Dalhousie Student Union Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line Service Review Report Submitted by D. Rose Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Operation and Logistical Components 5 Volunteer Recruitment, Training Retention 7 DSU Sexuai Assault Harassment Phone Line Evaluation 10 Survey Questions 10 Appropriateness of the Referral Process and Referrals 11 Quality Assurance Standards and Processes 11 Consistency of Service -. 12 Accessibility of Service 13 Limits of Confidentiality 13 Level of Support available for volunteers 13 Campus Safety Considerations 13 Process regarding the collection, use, storage and destruction of personal information and confidential Data 13 Phone Line Statistics September 6 2015-April 25, 2016 14 OVERALL RECOMENDATIONS 16 Training Recommendations 16 Volunteer Recruitment Retention Recommendations 17 Accessibility of Service Recommendations . 18 Limits of Confidentiality?Duty to Report Recommendations 18 Process regarding the coilection, use, storage and destruction of personal information and con?dential Data Recommendations 19 Summary 21 Appendices lialhoizsie Student Union Sexuai assault 8: Harassment Phone Line Executive Summary Over the last three years, there have been a number of high profile examples of rape culture in Haiifax. Beginning with the rape chant?, promotion of underage girls which became international news, following was the rape, harassment and death of high school student Rehteah Parsons, also in 2013. In 2015 the misogynist, homophobic and rape related comments in the Dalhousie Schooi of Dentistry Gentleman?s Club Facebook Group made headline news. Additionaliy, in 2015 the media reported pictures on the male-only lnstagram account "Dai Jungle", including one of the young women engaged in a sex act (with no indication that she had consented to the picture or post) In the lead up to orientation week of 2014 members of 050 societies decided there wasn't enough being done to support people who had experienced sexualized violence. The group decided a phone line was the best option. After a few weeks working towards the 0-week launch, unfortunately, there wasn?t the capacity of resources to launch a phone iine that fali. The group opted instead to get first responder training for front-line staff and host a panel on rape culture. The Dalhousie Student Union Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line opened on September 6, 2015 to April 25, 2016, when it went on summer hiatus. A call for an externai service review was issued and potential interested parties were contacted and asked to submit their proposal by March 2016. The party was selected to perform the review on March 14, 2016. During the summer the working group spent time researching what the phone line would look like and by August, the group had funding to run a pilot project and hired a Phone Line Coordinator. This report will give an account of the following: 0 Operation and Logistical Components 0 Volunteer Recruitment, Training Retention II Statistical anaiysis of cails Volunteer Survey Feedback 0 External and Internal Referral Feedback - Overall Recommendations Best practices that are presently used and those that should be implemented are highlighted throughout the report. Introduction There have been several high profile examples of rape culture in Halifax in recent years. 0 in the fall of 2013 the rape chant?, which promoted sexual assault of underage girls became international news. a The rape, harassment and death of high school student Rehtaeh Parsons became public in the Spring 2013. In the fall of 2014 the misogynist, homophobic and rape-related comments in the Dalhousie School of Dentistry 2015 Gentleman?s Club Facebook Group made national headlines. I In the winter of 2015 the media reported covered pictures featured on the male-oniy instagram account "Dal Jungie", including one of a young woman engaged in a sex actlwith no indication that she had consented to the picture/post) Phone lines that respond to sexualized vioience are a common tool used to support people who have experienced assauit and to combat rape culture. Many universities, rape crisis centres, cities, municipalities or towns across Canada have phones lines. in the lead up to orientation week of 2014 members of DSU societies decided there wasn?t enough being done to support people who had experienced sexualized violence. The group decided a phone line was the best option. After a few weeks working towards the 0?week launch, unfortunately, there wasn?t the capacity of resources to launch a phone line that fall. The group opted instead to get first responder training for front-line staff and host a panel on rape culture. The Sexualized and Gender?Based Violence Working Group was formed having their focus set on: A sexual assault reporting policy . Deveioping new materials that promote consent 0 A sexual assault phone line1 After a year of meeting, the Phone Line sub-working group kicked into high gear May of 2015. During the summer the working group spent time researching what the phone line would look iike and by August, the group had funding to run a pilot project and hired a Phone Line Coordinator. Daihousie Student Union Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line 1 Accessed (April 10, 2016) The service was funded by the Dalhousie Student Union with support from, Dalhousie University, Daihousie Student Unions Societies and Offices. Below is a chart depicting all funders involved. Dalhousie Facuities Unions Nova Scotia Public interest Research Group (NSPIRG) Heaith Professions Kings Student Union South House Social Work SEIU Equity 8i Accessibility Office Dentistry PSAC Loaded Ladie OUTLAW DLFA The Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line came out of recognizing that there was not enough support for survivors on campus and it was evident the need was there. The phone line was created to: 0 Believe people who have experienced sexualized or gender based violence - Help build a positive reporting culture on campus - De?mystify the current supports in place within the university and in the community - Help build capacity and visibility of fighting back against rape culture . Provide a peer to peer service that is confidentiai and anonymous where