Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative (FVRI)

Brief Description

The Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative (FVRI) was established to address the high rates of domestic and family violence on Siksika Nation. Working in partnership with the RCMP Gleichen Detachment, this was accomplished by providing first responder services to perpetrators, victims and secondary victims, followed by referrals and case management to a comprehensive network of support services and programs.

Goals

The main goals of the Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative are:

• To reduce overall incidences of family violence, reported and unreported;
• To establish a formal network of response and support both on and off-reserve;
• To assist the perpetrator through the justice, treatment and healing process by drawing on social, cultural and clinical approaches to reduce the rates of recidivism;
• To assist the victim and secondary victims (witnesses) of family violence by offering cultural, emotional, mental and physical supports of programming and services;
• To develop effective, long-term approaches in responding to family violence calls by establishing strong working partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, service providers and community members-at-large; and
• To address gaps in existing responses to family violence by enabling the FVRI to attend calls with first responders to quickly and effectively assess and involve relevant services from the onset to closure.

Clientele

The appropriate clientele for the Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative are victims, perpetrators, Elders, family members (children & other household members and community) in the First Nations community. The historical, cultural, and spiritual legacy left by the removal of children from their homes and families, generation after generation, is an underlying reason why many First Nation communities experience a range of cultural and social issues today.

Core Components

Using a multidisciplinary approach coupled with intensive case management, the FVRI project provides a greater service capacity and partnership structure that reaches clients at the formative, preventative, and after stages of a family violence incident. The core components of the Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative include the following:

• A formal agreement between a First Nation and RCMP to attend incidents of family violence with officers in a first-response format (Siksika-Gleichen only); and
• Clients to the FVRI are referred only through the RCMP after receiving and responding to a family violence incident.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: The FVRI is administered through the Siksika Health Services (SHS). Siksika Health Services is a fully accredited non-profit corporation that offers a range of health care services to Siksika Nation and surrounding Wheatland and Vulcan counties.
• Partnerships: Limited information on this topic.
• Training and technical assistance: Limited information on this topic.
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

The Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative (FVRI) has been implemented in Siksika Nation (Alberta). The target groups include: victims, perpetrators, Elders, family members (children & other household members and community). Approximately 500 clients received direct and indirect FVRI service.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

No information available.

References

Alberta Community Crime Prevention Organizations. (2015). Social Return on Investment (SROI) Case Study: Siksika Family Violence Response Initiative (FVRI). Recipient of Safe Communities Innovation Fund, Government of Alberta. Available from: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/safe-communities-innovation-fund-pilot-project-executive-summaries 

For more information on this program, contact:

Siksika Health Services
Janice Doore
Telephone: (403)901-6442                                    
E-mail: janiced@siksikahealth.com