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 Training Direct Support & & & Development Implementation Consultation

Research & Development

Research & Development Saskatchewan Missing Persons 123 long term missing persons Visible Minority 50 Aboriginal 45 Caucasian 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Male Female

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)

Research & Development What do families need? Hope Financial Assistance Service Delivery Police Response Media Relations

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 one

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 � opportunity 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

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