will be provided for the following: 
  • support for those who have to flee and require assistance;  
  • injury benefits for survivors with chronic issues or traumatic injuries; 
  • financial compensation for transportation to access health or legal services; and 
  • financial assistance for Indigenous cultural practices. 
• There is inadequate information on the transition, timing, or new program details. 
• Funding has been guaranteed for current programs until March 2023.  The redesign committee has asked for an extension to March 31, 2024, but that has not yet been granted.   
• The local paid VSU staff will be invited to apply to see what positions they could fill within the new model but there are no guarantees they will be hired. 
• If there is a reduction in the number of VSU staff (as the item above) or current, local VSU staff are not hired, there is a loss of community relationship and local expertise. 
• The funding model appears to be improved, but it also appears that new high paid positions are being created.  
• It is unclear if the new structure model could change the identity and function of local VSUs.  
• The zonal approach adds another layer of bureaucracy, but also further removes the funder from the victim. The proposal indicates that an Area Manager is allotted dollars based on reportable data and community size from regional bodies (zones), which is allocated from JSG.  In the existing model, dollars were provided to municipal police through JSG directly. 
• Currently VSU not only supports victims of tragedy but also connects these individuals with the Red Cross. This new model, which does not include victims of tragedy, also does not provide funding for this connection to other services. This will be a form of provincial downloading. 

 
For perspective, 2019/2020 was the last pre-COVID operational year for Bow Valley Victims Services, which supports Canmore and surrounding communities.  Under the new model, out of the 669 people assisted in that year, the following people would have received no help at all: 

• Sudden death - 106 people 
• Suicide and attempts - 62 people 
• Motor Vehicle Collisions - 47 people 
• Fatal Motor Vehicle Collisions - 2 people 
• Serious Accident/Illness - 13 people 
• Fire - 10 people 
• Mischief - 13 people 
• Break and Enter - 5 people 
• Theft/Fraud - 56 people 
• Mental Health /Public Assistance - 25 people 

This resolution is being brought forward as an emergent issue because the announcement was just made by the province on July 19, 2022, and it has taken some time for local victim services organizations to understand the extent and impact of the proposed changes and for them to alert their local boards and municipalities.  Information shared by the province to date indicates that current Victims Services Units are guaranteed current funding (until end of March 2023) with the potential for a one-year extension if necessary and budget approval is granted.  It is possible that implementation of these changes could be rolled out within six months and the new structure would begin with the April 2023 budget cycle.  To ensure timely advocacy, Alberta Municipalities is being asked to consider this resolution as an emergent issue.