there is no pressure to report or take action in anyway . Be available 24/? The working group/communication members attended functions throughout campus providing students with information (ie. magnets, fiyers) to promote the line as it was noted that most sexuaiized violent acts happen during week.2 Operation and Logistical Components Logistics The Phone line operates with two cell phones (phone line service provider is Eastlink) 0 Phone ii 1 is used by volunteers and is the primary phone 0 Phone ii 2 is a back?up phone in case a volunteer is late, misses a shift or misses a cali, particularly in transition (pick up and drop off) best practices ensuring the line is always available to callers Following best practices to ensure caliers never receive a busy signal, the calier would be greeted by this voice mail message: 2 information provided by the Working group You have reached the Dalhousie Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. We are so sorry to have missed your call. All of our volunteers are currently taking calls on the other line. Please call back in 5 to 10 minutes and the line should be free with a volunteer available to take your call. if you have experienced a sexual assault in the last 5 days you can call the Avalon Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner line at 902-425-0122 lf you require mental health support you can call the Mobile Mental Health Crisis Team at 902- 429-8167 if you are a Dalhousie student you can call security at 902494-4109 Thank you for calling. Schedule Shift times and will vary based on voiunteers? scheduies but the standard shifts are: a 8:00am-2:00pm or 9:00am-3:00pm - 2:00pm-8200pm or 3:00pm-9200pm . 8:00pm~8:00am or 9:00pm?9:00am 3 shifts per day seven days a week 21 shifts per week to ensure coverage The schedule stayed more or less the same from week to week, with a few small adjustments as needed. The schedule is posted each Thursday notified by email as a Schoology alert. Phone Pick-up/drop-off The volunteer will then have to fill out the sheet at both the beginning and end 0 the shift. Backup Plan if the phone is late being picked up or dropped off. If they can't wait, or they have been waiting more than a few minutes, they have two options caii the line itself and see if someone picks up, or contact the coordinator and ask the coordinator to track down the phone. Usuaiiy the volunteer with the phone is a few minutes away from campus and running late. in a couple of cases the info desk had been closed because of construction, the phone was left in the custody of the night/weekend building manager. These managers are approved for taking charge of the phone, but tend to move around the buiiding when they?re on duty, the coordinator has all their numbers in case the coordinator or volunteers need to track them down on an evening or weekend. The volunteer with the phone can aiso contact the coordinator and ask to arrange a later handoff with the next votunteer. They?re usually quite good about letting the coordinator know ahead of time if they need this (for example, because of a holiday bus schedule). 3 Volunteer Recruitment, Training 8: Retention Recruitment: Recruitment for interested participants: . Posters were distributed and hung in areas around campus 0 Flyers/handbilis that are used and handed out when the DSU or society partners (iike South House) attend events on campus or in the community. . The DSU also promotes the phone line through various channels for student communication, including social media. 0 Additional information could be found on the home page of the Dalhousie Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. Training: Volunteers who work the line have a minimum of 30 hours of training. Online training modules that are completed before in-person training topics include introductions to: . Dalhousie Context and Phone Line History . Rape Culture 0 Consent Culture Anti-Oppression Terms . Sexual Assault, Consent and the Law One full weekend of in-person training (full days Saturday and Sunday) major topics in in?person training covered were: Skili based workshopsincl?uded: . Understanding Consent Cultural Competency 0 Active Listening 0 Trauma Informed Care 0 Seif-Care Practice Calis: Ali volunteers that work the line will have had the opportunity to do practice calis including one with the Phone-Line Coordinator or a member of the Phone?Line Working Group 3 Information provided by Line Coordinator First Round of Training ~August 29 August 30 Two days of very intense training were held, start and end time were 9:00 am -5:00 pm, with scheduled breaks. The initial training was Saturday August 29 and Sunday August 30, 2015. Approximately 80 people registered for August training, and at least half of them attended part of the training weekend. Several committee members (most of who are D50 or society staff) were also trained at this time. Time was allotted for debriefing purposes on the second day. Several follow-up days for volunteers to practice calls were held following the training. It was mandatory to attend both sessions to continue on as a volunteer on the line. The line opened on September 6, 2015 to receive calls. 35 people completed the entire training process and were qualified to become operators (not ali of these went on to Operate the line) 11 continued volunteering this semester after the new group completed training. Second Round of Training ?January 23 8. January 24 70 were registered for the 2 day training session in January, 60 participated on the second day of training At least 30 participants followed up after the training weekend and came to practice call sessions. 