Aboriginal Outreach Specialist (Details)

Name of province/ territory:

Alberta

City/ Region:

Alberta

Description of Initiative:

In response to the over-representation of Aboriginal people as victims of crime, the Victim Services unit of the Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General initiated the Aboriginal Outreach Specialist program. The Ministry hired a specialist to perform outreach services for Aboriginal victims of crime who reside on-Reserve or on a Métis Settlement. The Aboriginal Outreach Specialist provides a culturally senstive, victim-centered approach, offering immediate crisis response and referrals to appropriate resources and services. The Aboriginal Outreach Specialist also coordinates the initiative and performs the necesssary adminitrative duties.

Initiative Key Objectives:

The Aboriginal Outreach Specialist program has several objectives:

  • enhance services and responses to meet the needs of under-served Aboriginal victims of crime and their families, and increase access to services, particularly within the justice system;
  • increase capacity to deliver victim services to under-served victims of crime;
  • develop new approaches to help victims (particularly the under-served) and deliver services; and
  • Increase the participation of Aboriginal victims in the criminal justice process.

Section Responsible for Implementation:

Victim Services

Key Contact:

Tracey Makokis

Groups/ Agencies/ Key Partners Involved:

  • community groups
  • other police services
  • other government departments/agencies

Level of Involvement (consultative - information sharing) and/or cooperative - direct involvement):

The local non-profit board that governs these victim services entities AND the police services are cooperatively involved.

Amount of Time Initiative has been in Place:

The program began in 2007 as a three-year pilot and has continued as a regular program.

Reason for Undertaking the Initiative:

There was a need for some dedicated funding for enhanced services, but the victim services units who received the funding were at (or close to) the maximum grant provided by the Alberta government.

Resources Required to Implement this Initiative:

The cost of establishing this program was not significant and mainly involved salary and supervision for one additional full-time-equivalent position. This program is operating under a five-year funding grant from the Department of Justice Canada. When the five-year funding expires, this outreach approach may be funded through the Alberta Victims of Crime Fund.

Method of Implementation:

Pilot project.

Key Outcomes of the Initiative:

Key objectives have been met. Barriers to service provision were addressed, and there was a definite increase in the use of the services. As a dedicated presence in the community, the Aboriginal Outreach Specialist built trust and confidence with Aboriginal victims of crime. Longer-term benefits include an increasing number of victims willing to report crimes and greater victim involvement in the criminal justice process. Victims are also more engaged in support and healing activities and experience lower levels of distress.

Availability of a Communication Strategy:

Yes

Key Messages used to Publicize the Initiative:

We are developing a pamphlet for Victim Advocates on “promising practices for working with Aboriginal victims.” Key messages include the importance of establishing relationships, both with victims of crime and with key community contacts; the importance of a holistic approach that recognizes victimization generally does not occur in isolation but is connected to other factors; and the importance of a culturally sensitive approach.

Forms of Evaluation by which the Initiative will be Assessed:

  • summative
  • internal
  • qualitative
  • social return on investment

Evaluation Completed or Community Feedback Received:

Yes

Summary of the Outcomes:

Targetted mitigation of barriers to service provision increased access and use of services; and a dedicated presence in community built trust and confidence. Long-term impacts include more victims willing to report crimes; more engagement in support and healing activities; a reduction in the level of distress experienced by victims; and increased involvement in the criminal justice process.

Summary of the Performance Measure Data Collected:

N/A

Economics of Policing Pillars:

Further Details:

Given that Aboriginal people are over-represented as victims of crime, purposeful outreach provides a culturally sensitive, victim-centered approach that focuses on the provision of immediate crisis response as well as referrals to resources and services that make sense to that victim in their environment (more relevant and meaningful support within a holistic approach).

Additional Comments or Suggestions:

Alberta’s victim service model is volunteer-driven, however, it is very challenging to recruit and security-clear volunteers on-Reserve or on a Métis Settlement. A dedicated (paid) staff position addressed this gap.

Record Entry Date:

2013-08-01

Date modified: