$500,000 investment in Victim Services Toronto helping ensure immediate access to services
TORONTO – The Ontario government is investing $500,000 in Victim Services Toronto’s new Exit Route program to help ensure victims and survivors of human trafficking and intimate partner violence are more quickly and seamlessly connected to the supports and services they need. Exit Route will give victims and survivors immediate access to case managers and social workers at the point of contact with police to provide better support during one of the most traumatic times of their lives.
“Connecting victims and survivors of human trafficking with the services and supports they need to heal and rebuild their lives is essential,” said Jane McKenna, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “By making access to case managers and social workers available at the point of contact with police, this investment helps victims and survivors more easily access the tools they need to begin their recovery.”
Exit Route will embed case managers and social workers from Victim Services Toronto within various Toronto Police Service divisions across the city, as well as strengthen relationships with local community organizations, to support victims and survivors of human trafficking and intimate partner violence, giving them immediate access to assistance.
“The impacts of human trafficking and intimate partner violence on its victims are devastating,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “This investment supports Victim Services Toronto’s Exit Route and programming that is vitally important to helping victims and survivors recover from these horrific crimes.”
This investment in Victim Services Toronto builds on the government’s recent announcement of $2 million in funding for the Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario (VCAO) Program, to provide immediate support for VCAO organizations to meet the growing demand for service. Increasing and enhancing specialized supports to better meet the needs of victims and survivors of human trafficking is also a key focus of Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy.
“Victim Services Toronto is extremely grateful to the Ontario government and all involved in making this funding possible,” said Bonnie Levine, Executive Director, Victim Services Toronto. “It will give Victim Services Toronto the financial resources to increase access to our services for victims of human trafficking, intimate partner violence and their children.”
Quick Facts
- Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide. Ontario is a hub for human trafficking, with the most police-reported incidents in the country in 2019.
- According to police-reported incidents, the majority (95 per cent) of victims of human trafficking in 2019 were women and girls.
- Women are four times more likely than men to be a victim of intimate partner violence.
- Victim Services Toronto serves over 20,000 individuals affected by crime and tragic circumstances per year. Exit Route will provide a more localized service delivery model for survivors of intimate partner violence and human trafficking across Toronto region.
- As part of the review of victim services, the government recently announced that nine programs, including the Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario program of which Victim Services Toronto is a provider, are being transferred from the Ministry of the Attorney General to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. While the same front-line services providers will continue to provide seamless supports, this change will foster a more coordinated approach to victim services delivery.
SOURCE Province of Ontario
Leave a Reply