19 new volunteer operators joined the line this semester. Several volunteers felt they did not have the capacity to commit to becoming an operator because of personal needs or outside commitments Some of the volunteers decided to support the line in other ways - a few did phone line promotion on campus or social media, and one is joining the new student?led organizing committee for the iine. Both August and January training sessions had similar training modules with the exception of the GS Sexism training that was added to the January schedule. To work the line volunteers must obtain a police background check and sign a confidentiality agreement. Dalhousie would reimburse the cost for Dalhousie Students once the participant submitted a receipt. All volunteers that work the line will have had the opportunity to do practice calls including one with the Phone-Line Coordinator or a member of the Phone?Line Working Group. Although the training was rigorous and intense with knowledgeable guest speakers, some training gaps that were identified. Volunteers who work the line are key to the service, but if the volunteer is not comfortable working the line or making the time commitment other opportunities are made available that may be more suitable to their comfort level (ie. outreach to students with the DSU street team at events and on campus, put up posters or spread the word on social media)4 4 information provided by Line Coordinator Volunteer Retention This graph represents volunteer retention, based on approximate numbers only, provided by the Line Coordinator IAugust IJanuarv 10 0 I I Participants a of ll Completed it Active Line Registered Pa rticpants in Training Volunteers for Training Training A survey was prepared inviting volunteers to participate and was posted on the Dalhousie Schoologly website. 15 volunteers have submitted responses, however; the date for final submission was April 21, 2016. The line coordinator sent emails encouraging volunteers to participate. 0811 Sexual Assault 84 Harassment Phone Line Evaluation Thank you for supporting the Dalhousie Student Union's Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the DSU Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line from the volunteer prospective and experience. This survey is anonymous; please take it only once and do not enter your personal information. Please return completed before April 21, 2016. We really appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey, your input is extremely important to the continued success of the line. Survey Questions 1.Are you a past or current volunteer? 0 Past Volunteer 0 Current Volunteer 2.!f you're a past volunteer - how long did you volunteer? 123456months 3.lf you're a current volunteer - how long have you been volunteering4.Where you able to fulfill your volunteer commitment of one shift per week? . Yes 0 NO . Most of the time 5. Would you have preferred another training option? Weekday evening training sessions spread over a 2 week period or continue the way it is? 0 Spread over a 2 week period (Weekday evenings) 0 Continue the way it is (full day Saturday Sunday) 6. What size training groups would you have preferred? . 10 ?20 participants . 20 - 30 participants - Doesn't matter 7.if you have discontinued volunteering, can you briefly describe why? (ie. not enough time, schedule changes, etc.) 8. What changes could be implemented to improve your overall volunteer experience? 10 9. Did you feel confident and prepared to take calls? or Not con?dent or prepared Somewhat confident and prepared 0 Very con?dent and prepared 10. Do you feel supported by your peers, the coordinator and committee? 0 Yes a N0 0 Somewhat . Other 11.P ease feel free to add comments in the field below that may help improve volunteerism Please see Appendix A Appropriateness ofthe Referral Process and Referrals External referral service providers were contacted via email, introducing the service reviewer and sending a password protected excel Spreadsheet containing several questions regarding the gathering of information for the purpose of the review. The password was sent in a second email for security purposes. The questions are provided below: 0 Has anyone disclosed they were referred by the Dalhousie Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line? If so, was it an appropriate referral? If so, how many calls have you received? Is the line seen as a valued service? Do you have any recommendations you'd like to share? Any feedback regarding the line would be appreciated The external services providers were asked to complete the questionnaire and return by April 29, 2016. internal services of Dalhousie University will be contacted with the same questions and process with an extended completion date by May 5, 2016. (password protected spreadsheet) Please see Appendix 8 Quality ftssui?ance Standards and Processes To ensure quality assurance is in place, and volunteers are providing a service of excellence, it would be recommended that ?ghost calls? be performed periodicaliy/ randomly on each volunteer, this would also provide information if referrals are appropriate. Volunteers should be aware of this measure and assured that it is in place as a support, not only for callers, but the volunteer. This would be a perfect opportunity to provide feedback to volunteers at different intervals throughout their volunteer experience. 11 Consistency of Service . The line was on hiatus during the Christmas break, the line closed at 4 pm. on December 18 2015, and reopened at 9 am. January 4 2016. The phone line is now on hiatus for the summer months. The last day of service was April 25, 2015. The web site now reflects the line was closed on April 25. 2016. If the line is phoned they caller will hear the following script: The Dalhousie Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line is closed for the summer, but there are other services in Halifax to help. you?ve experienced a sexual assault in the last 5 days you can call the Avalon Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner line at 902-425-0122 For information about Avalon ?5 therapeutic counseling call 902-4224240 If you need mental health support you can call the Mobile Mental Health Crisis Team at 902-429-81 6 7 Dalhousle students can call campus security at 902-494-4109 For peer support and informal referral to Halifax services, contact the South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre at 902?494?2432. Thank you for calling. We?ll be back in the fall. Dates for the next training sessions have not been confirmed. The working group would like to have volunteers trained and ready to start when student orientation begins. (MidsAugust) . International student orientation: August 29-31 . Able Dal orientation: September 1 . DSU orientation: September 3-5 During the month of March it was discovered that the phones were not in working order, for an unknown period of time (possibly a 2 week duration). Following best practices a phone testing procedure was implemented prevent this from happening in the future. An example of the ?phone line test?, found below: Testing procedure Ifyou have a phone of your own nearby, 1. Call 902-425-1066 from your phone Piease use it to test our phone at the 2. Pick up the line when it rings beginning of your shift. 