Elder Abuse Scope
About the Program
About our Partners
About the Issue
Best Practices
Legal Issues
Weaving the Web Conference report
Resources
Related links
FAQ's
Bibliographies
Resources on Elder Abuse in general
Recent Research
Definitions
EWA Newsletter on Older Woman Abuse
About Our Partners
EWA has a 25-year history of working on issues of violence against women. Our community partners in older women abuse project are Family Service Association of Toronto (FSA), Circle of Care (COC), the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) and the Toronto Police Service(TPS). They all have dedicated programs addressing issues of violence against women. Our community partners also have experience and knowledge in the area of older women and seniors in general.
Circle of Care (COC) has extensive experience in the outreach and recruitment, training and utilization of volunteers. They also provide support and intervention to older women and their families where abuse is occurring. They offer individual counseling, case management advocacy and therapeutic support. They also provide support groups in partnership with the YWCA and Family Service Association (FSA). COC's program will compliment this demonstration project by providing the support and intervention aspects that are needed with any education and training initiative that targets a group where there is limited access to support services available in the general community.
The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) brings to this partnership expertise in Elder Abuse. They are also the organization in charge of the Ontario Strategy to Combat Elder Abuse and are committed to working with us in the development of this model. ONPEA brings knowledge of networks of agencies and organizations in the Toronto area, an extremely knowledgeable staff and commitment to promote this issue among professionals working in the field of EA and violence against women (VAW). ONPEA also hopes to use the model developed in this project throughout the province in the 7 regions where it has representatives working as Regional Consultants.
Family Service Association of Toronto brings strengths in both the domestic violence and elder abuse fields to this project. Through their Violence Against Women program counseling supports, group work, education and outreach is provided to women in violent relationships. This team provides services to a diverse number of communities including Farsi speaking, Somali, Tamil and South Asian women. The Seniors and Caregivers Support Service Unit provides counseling, group work, support to older women and those who are concerned about their well being and have assisted a group of women who are survivors of abuse to form their own support group called STEAM (Supporting the Elderly Abused Mutually). In addition, they are active in attempts to influence policy in the area of service delivery. Another initiative in the area of elder abuse area is FSA's Elder Abuse Consultation Team (EACT). Developed in December, 2001 this team meets monthly to anonymously review cases of abuse occurring in the community. The mission of this team is to provide consultation on elder abuse cases by suggesting options that can improve the life situation of abused older adults. Team members include social workers, a geriatrician, a Crown Attorney, addictions specialist, housing worker, representatives from the Community Care Access Centres, Victim/Witness program, nurse, Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, older adults and so on.
COC and FSA also run groups for older women who have experienced abuse. ONPEA has commissioned studies on the needs of older abused women and has acted as a clearinghouse on issues of Elder Abuse for many years.
The Toronto Police have a unit dedicated to Elder Abuse as well as a unit dedicated to Domestic Violence.
The development of this page is made possible with the support of the Breaking the Cycle of Violence Grants Program at the CIty of Toronto.
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