New resources assist health care and social service providers to help those who experience family violence

2020-06-26

(Mississauga, ON) As part of a pan-Canadian collaboration, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) supports the development and launch of a new online platform to assist health care and social service providers to recognize and respond safely to incidents of family violence.

The Violence, Evidence, Guidance, and Action (VEGA) project led by McMaster University has developed family violence education resources with 22 national organizations and funding from by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The new VEGA website provides evidence-based guidance and education resources that are focused on three types of family violence: child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and children’s exposure to intimate partner violence. Studies show that family violence impacts at least one in three families in Canada. The online resources are comprised of evidence-based learning modules that include care pathways, scripts, and how-to videos, along with interactive educational scenarios and a handbook. Visit the VEGA website to access the resources.

“Family violence is a major public health problem with devastating consequences for children, women, families, and communities,” said VEGA project lead Harriet MacMillan, distinguished university professor in the departments of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences, and pediatrics at McMaster. “The Public Health Agency of Canada’s ongoing investment in VEGA ensures that important efforts will continue in supporting health-care and social service providers to recognize and respond safely to family violence.”
 
On June 16, 2020, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced nearly $750,000 in funding to McMaster University for the Researching the Impact of Service provider Education (RISE) project. It will involve a collaboration with the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of Calgary and eight national health care organizations to evaluate the use of VEGA materials within their provider and student membership across the country. The eight organizations include the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canadian Psychiatric Association, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, Canadian Paediatric Society, Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Child Welfare League of Canada, and Canadian Association of Social Workers.

See Backgrounder on following page.
 
 
Contact:
Jayne Johnston
Director, Communications
College of Family Physicians of Canada
[email protected]
905-629-0900 ext. 303
905-407-9140
 
Veronica McGuire
Media Relations
McMaster University
[email protected]
905-525-9140, ext. 22169