3. Speak/listen (should only take a coupie seconds) Notify the coordinator as soon as possible if 4. Hang up You find a problem with your phone line. 5. Complete the form below Date Time Initiais Did it work? (please include a.m.fp.m.) Yes No 12 Accessibility of Service Anyone can access the service of the Dalhousie Sexual Assault and Harassment Line that may or may not be a student of Dalhousie. However; to access Dalhousie services that are available to the Dalhousie community you must be faculty, staff, or a student and possess a DalCard or a BOO number. Callers for whatever reason may want referrals to outside supports. Limits of Confidentiality Following best practices volunteers have the duty to report and follow the process below: Script: The volunteer answers the phone by saying, "Hello. Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. Are you over the age of 16? Because if you are under the age of 16, if you disclose any instances of assault or neglect, in addition to any identifying information, I am legally required to report it to Child Welfare Services. *It is the duty to report if anyone, child or adult, who discloses the abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 16 and provides the us with identifying information? Before we talk, I want you to know that have a duty to report the following to authorities: if you are planning to end your life or doing bodily harm to another person and/or if you disclose the abuse of neglect of someone under 16, otherwise this phone call is completely con?dential. Level of Support: available for volunteers Following best practices, debriefing is offered to all volunteers 24 hours a day! Volunteers should be reminded that it is helpful and healthy, especially after a difficult call to speak to someone. Volunteers are invited to attend a weekly debrief session held at the Student Union Building. individual debrie?ng sessions are available upon request. It would be recommend and following best practices the coordinator or someone assigned from the working group follow up with volunteers within 24/48 hours of taking a legitimate call. This will provide the volunteer opportunity to debrief and/or provide feedback. It would be an opportune time for the coordinator to express their appreciation and assure the volunteer they are truly valued. Campus Szitl?et'y (Ionsideralions Dalhousie Security is available 24 hours/7 days a week that are working towards a safer campus. Dal Security can respond to a crisis call on campus in a fairly short period of time (12 minutes or less) although phoning Dal Security does not equate to a phone call to the police. Tiger Patrol is available 7 days a week from 6:00pm to 1:30am and departs from the front entrance of the Student Union Building, or by request. This free shuttle service is available to students, faculty and staff of Dalhousie University. This service is ideal for Dalhousie volunteers for pickup or drop off of the phones/binder especially during the winter months with shorter daylight hours. Process regarding the collection, use, storage and desi.i?uctitm of personal ini?tmminim and Presently, all hard copies of the call log sheets are being kept in a locked desk drawer in the coordinators desk. Please see recommendations 13 Phone Line Statistics September 6 2015?April 25, 2016 These statistics reflect caller volume from September 6, 2015 and including April 25 2016, the last day of service before the summer hiatus Dalhousie Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line Statistics Sept. 2015-April 2016 ll of Repeat of Wrong of missed it of Hang- of Year Month ll of Calls Callers numbers calls ups Referrals 2015 September 7 1 1 2 4 2015 October 13 4 6 3 2015 November 5 1 1 3 2015 December 2 1 1 2016 January 2016 February 6 3 1 2 2016 March 3 1 1 2016 April - 7 1 2 1 Totals was noted that out of the 57 calls that were received 17 calls were legitimate cells, including the 2 repeat calls (1 in September 8( 1 in January) It should also be taken into consideration that during the month of March the line may have been down for approximately a 2 week duration. Spreadsheet developed by D. Rose Please see Appendix 14 Calier Statistics September 2015-April 2016 14 12 10 I: ll of Calls 8 I it of Repeat Callers 6 r2 it of Wrong numbers 4 I ll of missed calls 2 a: ll of Hang-ups 0 i it of Referrals .3, (7e The Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line Manual: Upon review of the document it was found to be an excellent guide for volunteers. The document content provides a wealth of information on many topics including, Rape Culture to terms and definitions and when to practice self-care. The manual also covers topics such as Active Listening, Anatomy of a Crisis Call, Protocols, Debriefing, Seif Care, Services, Resources and Referrals. It would be recommended that a number of those topics should be better covered in live training sessrons. OVER ALL RECOM ENDATIONS Training Recommendations: Based on training information that was provided and not to minimize the importance of the topics, it does appear that a number of topics covered were based on theory and services offered at Dalhousie University. The resource manual does address the services offered and the topics would not have to be included as part of the actual training sessions. it would be also recommended that other training modules should include ?suicide awareness/self harm? module, Grief Loss module, Child Protection Services and more awareness of other services (ie. 711, 211, Sexual Assault Services )across the province. For example having a 15 minute training session on ?supporting someone who has experienced assault? would not sufficiently cover the topic. Using a trauma informed approach ensures the line is providing support that is truly safe. Trauma approach recognizes that callers may have experienced trauma and provides an understanding of the ways it affects people. Trauma informed approach provides autonomy and does not re?traumatize. Suggested example oftraining format/possible content agenda (approximately 3 hour duration) Integrating the core trauma?informed principles within all of the training modules Introduction -Guest Speaker- a brief overview of the presenters? expertise, agenda (15 minute duration) to include: What does the service provide? 