In looking back at the 10, two-week sessions of Men at Work, facilitators Donna Kozic and Nuala Grant, along with RCMP Victim Services co-ordinator Cindy Osip and RCMP Const. Krista Vrolyck felt the program was a resounding success.
“This program is recognized by other communities for its innovation and effectiveness,” Vrolyck said.
Men at Work was designed as a free program open to any man who felt he could benefit from help in dealing with anger issues and thus reduce family and community violence.
“Men who sought out resources were unable to find the help they needed outside the court system,” Osip said.
“While there were a number of services available for women, prior to Men at Work there were no accessible services for men in Quesnel.”
Even men who were court-ordered for anger management often waited up to 18 months for a twice-yearly program.
Kozic and Grant designed the Men at Work program to be flexible for participants.
“The program touches on all aspects of the problem, however we can also spend additional time on specific needs of the participant,” Grant said.
“Flexibility is essential for success.”
Feedback from the participants and their partners has been very positive. The program has been described as ‘life-changing’ by participants and has resulted in a marked reduction of physical and emotional abuse within the participants’ homes. In 2012, Men at Work provided anger management services to 70 participants – many of whom sought the program pro-actively, prior to engaging in violence that required police attendance.
Some of the participants provided these comments: “I understand who I am and how I function as a partner in a relationship”; “I now have new ways to community with my family and boss at work, how to express myself in a respectful and non-angry way”; “there is hope now I have skills to practice and with effort it will yield results for me”; “please keep this
program running so I can come back if I need more help”; and finally, “changed my life, you gals saved my family.”
“The most powerful part is the feedback,” Vrolyck said.
“Although RCMP were part of the push to establish Men at Work, this is totally a community program and referrals have come from all areas of the community.”
From almost every corner of the community, especially the referring agencies, the success and impact of this program has been recognized.
Grant indicated that part of the success is due to the voluntary participation.
“There’s a stigma about court-ordered counselling,” she said.
“But Men at Work is voluntary. Almost 50 per cent of the participants have never been through the police system. Everyone is there to get help and make changes. We offer tools for self-help.”
In fact, many of the referring partners have expressed their desire to expand the program to include youth struggling with anger issues as well as a session which focuses on anger and its affect on the family unit.
Osip added that ideally, continual funding will be secured which would allow these expanded sessions as well as long–term, continued follow up and support to participants and their families.
Although the initial funding has been exhausted, Osip has found $5,000, thanks to the Northern Health, Mental Health Advisory Committee, which enables Men at Work to run for three, two-week sessions this year.
Independent MLA for Cariboo North Bob Simpson has sent a letter of support to Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond, urging the government to consider funding the Men at Work program.
“Public safety and preventing violence against women and families should be a top priority for the provincial government,” Simpson writes in his letter.
“I urge you to consider allocating funds to the Quesnel Men at Work Program so we can build healthier, family-friendly communities.”
“We’ll accept funding from just about anywhere – businesses, industry, individuals, government; we just need funding for the facilitators and some resource costs,” Osip said.
“It doesn’t cost a lot for such a huge payoff.”
Anyone interested in attending, call Osip at 250-992-3380.