Assistance for Victims and Survivors of Crime with Disabilities

Overview

In 2009, Statistics Canada reported that individuals with disabilities, both mental and physical, were at increased risk of violent victimization and of being repeatedly victimized compared to the general population. In 2015, Statistics Canada indicated that mental health was the second most influential factor associated with the risk of violent victimization. About 1 in 10 Canadians reported a mental health-related disability, a developmental or learning disability, or self-assessed their mental health as poor or fair. These individuals combined reported a rate of violent victimization more than four times that of people who self-assessed their mental health as excellent or very good.

Some victims with a disability are at increased risk of certain types of victimization compared to the general population of victims with disabilities. For example, women and children with disabilities, and women who live in institutions, are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault (Justice Canada, 2004).

The Government of Canada recognizes the unique challenges faced by victims and survivors of crime with disabilities. Given their increased vulnerability to victimization, it is important to help ensure that accessible and appropriate supports, services, and resources are developed and enhanced to respond to their unique needs in the aftermath of victimization.

Objective

The purpose of this call for proposals is to help address gaps where there is limited support and services, awareness raising, or research to benefit victims and survivors of crime with disability. Funding will be available to increase capacity where services already exist to support this vulnerable group; however, preference will be given to projects that help to address gaps.

To support this objective, the Government of Canada has allocated resources in the Victims Fund specifically for:

• projects that help to address gaps where there is limited support and services, awareness raising, or research for victims and survivors with disability, such as for women victims with disabilities and victims with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD);
• projects that help to address gaps where there is limited support and services, awareness raising, or research for victims and survivors with disability who have additional vulnerabilities to victimization, such as Indigenous victims with disability, women with disability, children and youth with disability, or elders with disability;
• projects that raise awareness about the impacts of victimization on persons with disability, their unique needs throughout the criminal justice process, and the services available to assist them;
• research projects that focus on issues facing victims with disability in the criminal justice system which have not already been done;
• projects to enhance the capacity of victim service organizations or other community organizations to provide services to victims with disability; and
• projects to set up and implement referral networks, partnerships, protocols, public-education projects and training to benefit victims with disability.

Who can apply for this funding?

Eligible applicants may include, but are not limited to:

• not-for-profit non-governmental organizations, including shelters, sexual assault centres, and other victim service organizations;
• community organizations who work with persons with disabilities;
• educational institutions;
• a municipal or regional government or agency; and
• bands and tribal councils and self-governing First Nations who are working to provide services and assistance to victims of crime in Indigenous communities.

This funding cannot be provided to individuals.

What selection criteria will be used?

As funding is limited, the following factors will be considered in order to prioritize funding applications and make funding decisions:

• The application form must be completed IN FULL and submitted by December 31, 2016;
• The degree to which the proposed project activities are aligned with the funding objective of addressing gaps where there is limited support and services, awareness raising, or research to benefit victims and survivors of crime with disability;
• The applicant must be:
  • a non-governmental organization,
  • an educational institution,
  • a municipal or regional government or agency, or
  • a Band, Tribal Council or self-governing First Nation.
• The degree to which an application demonstrates collaboration and partnerships between various community organizations and/or the establishment of networks or advisory bodies to coordinate the work being proposed, minimize duplication in a given community and share results widely; and
• The degree to which the proposed project activities promote innovation and creative ways to enhance criminal justice system responses to victims with disability and increase their confidence in the criminal justice system.

What are Eligible Expenses?

Funding will be available between February 1, 2017 and March 31, 2019. The Victims Fund will consider single year projects or multi-year funding for up to 2 years. The Victims Fund will make up to a total of $250,000 available for each year with an anticipated maximum of $50,000 available per year for each project. Funding from the Victims Fund can be used for the following types of expenses:

• Wages and benefits;
• Rental or leasing of space and equipment;
• Consultant and/or contractor fees;
• Reasonable operating expenses;
• Reasonable materials and supplies;
• Professional services (such as legal advice, counselling, training programs, skills development); and
• Evaluation and audit costs.

What is Ineligible?

Funding from the Victims Fund cannot be used for:

• The purchase of land, buildings, vehicles and most capital expenditures;
• Project costs incurred before the agreement is approved;
• Core operational expenses;
• Costs not related to service delivery;
• Services or activities already funded or delivered by organizations or government departments; and
• Entertainment fees, alcohol, sponsorships, gifts and souvenirs.

When is the deadline to submit a funding application?

The deadline to submit a funding application for Assistance for Victims and Survivors of Crime with Disabilities is December 31, 2016.

How to Apply for Funding

To submit a request for funding, please complete the Application/Proposal Form: HTML Version. The funding application form requires that you provide overview information on your organization as well as project details included partnerships, a work-plan and a budget. Please ensure a complete response is provided to all questions.

Points to Consider

Please note that funding is limited, and therefore, not all eligible proposals will be funded. The Department of Justice thanks you for taking the time to complete and submit an application for funding.

Gender-based Analysis

When preparing your funding application, please clearly articulate how your proposed activities will impact women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, queer, intersex and two-spirited (LGBTQQI2S) and gender non-conforming people. Also, please indicate if your proposal will have a greater impact on the experiences of survivors of sexual violence from another vulnerable population in addition to the population of persons with disability. Please be sure to analyse your proposed approach and activities to avoid unintentionally creating barriers to services for other vulnerable groups.

Evaluation

Please be sure to include an evaluation plan as a part of your funding proposal. A completed evaluation will be a mandatory deliverable and reporting requirement upon completion of each project, and final payment will not be released until it has been received by Justice Canada. Up to 10% of the total amount of funding requested should be allocated towards the development of an evaluation framework and the completion of a final evaluation to be shared with Justice Canada, partners and other relevant stakeholders.

Official Languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitating the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:

• outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs; and
• encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.

Sustainable Development

The Department of Justice encourages applicants to submit proposals electronically. If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.

For more information about the Victims Fund and how to apply for project funding, contact us:
Victims Fund Manager
Telephone: General Victims Fund: (613) 941-4193
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca
Programs Branch
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H8