0 How does an individual access the service? a When is the service available? . What is the service area? I What age group, gender etc. are served? Training content to include: 1. Acknowledgement - basic understanding of how trauma impacts the life and behavior of an individual who is seeking the service. 2. Safety- providing a non-judgmental safe environment where the caller is believed and will feel . . open to disclosing traumatic events that have had an impact on their lives 3. Trust-building a rapport with individual seeking the service 4. Choice and control-Create opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control, choice and empowerment. 5. Compassion empathy- the ability to listen, putting yourself in the callers shoes. Hearing what they are really saying and respond accordingly. 6. Collaboration-working jointly with the caller developing safe coping strategies 7. with the caller the strategies they?ve used to get where they are today 16 0 Role plays- prepared in advance ?participants will be divided into small groups to practice. - Presenter /trainers 8.: ?gate keepers? should circulate around the room offering support and guidance during role plays. Participants tend to get ?stuck? or feel awkward. Exhibiting healthy boundaries throughout each training session, the volunteer must always remember it?s about the caller and not about themselves. 0 Use of reflective statements 0 How to redirect Re-group and debrief at the end of each training session. At this time the training evaluation form should be completed by each volunteer. During each training session and following best practices, it would be suggested that at least 2 ?gate keepers? be present. If someone should be triggered and has to leave the training area, a gate keeper would be available to leave with them, offer support and check on their well being. It would also be suggested that the training sessions host smaller groups (10?20 participants) providing a ?safer feeling ?environment, especially for someone that may disclose personal experiences Provide the guest speaker with the format, agenda and information that should be covered during their . session. The more prepared they are the more informed the volunteer will be. Workshop evaluations- a draft form was developed by 0. Rose to be distributed to volunteers after each training session to evaluate the workshop content and presenter. The feedback would also be shared with the presenter. This information will provide any short comings and improve the overall training experience. Please See Appendix The Resource manual that's provided to volunteers is well put together and covers topics such as Active Listening, Anatomy of a Crisis Call, Protocols, Debriefing, Self Care, Services, Resources and Referrals. It would also be suggested that a number of those topics would be better covered in live training sessions. - It was noted that Dalhousie funded ASIST training and Mental Health First Aid (Dalhousie employees and students), but was not accessible to all volunteers. It would be recommended that the training include ?suicide awareness/self harm' module, Grief Loss, and a module on Child Protection Services be added to the tr?aining. More awareness of other services (ie. 711, 211, Sexual Assault Serviceslacross the province. Website ltecommet?sdations it?s highly recommended when the line is going on hiatus, the web site is updated to reflect the change in service. it would also be suggested that it should be posted at least 2 weeks prior to closure. Volunteer Recruitment 8; Retention Recommendations 0 To attract and retain more volunteers it would be recommended that volunteers are offered a letter of reference recognizing and acknowledging their volunteerism possible criteria: at least 3 months of consistent volunteering) 0 Having access to the Grad building second floor office does eliminate participants that may want to volunteer with mobility challenges. It was assured by the Line Coordinator that another location in the SUB building could be made available if that was the case. . Reaching out to the Dalhousie campus in Truro to promote the service 17 Staff Support it would be recommended that 3 person(s) be available to support staff/working group members. They, like volunteers may need or require an opportunity to debrief. Accessibility ol?Service Recommendations This support may not be familiar to volunteers ~Re ay Operators (711) The service supports communication by phone between hearing people and people who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or those with speech disabilities. Professionally trained operators act as intermediaries to facilitate the call. Relay operators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls placed through the Relay service are also entirely confidential. Relay operators follow a strict code of ethics. No record of conversation content is retained. 711 Relay Operator (most phone services ie. Bell, Eastlink provide similar supports) The caller would type a message to the relay operator who in turn would provide a voice for the caller to the volunteer. The volunteer would provide support or information to the relay operator who in turn would type the message to the caller. Limits ofConfidentiality-Duty to Report Recommendations in cases of suicide threats or child endangerment Following best practices, in a case of someone threatening to suicide or threatening to cause harm to another, it is the duty of the individual to report immediately to authorities. In cases of child endangerment it is also the duty of the individual to report even suspected cases. Child protection services are about protecting children under 16 from abuse and/or neglect while making every effort to keep families together. Under the Children and Family Services Act, designated social workers in child welfare agencies are required to assess reports of alleged child abuse and neglect. There are different kinds of child abuse: 0 Physical abuse The intentional use of force on any part of a child's body that results in injury. 