Strathmore shelter here to help

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore’s domestic violence shelter has adjusted its operations to meet the realities of COVID-19, at a time when levels of domestic violence could be escalating, according to its chief executive officer.
Wheatland Crisis Society operates the Strathmore Shelter, a 25-bed domestic violence shelter in Strathmore that provides “safety, shelter, food, clothing, crisis counselling, referral and advocacy” for individuals and families impacted by family abuse or that are “in crisis.”
According to Wanda McGinnis, CEO of Wheatland Crisis Society (WCS), the threat of and response to COVID-19 prolongs, the incidence of domestic violence could increase.
“I absolute think we are going to be hitting a massive crisis in domestic violence reports,” she said. “Any time that families are under increased stress, domestic violence rates go up.”
COVID-19 is causing multiple sources of stress for Alberta families, she said.
“Not only do we have the concern of health with COVID-19, but we also have a loss of employment for a lot of Albertans,” said McGinnis. “We are going to see the impact of that as money in bank accounts runs out, bills are becoming due and the layoffs continue.”
The current public health crisis could also make domestic violence less visible and help less accessible.
“Under normal circumstances, all of us have responsibilities and expectations of where we are going to be on any given day,” she said. “When families are being asked to self-isolate, the expectations of someone seeing you, or you not showing up when you are supposed to and beginning to worry about you, those things aren’t there.
“We’re not seeing an increase in the number of calls at this point, but we’re fearful that is because people who are living in violent situations are actually not able to make those calls.”
To overcome this challenge, WCS recommends anyone at risk of violence to take walks, during which they can express concerns to trusted friends or family members or call the WCS crisis line (403-934-6634) from a safe and secure location.
“If someone can go for a walk, they could have an opportunity to use a phone that is not monitored,” said McGinnis.
The capacity of the shelter has been reduced to comply with Alberta Health Services recommendations because the shelter is currently using as many bedrooms as they have bathrooms. That way, client groups can live independently from one another without contact.
WCS has also implemented other strategies to protect clients and employees from COVID-19. New screening questions have been added to the intake process and remote outreach programs without physical contact are being developed.
While WCS is providing support over the telephone and is looking to incorporate texting and video chat to its services, there are considerations to overcome to ensure client safety, said McGinnis.
“How do we know that is a safe call to be having at that time? How do we know who is with the client? Are they under duress?” she said, adding WCS is currently working on protocols to address these concerns.
While McGinnis has said they are “very thankful” for “generous donations of food and supplies,” they are seeking to limit the number of visitors to the shelter. Instead, they are encouraging people to donate through the ATB Cares Portal, which provides the shelter a 15 per cent matching donation from ATB, available at atbcares.com.
The WCS crisis line is 1-877-934-6634 or 403-934-6634.