Response to Violence program sees more than 150 people each week
By Danny Kerslake, CBC News Posted: Jul 05, 2017 11:50 AM CT Last Updated: Jul 05, 2017 11:50 AM CT
In Saskatoon, a special program to treat domestic violence perpetrators is showing a glimmer of hope that some positive change is happening in a province with the highest rate of that crime in Canada.
'I think there is an increase, but could it be for a good thing?'- Dawn Rain
The Saskatoon Health Region's Dawn Rain runs the Response to Violence team, an alternative to the justice system for people who plead guilty to domestic violence.
"When they get into this court system and it's therapeutic we know that it is going to help people," Rain said in an interview with CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.
"We are always on the cusp of what are best practices," she said.
Repeat offenders rarely seen by team
The raw data is daunting. Rain's team has more than 150 people enrolled in the program each week, working on many of the issues that contribute to domestic violence, including mental health issues and addictions.
"I think there is an increase, but could it be for a good thing?" Rain asked. "Is it that there is more awareness and more people are going through the court systems because the police are aware?"
One other positive sign, is that over the course of several years, Rain has only seen a handful of repeat offenders.
Still, she said there is much work to do to keep raising awareness and "getting the community educated and organized."
Rain would like to make it even easier for abusers to access therapeutic services through a central phone number or maybe a smartphone app.
With files from CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning