Saskatchewan Victim Services Victims Week Federal Symposium - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Saskatchewan Victim Services Victims Week Federal Symposium Vancouver 2015

Missing Persons Liaison

Missing Persons Liaison Research & Development Training & Implementation Direct Support & Consultation

Research & Development

Research & Development

Saskatchewan Missing Persons

123 long term missing persons

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Male Female Visible Minority Aboriginal Caucasian

Research & Development

Saskatchewan Missing Persons

Most missing persons go missing from rural areas in Saskatchewan:

• 80 missing from Rural
• 15 missing from Saskatoon
• 18 missing from Regina
• 8 missing from Prince Albert
• 2 missing from Estevan

Research & Development

Saskatchewan Missing Persons

For every missing person there is a minimum of 12 people who live with the loss There are at least 1,476 people missing a loved one in Saskatchewan Limited services within Saskatchewan that can meet the unique needs these families face

Research & Development

Why Do People Go Missing?

Choice Accident/Sudden Death Abduction Foul Play

Research & Development

Why Do People Go Missing?

Choice

Decision to begin a new life; cut ties with family, friends, work,

financial accounts

If located officers will ask if the family can be informed of whereabouts If denied, officers will only let the family know the person has been

located and is safe

Research & Development

Why Do People Go Missing?

Accidental/Sudden Death

Activity related accidents (hunting, boating, camping, hiking) Person may be presumed deceased but will be classified as missing until

located or remains recovered

Caucasian men more likely to go missing due to thrill seeking lifestyle Suicide/Dementia

Research & Development

Why Do People Go Missing?

Abduction

Children are most likely to be a victim Parental abductions are most common Stranger abductions are very uncommon Immediate reporting is critical Amber Alerts (if criteria are met)

Research & Development

Why Do People Go Missing?

Foul Play

No indication or means for the person to leave by choice Normal routine until missing Domestic Violence Aboriginal women more likely to go missing due to vulnerable lifestyle

(poverty, street worker, homeless)

Hope Financial Assistance Service Delivery Police Response Media Relations

Research & Development

What do families need?

Research & Development

Supporting Hope

Families of missing persons experience a loss that has no clear description

and no definitive end

Members within families may all be in different stages of Hope The support worker must be able to support Hope of each individual family

member

Hope takes many different forms throughout the search for a missing loved

• ne

Research & Development

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be required for short term needs:

Travel to search sites Food Lodging Printing posters Respite space Child care

Research & Development

Financial Assistance

There may also be a necessity for assistance and guidance with long term needs:

Mortgage/rent for missing persons home Utilities Taxes Loans

Research & Development

Family Tool Kit Provides families with the information they need to:

Understand the investigation process Deal with the media Create social networking pages to raise awareness Care for themselves Access community resources

Research & Development

Support Worker Response Guide The response guide provides support workers with tools to:

Effectively introduce and utilize the Family Tool Kit Engage families and support hope Access consultation services from the MPLs Locate and access community support services

Research & Development

Community Connections

Meetings with community agencies allows for:

Exploration of how the agency may meet the unique needs of the family Education and understanding of the missing persons process from the

family perspective and what is being done to offer assistance

• pportunity for discussion on future services and how to reach out on a

local and provincial level

Canadian Committee for Supporting Families of Missing Persons

Implementation & Training

Implementation & Training

Meetings with Law Enforcement Saskatchewan Provincial Training Agency Meetings

Implementation & Training

Meetings with Law Enforcement

Description of MPL best practices Review of Referral Protocol Discussion surrounding historical cases

Implementation & Training

Saskatchewan Provincial Training

Provided to all Saskatchewan Police-based Victim Services employees Initial Round of training in 3 locations Last Round of training in central location

Implementation & Training

Agency Meetings

Seek out resources for families of missing persons Educate communities about MPL program and Saskatchewan missing

persons

Encourage counselling agencies to include specialized counselling for

Ambiguous Loss

Direct Support & Consultation

Direct Support & Consultation

In accordance to the Missing Persons – Police Referrals to Victim Services in Saskatchewan Protocol, the missing persons case will be:

Suspicious or unusual in nature Involve Major Crime Unit investigation Require Search and Rescue Have distraught family/involved persons that need support Have a family/involved person who requests help from Victim Services

Direct Support & Consultation

Supporting families of missing persons

Assist and support families of missing persons Liaise between families and investigators Provide information and referral services

Specialized counselling Saskatchewan Presumption of Death Act Federal Grant for Parents of Missing and Murdered Children

Consult with internal resources:

• Aboriginal Resource Officers
• Cultural Units
• Volunteers

Direct Support & Consultation

Supporting families of missing persons-Referrals Agencies providing services to families of missing persons need to be

Accessible Accommodating Flexible Timely Culturally sensitive

• Immigrant population
• Higher rate of aboriginal women go missing

Direct Support & Consultation

Cultural Supports

Elders Cultural units Community

Immigrant outreach services Aboriginal traditional teaching/healing

Direct Support & Consultation

Families may require specialized counseling that addresses the unique form of loss they are living with What is Ambiguous Loss?

The missing are physically absent yet psychologically present to the

family

There is no confirmation that the missing loved one is deceased, will

return or that the family will be able to return to the way it once was

Direct Support & Consultation

Provincial Consultation:

Consultation on a file that meets the criteria of the Referral Protocol Provide guidance to support staff on direct response best practices Tool kits/Support guides Information on engaging families Ideas for supporting hope and dealing with ambiguous loss Assistance in connecting resources and closing gaps in services

Rhonda Fiddler Regina Victim Services rfiddler@reginapolice.ca 306-777-6372 Chezanne Shewchuk Prince Albert Victim Services cshewchuk@papolice.ca 306-953-4357 Dorthea Swiftwolfe Saskatoon Victim Services dorthea.swiftwolfe@police.saskatoon.sk.ca 306-657-8667