0 Emotional abuse Anything that causes serious mental or emotional harm to a child, which the parent does not attempt to prevent or address. a Sexual abuse The improper exposure of a child to sexual contact, activity or behaviour. - Neglect Any lack of care that may cause significant harm to a child?s development or endangers the child in any way. 0 Domestic Violence-a child witnessing domestic violence Everyone has the duty to immediately report to a child welfare agency even a suspected case, a child under 16 may be in need of protective services. Reports may be made anonymously. Once a report is made, child protection social workers access the information provided to determine an appropriate response. 18 If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, contact the child welfare agency in the area where the child lives. It is best if you contact the agency by telephone or in person. To find the child welfare agency in your area, please contact the agency or district office of the Department of Community Services nearest you for more information. Nova Scotia Child Protection (902)425-5420 After regular business hours 1-800?922?24345 it should be noted that in the Fall of 2016 the age of reporting will change to 19 years old. Thus far, no calls had to be reported to authorities, however an ?incident form? has been developed if a report had to be made, regardless whether it a call to 911, Child Protection Services or Mobile Crisis etc. the form was developed by the reviewer (D.Rose) Each volunteer should have hard copies of the 'incident form?. if an incident is reported the Coordinator should be notified as soon as possible. The form should be handed in to the Coordinator in a sealed envelope within 24/48 hours. The Coordinator will then follow up with the volunteer. Please see Appendix Following best practices, it would be advised that volunteers agree not to disclose to anyone they volunteer on the line. Secondly, it would he recommended volunteers use an alias when speaking to a caller. To ensure the safety of the volunteer-Halifax is a relatively small city, using an alias would provide a level of security for the volunteers making the volunteer less identifiable 0 To ensure a level of comfort to the caller-a caller may hesitate phoning the line knowing they could possibly speak to an acquaintance or classmate Process regarding the collection, use, storage and destruction of personal .information.and confidential Data Recommendations An alternative should be found to ensure and secure confidentiality (locked file cabinet in a locked room, if available) To date, no electronic collection of data is in place. The data collected from each call could be entered into a spreadsheet. A new sheet for each month would be suggested. Once the data is entered, then it could be saved to an external hard drive. The information compiled would provide statistical analysis of the line. The actual paper copies of the call logs could be scanned and saved to the external hard drive, which would provide more security, confidentiality and safe keeping. The hard c0py of the logs can then be shredded, they do not contain any personal information other that the time, date, comments and referral information. That same information would be then captured in the electronic log. Any other paper used during a call, should be shredded.(ie personal note paper, scrap paper etc) Using this same template a copy could be supplied to the volunteer in an electronic format and emailed to the Coordinator after each shift ended (password protected) No identifying information is contained in the template, confidentiality would remain intact, thus eliminating the use of the paper call log. 5 Accessed April 20, 2016 19 tioers ef?peration 8: PossiiJ-ie {Zitanges During the first year from September 2015 until April 25, 2016 the phone service was offered 24 hours a day 7 days a week, with the exception of the hiatus during the Christmas break. It was an ambitious goal reached by dedicated coordinators, the working group and voiunteers. Looking at potential changes to the schedule and what the service could look like if those changes were implemented. Taking a step back and condensing the hours of service, moving siowly as the capacity of the line grows wouid put less strain on the working group and volunteer compliment. A matrix was developed sighting the original schedule, other scheduie options, volunteer requirements, along with pros cons. Please see Appendix Recommendations Regarding Repeat Callers it would not be recommended that volunteers reach out to repeat callers for several reasons: 0 Potentially reaching out could cause harm as it would take away from the callers ability to feel empowered (they make the call when they need support) - Cailers may phone once and receive the support they need and move on Other callers may need ongoing support 0 in the 7 months of operation only 2 repeat cailers were noted Working Group?insights The outgoing working group provided a detailed letter giving an overview of how and why the Sexual Assauit and Harassment Phone Line Committee was formed. It went on to describe some of the and weaknesses of the committee and some of the lessons learned throughout the project, as well as their intentions moving forward. By taking this valuable information that was provided by this dedicated group, implementing their findings and suggestions will lead to the successful continuation of the Dalhousie Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. The ietter in its entirety is attached as a pdf. document. ?ttirtiitionai Resources i?tecotnmettdatieits Resource Manual Antigonish Women?s Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association The Antigonish Women?s Resource Centre and SASA provides services to individual women and adolescent girls that include crisis and ongoing problem?solving support, information, advocacy, accompaniment and referral. Services and programs are designed to provide a comprehensive approach to problem solving and are delivered in a manner that