Family violence a 'community issue'
Health department supports chief coroner's recommendations in Tuk murder suicide
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 14, 2013
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The health department says it supports recommendations from the chief coroner on preventing family violence, but says the issue involves everyone.
Sue Cullen, the deputy minister of operations with the Department of Health and Social Services, said the department will make changes to how family violence victims are screened in health centres, co-ordinate community responses to family violence and use social marketing to raise awareness.
But Cullen insisted it's not just the Department of Health and Social Services that plays a role in addressing family violence, it's members of the community and all forms of government.
"It does take a community to take action," Cullen said. "We need to ensure family violence is reported."
The response comes after the coroner's office submitted a report on the murder and suicide of a man and his common-law wife in Tuktoyaktuk in 2011.
Cathy Menard, chief coroner of the Northwest Territories, made three recommendations for the health department: to use a universal screening tool for family violence in health centres and emergency rooms; to co-ordinate community responses to family violence; and to support a social marketing campaign on family violence.
Cullen said the department spends about $3 million per year addressing family violence issues. It also plans to put about $100,000 into social marketing for family violence. While she mentioned health practitioners already screen for family violence victims, the department is researching ways to develop a new, more universal screening tool.
The department has five family violence shelters in the territory, she said, but it plans on creating community response teams in communities without shelters.
"When individuals are in crisis, there (could be) people in the community that have training and skills and know where to access support for those in crisis," Cullen said.
The community response teams could also be able to provide emergency shelter for victims of violence, she added.
"They would want to ensure that individual is safe and in a safe environment."
Cullen said the department will work closely with community partners, leaders and non-governmental organizations in addressing family violence in the Northwest Territories.
