Moving from Practice to Policy

Moving from Practice to Policy

On February 15, 2018 Toronto West Local Immigration Partnership (TWLIP) delivered it’s city-wide forum in collaboration with other Toronto LIPs – Gender-based Violence is Everyone’s Issue to Address: “Moving from Practice to Policy”. This forum is an initiative of TWLIP’s Women Against Violence Action Group that aims to promote the message that gender-based violence is everyone’s issue to address, and to support local community organization to enhance their knowledge and build their capacity to address this issue.

“Moving from Practice to Policy” was a half day event targeted for managers and supervisors, executive directors and board members from outside the Violence Against Women (VAW) Sector. Participants were provided with the opportunity to gain useful information on the best practices of policies, protocols and guidelines that are currently being used in the VAW sector, and resources that can be implemented within their organization.

The forum started with a presentation by Phyllis Pascal, who is a motivational speaker and a survivor of gender-based violence. Phyllis spoke about her experience navigating systems of support. Following Phyllis’s presentation, Humberto Carolo, Executive Director of White Ribbon delivered a speech on the Importance of policies within non-profit sector pertaining to VAW.

Additionally, the following five panelists were invited to share their agencies’ best practices on policies and protocols, and tools that they use to guide staff to respond to clients discourse.

• Serena Nudel – Program Manager, Mental Health and Wellness, Access Alliance
  Internal Agency Policy: Assisting, supporting and protecting vulnerable clients from harm
  

• Vince Pietropaolo – Program Manager , COSTI
  Wife Assault/Woman Abuse Protocol

• Fatima Filippi – Executive Director, Rexdale Women’s Centre
  Protocol Development Outline
  

• Laverne Blake – Program Manager, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter
  Organizational Culture and dealing with discourse
  

• Talayeh Shomali – Justice Projects Coordinator, METRAC
  Liabilities to disclosures and confidentiality of disclosure

All participants also participated in a case scenario group activity to discuss: steps that an agency staff should take to respond to client’s disclosure; if their agencies have any policies, guidelines or protocols in place to assist clients who make a disclosure; and the changes they will make within their organizations as a result of the event.

The updated First response Toolkit for Frontline Staff was also presented to the participants.

Certificates of appreciation were presented to all presenters at the event.