promotes self-awareness, independence, and individual decision-making. (902) 863-6221 antigonishwomenscentre.com RCMP non Emergency 902?8636500 20 Colchester Sexual Assault Centre The Colchester Sexual Assault Centre (CSAC) is a non-profit, community based organization dedicated to strengthening and empowering survivors of adult sexual assault (ASAiand/or child sexual abuse (CSA) who are aged 16 and over. All programs and services are equally available to all genders. {902) 897-4366 colchestersama Truro Police 902-895-5351 Pictou County Women's Resource Sexual Assault Centre At the Pictou County Women?s Resource Sexual Assault Centre, we work towards a society that offers women a sense of empowerment, choice, and greater control over their lives. We have a long history of community development, working alongside many community and government partners to initiate necessary services and programs. We offer support and advocacy for individual women, and are a member of the Pictou County Sexual Assault Response Team. Phone (902) 755?4647 Fax: (902) 752-2233 503 South Frederick Street New Glasgow, NS BZH 3P3 email: pcwc@womenscentre.ca New Glasgow Police non emergency 902-755?8353 Stellarton Police non emergency 902-752?6160 211 Nova Scotia By dialing 211 or visiting the 211 website, users can easily and quickly connect to the community and social services they need, anywhere in the province, regardless of where they're located. - See more at: scotia/about 21 Summary When connecting with the outgoing working group it is was very evident, how dedicated and compassionate they were. They wanted to create a safe place for survivors to connect for support, a place where a survivor wouidn't be judged or told what they should do. Building trust, a gap, using a collaborative approach, resulted in a successful 1St year for the phone line. Ways to effectively meet goals in the future: 1. Develop a more structured caller directed training 2. Improving communication between the coordinator, volunteers and working group 3. Smoother transition of phones and information 4. Improved communication and education within Dalhousie faculty and staff 5. Implementation of additionai protocols statistics, incident reports, workshop evaluations) 6. Engage the community (services outside of Dalhousie) 7. Continuing work to build capacity 8. Continued development around preventative measures (safety, consent awareness etc) 9. Take into consideration the comments and suggestions made by the outgoing working group 10. Take into consideration concerns and comments found in the Volunteer Survey 11. Take into consideration concerns and comments from the Internal External referral services The working group, coordinator, volunteers and staff that were involved have done an amazingjob undertaking such a huge task and doing it weli. in conciusion, through the generosity and support of funders, the new incoming student lead group, it would be strongly recommended that the phone line continue as it is seen as a much needed service. 22 AppendixA DSU Sexual Assault 8: Harassment Phone Line Evaluatioanesponses Thank you for supporting the Dalhousie Student Union's Sexual Assault and Harassment Phone Line. The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the DSU Sexual Assault Harassment Phone Line from the volunteer prospective and experience. This survey is anonymous; please take it only once and do not enter your personal information. Please return completed before April 21, 2016. We really appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey; your input is extremely important to the continued success of the line. Are you a past or current volunteer?(15 responses) 0 26.7% were Past Volunteer that responded to the survey 0 73.3 were Current Volunteer the responded to the survey I Past Volunteer Current Volunteer I of Months Volunteering I of Volunteers 23 If you're a current volunteer how long have you been volunteering?(12 responses) 3(25%) 2 (153Where you able to fulfill your volunteer commitment of one shift per week?(15 responses) . No 0 Most of the time 406.7%) 1234567891011 Would you have preferred another training option? Weekday evening treininsaseieasagreed. .overezesels petiegor continue the it W15 responses) I Volunteers would prefer training as is It Volunteers would prefer it over a 2 week period What size training groups would you have preferred?(15 responses) 0 33.3% thought 10-20 participants would be a good size group number a 6.7 96 thought 20-30 participants would be a good size group 66.7% thought group size didn't matter 24 Did you feei confident and prepared to take calls? Not confident or prepared 0 0% Somewhat confident and prepared 10 76.9% Very confident and prepared 4 30.8% Do you feel supported by your peers, the coordinator and committee? Yes 10 66.7% No 2 13.3% Somewhat 2 13.3% Other 1 6.7% If you have discontinued volunteering, can you briefly describe why? (ie. not enough time, schedule changes, etc.) it was very inconvenient to go to campus twice to pick up and drop off the phone a Training provided wasn?t adequate enough to give me the confidence to support someone in crisis. 0 Drop off and pick up of the phones was reaily unorganized and chaotic. The training provided, neglected to address many of the key issue. . Did not offer the best support for those on the phone lines InapprOpriate referrals Didn?t feel everyone was properly trained or trauma informed to be working the phone line. Training should have had more information on what is Sexual Violence Scenarios to help anticipate possible problems that couid ahead. No longer wanted to be connected to anything that couid potentially bring secondary trauma or risk hurting someone more because of lack of training. What changes could be implemented to improve your overall volunteer experience?l8 responses) 0 More options to participate in the training process . Reminders/confirmations to make sure everyone knows when they are supposed to pick up the phone 0 More training and practice calls, maybe listening to sample calls 0 More engagement with volunteers feedback from voiunteers regarding the line . The schooiogy platform is really awkward and off putting. Email newsletters would be better and simpler. Wider advertisement of the line, to increase cails It should be a 12 hour shift bi weekiy 0 Better training for crisis intervention - more rigid regulations for self care requirements 0 Options to do another practice call [perhaps each month), to maintain the skills 0 Instead of pick up phones use a service that forwards the number to our own phone. Sacha Hamilton has been successful doing this. This way we would make transitions smoother. - often had to wait 15~20 minutes for the phone to arrive at the start of a shift. 