Oswald Sawh, board member of Men Are Part of the Solution (MAPS), who has been working with the organization since its inception nine years ago, says if the provincial and federal governments don't help fund the program, it could be shut down as early as April 1, 2011.
MAPS held its annual general meeting at its new location at 27 Station Rd. on May 17. During the meeting, Marilyn Duval gave her president's report for MAPS, stating that the program has been in place in Thompson to help provide men with healthy alternatives for dealing with challenges in their lives that could lead to domestic violence.
"Research indicates that violence and abuse is a learned behaviour and that it can be unlearned," Duval says in her report. "Men who are attending the program want to stop being abusive and learn ways to build relationships of equality and mutual respect with their partners and families."
Duval points out that male abusers are 10 times as likely to have seen their fathers abuse their mothers growing up. She also says that children from violent homes have a higher risk of alcohol and drug use as well as juvenile delinquency, and that domestic violence is a contributing factor for teen runaways and homelessness.
The first of MAPS workshops dealing with such problems started last July with a program design developed by Duane Lesperence from the Men's Resource Centre at the University of Manitoba. The program focused on the pressures of masculinity, anger cues, communication skills, self-care, relationship loss, domestic violence and healthy relationships. Along with the group work, individuals in the program were also offered one on one counseling. Anyone who is on the waiting list at MAPS to take part in the group program also receives one on one counseling.
From July 14, 2009 to March 31, 2010, MAPS has had 36 intakes and numerous inquiries, with 21 clients completing the first phase by accessing group and individual counseling weekly.
"I have to stress that we need the community to advocate the governments, organizations and the public to place more emphasis on prevention programs," Duval says at the close of her report. "It is time that resources are in place to prevent violence in the homes that not only affects the families involved but the whole community."
This is a sentiment that board member Sawh echoes, saying MAPS is pushing for a long-term funding commitment from the provincial government and federal government to fund its operations. MAPS has seen federal funding from the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, the RCMP and the National Crime Prevention Strategy, and has also received funding from local organizations such as the Burntwood Child Centred Coalition; Neighbourhoods Alive!, the Thompson Community Foundation and the Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation; and the Homelessness Partnership Strategy.
Sawh says that about a year and a half ago MAPS met with the family violence prevention branch of Child and Family Services and submitted a written letter asking their department to fund the organization's operational expenses. The group looked through MAPS' proposal and put it in their budget requests from the provincial government for the 2010-2011 provincial budget, but Sawh says it was turned down by the Province of Manitoba for funding.
"We are going to continue to work with that department. They've already committed to putting our funding proposal again through for the upcoming year, but of course there are no guarantees that it'll be approved," Sawh explains.
MAPS representatives have also met with Steve Ashton, NDP MLA for Thompson, and plans to meet with Gord Mackintosh, minister for Child and Family Services, in the next few weeks in hopes he will take up the cause and lobby for MAPS. Sawh says he's also been in touch with the federal government via the RCMP and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to see what options there are for federal funding as well.
When it comes down to it, Sawh says that although he hopes the program would be able to go on for a long time, the fact is that without funding it could be finished as soon as April 1, 2011.
"We're currently in phase five of six, which is the testing of our program design. This phase is a three-year pilot," he explains. "We're into our second year of the pilot now, and that's why we're pushing to get one more full year of funding for 2011-2012. But the final phase was always intended to be a long term sustainable program."
Sawh says the only other option for men who are looking for counseling such as what MAPS provides comes through the Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA), which has a one year waiting list already.
"I tell people, how many lives could be destroyed if a guy is waiting for a year to get some sort of help, during those 12 months? ... I think having MAPS around will help lower those statistics that we're seeing about abuse. Let's face it, I mean, it's not a problem that's going to go away on it's own."
Blake Ellis, communications co-ordinator for the BRHA, released a statement to the Thompson Citizen outlining the family counseling services offered by the BRHA.
Currently, the BRHA has a family counsellor at the Burntwood Community Health Resource Centre (BCHRC) who offers couples counselling and counselling on domestic violence, anger management and more. According to the information Ellis released, there is currently an approximate one year wait time to access these services, but if a case is deemed to be emergent, "accommodations can be made" to see the counsellor sooner. The BRHA also refers male clients to MAPS or the employment assistance program offered by some workplaces in Thompson.
Also in the information Ellis released is the information that an outreach worker at the Thompson Crisis Centre is available at the BCHRC twice a week. Appointments are made to see the counsellor through the crisis centre.
