Code words and hotel stays: Crisis agencies adapt to helping domestic violence victims in pandemic

Winnipeg crisis agencies have come up with new ways to help victims of domestic violenceduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

The West Central Women's Resource Centre offeredcode words women could say over the phone to tip off a support workerbut not their abuserif they need help.

The agency began sheltering women in hotel roomsthis spring if it was the safest option,and turned one staff person into afull-time supportfor victims of domestic violence.

Willow Place, Winnipeg's largest women's shelter,hired ahousing co-ordinator to find women shelter, andstarted a 24-hour text messaging crisis line.

Meanwhile,NorWest Co-op Community Health launcheda new phone line, which it wants to operate for the long term.

Agencies needed to be inventive to help people trapped at home with an abusive partner, said Lorie English, executive director of theWest Central Women's Resource Centre.

Self-isolation dangerous for victims

"When you tell people to stay home and to isolate, in cases where there is violence in the home, you're actually increasing the risk of the danger that they're experiencing there," she said.

"We had to get really creative about how we could give women avenues to ask for help without further increasing their risk of violence."

As one example, the centre developedcertain words or phrases an individual could recite over the phonethat said theyneeded help without saying the word.

"It was not a thing we had really been using before because most of the work we did with women was in person," English said.

They began offering hotel stays after securingextra funding. The centre realized that women needed more places to stay, after shelters temporarily limited capacity toadhere to physical distancing.

"What we have found is that some women succeed far more placed in hotels, and so we are hoping to be able to explore that as a continuing model," English said.

Her resource centre is assisting at least five new domestic violence victimsevery week, which is an increase from before the pandemic, she said.

At WillowPlace, staffslashedcapacity from 20-25 victims of domestic violence at a time to 17 people, saidexecutive director Marcie Wood.

While those limitations are in place, the shelter is witnessing a spike in the number of people calling the crisis line and seeking outreach programming.

She adds counsellors have a five-person limit on the number of outreach clients they can help, in addition to their duties answering the crisis line and helping people at the shelter.

"We've had to cap it at that just because theyjust can't manage to do anymore," Wood said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained families, and unfortunately, Wood said, that's likely bearingout in cases of violence. She said it's unfortunate that shelters don't have space to admit more people in crisis.

She hopes the shelter'snew housing co-ordinator, supported through a federal grant, will remove people from abusive situations.

Deena Brock, provincial co-ordinator at the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters, commended the shelters for adapting. They are striving to keep the guests separate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some group counselling had to be called off as a result.

She said the Winnipeg shelters were eerily quiet in the first weeks of the pandemic, but have either approached or hit their capacity ever since. It makesher wonder about the people being turned away, she said.

"When they're full, where do people go?"

Anyone facing immediate danger should call 911. Some other supports available in Manitoba:

• Manitoba government'sStop the Violenceprogram: 1-877-977-0007.
• Ikwe Widdjiitiwin 24/7 toll-free crisis line: 1-800-362-3344.
• Willow Place 24/7 toll-free crisis line: call 204-615-0311 or text204-792-5302.