0 Longer training and more consistent. Trainings throughout to continue to strengthen the capacity of the group. 0 Mandatory check-ins to improve best practices if issues are arising to ensure the pilot consistently rte-evaluates itself. 25 Please feel free to add comments in the field below that may help improve volunteerism. Regular debrief and feedback meetings Way more promo The of?ce at the grad house was extremely noisy. People laughing, music playing loudly (net appropriate background noise for a caller to hear) Get down to the important stuff early in the training (role plays, scenarios) The idea behind the phone line is amazing and something Halifax needs. It wasn't properly though out or addressed main issues. Lots of emphasis on choices of the individuals who were calling the line, That was really great Too much time was spent making sure everyone was ok and not enough time on the difficult stuff. This work isn?t easy, why should the training be? Radical perspectives of the coordinators got in the way of useful or helpful training sessions 26 Appendix External and Internal Referral Service Responses The following questions were asked of both external and internal referral services. 1. Has anyone disclosed they were referred by the Dalhousie Sexual Assault 81 Harassment Phone Line? If so, was it an appropriate referral? If so, how many calls have you received? Is the line seen as a valued service? Do you have any recommendations you'd like to share? Any feedback regarding the line would be appreciated 33?5?wa Six external referral services responded to the questionnaire, with five internal referral services responding. The general feedback was as follows from external referral services as follows: . The line is seen as a valued service a Not enough awareness around the service 0 No more than 1 caller disclosed that they were referred - More transparency around the line itself Ii More specific training re: sexual assault internal services responded as follows: 0 The line is seen as a very valued service 0 Between 10-12 disclosed that they were referred by a volunteer on the line 0 The importance of normalizing peer to peer support I More awareness within the university (Staff 8: Faculty) . More marketing of the resource in residences, on and off campus a It added an option for students who don?t want to talk to somebody face to face 27 Appendix Dalhousie Sexual Assault 8: Harassment Phone Line Call Log 2015-2016 Call Call Volunteer Start End New Repeat Dal Missed Wrong Referrals Caller nte Shift Initials Time time . Caller Caller Student Calls Numbers Given Feedback Notes 28 Appendix WORKSHOP EVALUATION FORM NAME OF FACILIATOR: DATE: TITLE OF WORKSHOP: 1. How would you rate the usefulness of the contentHow would you rate the facilitators? knowledge on the subjectHow would you rate the facilitators? style of teachingHow would you rate the role play activitiesWhat did you find most useful about the presentation? Please explain. 6. What skills did you learn that may help you prepare to take calls on the line? 7. Additional comments/suggestions: 29 Appendix CALL INCIDENT REPORT FORM Please Print Date: Time am/pm Volunteer: What was the emergency? Please explain: Other Call Details: Circle to indicate what service the incident was reported: 911 HRM Police Child Protection =Mobile Crisis Did you report the incident to the Coordinator? YES NO Did you debrief after the incident? YES NO Signed by: Date: 3O Appendix Volunteer Shifts Requirement Pros Cons 24 hours-7 days per Requirement to Provide 24 hour consistent Pick up and drop off confusion week -21 shifts cover 21 shifts coverage Volunteer no shows 0 8:003m-2:00prn 21 Volunteers Optimum support for Relying heavily on the working 0 2:00pm-8:00pm Volunteer survivors group for coverage 0 8:00pm-8:ooam commitment 1 shift Equal amount of legitimate More hang-ups and wrong numbers per wk. 28 calls within the 24 hour time between the hours of 8:00am volunteers 1 shift per week approx. span 8:00pm Large volunteer requirement and commitment 2 shifts-one 8 hour shift?one 12 hour shift-7 days per week 0 12noon-8:00pm (8 hrs.) 0 8:00pm-8:00am (12 hrs.) Requirement to cover 14 shifts 14 Volunteers Volunteer commitment 1 shift every 2 wks. With 28 volunteers Less volunteer requirement Smoother phone exchange Overnight shift-drop off scheduled time at 10am, pickup before noon Less relying on the working group Less hang?ups and wrong numb Four hour gap ?no phone coverage Possible missed calls from survivors Less relying on the working group Not meeting callers expectations 1 shift Mon-Fri. 8:00pm- 8:00. 2 shifts Weekends and holidays . Mon-Fri. 8:00pm-8:00am Sat.&Sun. 8:00am-8:00pm Requirement to cover 9 shifts 9 volunteers (plus) *Holidays would have to be taken into consideration? Commitment 1 shift every 3 weeks with approx.28 volunteers Less volunteer requirement Only one phone pickup/drop offs weekdays and two scheduled on the weekends Less relying on the working Group less hang-ups and wrong numbers Grow with capacity Less support for survivors Not meeting callers expectations {shift ?one 12 hour shift-8:00pm-8:00am 7 days per week 0 8:00pm?8:00am Requirement to cover 7 shifts 7 volunteers Commitment 1 shift a month with approx. 28 volunteers Less volunteer requirement Only one phone pickup/drop off per day Less relying on the working Group Less hang~ups and wrong Numbers Grow with capacity Less support for?"survivors Not meeting callers expectations 2 Shits-two 6 hr. Shifts 12:00-6:00pm, 6:00pm- 12:00midnight Requirement to cover 14 shifts 14 volunteers- commitment 1 shift bi?weekly with approx. 28 vol. 2 pickups daily 1 at noon, 1 at 6:00pm. Less relying on working group. Less hang-ups/wrong numbers. Grow with capacity Less support for survivors Not meeting callers expectations 31