STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER G. NORMAND GLAUDE

EVALUATION OF COUNSELLING SUPPORT

CORNWALL PUBLIC INQUIRY

DECEMBER 19, 2006 

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT COUNSELLING SUPPORT AT THE CORNWALL PUBLIC INQUIRY. 

ON FEBRUARY 13, 2006 I INDICATED I HAD DECIDED THAT THE CORNWALL PUBLIC INQUIRY SHOULD HAVE COUNSELLING SUPPORT FOR ANY PERSON TOUCHED BY THE INQUIRY. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THOSE WHO HAD EXPERIENCED CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE, PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE A HEAVY BURDEN OF CARE AND CONCERN IN SUPPORTING THOSE TOUCHED BY CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE, STAFF OF THE INQUIRY OR THOSE ATTENDING HERE WHO MAY FIND WHAT THEY HEAR STRESSFUL, THOSE WHO FEEL FALSELY ACCUSED OR UNFAIRLY ASSOCIATED WITH ABUSERS OR THOSE ALLEGED TO BE ABUSERS, AND THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OF TREATMENT FOR THEIR INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL ATTRACTION TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH. IN ALL CASES, WE EXTEND ELIGIBILITY TO FAMILY MEMBERS WHO CAN CERTAINLY BE AFFECTED BY THE STRESS OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM, AND NEED SUPPORT IN 

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THEIR OWN DIFFICULT SUPPORT ROLE. I HAVE REPEATED CRITERIA ON WHO IS ELIGIBLE IN SOME DETAIL, WITH ANOTHER REMINDER THAT SEEKING COUNSELLING IS, IN MY VIEW, A SIGN OF PERSONAL STRENGTH AND INTEGRITY. I URGE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE INQUIRY TO CONSIDER THE AVAILABILITY OF COUNSELLING SUPPORT. 

ABOUT ONE MONTH AFTER I ANNOUNCED WE WOULD HAVE COUNSELLING SUPPORT, WE WERE OPERATIONAL. THE PROVISION OF A COUNSELLING SUPPORT MECHANISM IS A FIRST FOR ONTARIO INQUIRIES AND SO THERE WERE NO AVAILABLE PRECEDENTS. WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE DEMAND FOR COUNSELLING WOULD BE, OR HOW CERTAIN MECHANISMS WE DESIGNED WOULD WORK. WE DID KNOW THAT WE HAD CERTAIN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION THAT WE WOULD USE TO GUIDE US: 

o PERSONAL CHOICE: INDIVIDUALS CAN CHOOSE THEIR COUNSELLOR. ON REQUEST, WE HELP MATCH PEOPLE TO SOMEONE WHO MEETS THEIR COUNSELLING NEEDS, BUT INDIVIDUALS CAN PICK THE PERSON THAT IS RIGHT FOR THEM. 

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o PRIVACY: IT IS IMPORTANT TO IMPLEMENT ASSURANCES THAT A CHOICE TO HAVE COUNSELLING SUPPORT WOULD BE KEPT PRIVATE AND NOT COMMUNICATED TO COUNSEL OR OTHERS. THIS HAS BEEN DONE. RECORDS ARE KEPT SEGREGATED AT THE INQUIRY OFFICES SO THERE IS NO INADVERTENT KNOWLEDGE PROVIDED AT THE INQUIRY; MECHANISMS ARE IN PLACE TO PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION OF THOSE GETTING COUNSELLING; WE HAVE MINIMIZED PERSONAL INFORMATION KEPT IN OUR RECORDS TO THAT WHICH IS NEEDED, FOR EXAMPLE, TO MAKE PAYMENTS. 

o STRAIGHT-FORWARD AND HELPFUL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES: 

WE WANTED PEOPLE TO FIND GETTING COUNSELLING SUPPORT A RELATIVELY EASY PROCESS, WITH LITTLE “RED TAPE”; OUR APPROVAL PROCESSES USUALLY TAKE LESS THAN ONE HOUR, NOT DAYS, AND WE STRIVE FOR RESPECTFUL, MINIMALLY INTRUSIVE INTERACTIONS. WHEN WE SET UP COUNSELLING SUPPORT, IT WAS FOR ONE YEAR, EXPIRING IN MARCH 2007. AT THE SAME TIME, WE SAID WE WOULD REVIEW COUNSELLING SUPPORT IN JANUARY 2007 TO DECIDE WHETHER TO EXTEND, MODIFY OR END 

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COUNSELLING SUPPORT. AS PROMISED, THIS REVIEW WILL OCCUR. I WANT TO EXPLAIN THE REVIEW PROCESS: 

o WE WILL WRITE TO COUNSEL FOR THE PARTIES AND ASK FOR THEIR VIEWS; THERE WILL BE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WE WANT COUNSEL TO ADDRESS WITH THEIR CLIENTS AND GET BACK TO US. 

o WE WILL HAVE INDEPENDENT ARMS-LENGTH PROCESSES FOR ASKING FOR THE VIEWS OF BOTH PROVIDERS OF COUNSELLING SERVICES AND THOSE RECEIVING IT; THE USE OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS MEANS THAT PEOPLE CAN RESPOND WITHOUT CONCERN THAT COMMENTS OR OPINIONS OF SPECIFIC PEOPLE WILL GET BACK TO THE INQUIRY; WE WILL ONLY GET SUMMARIZED, ANONYMOUS INFORMATION; THIS SUMMARY INFORMATION WILL BE MADE PUBLIC BUT ANYTHING THAT COULD IDENTIFY SOMEONE WILL BE TAKEN OUT. 

o PROVIDERS OF SERVICES WILL BE ASKED TO FILL OUT A WRITTEN SURVEY AND RETURN IT TO THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS; 

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o THOSE RECEIVING COUNSELLING SUPPORT WILL GET A TELEPHONE CALL AND CERTAIN GENERAL QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED; PEOPLE RECEIVING COUNSELLING DO NOT HAVE TO RESPOND IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO; HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO GET THEIR VIEWS AND I HOPE THEY FEEL THEY CAN HELP US OUT BY RESPONDING. WE DID INDICATE TO PEOPLE WHEN WE STARTED UP COUNSELLING SUPPORT THAT THOSE RECEIVING COUNSELLING MIGHT BE ASKED FOR THEIR VIEWS AS PART OF THE COUNSELLING SUPPORT REVIEW, BECAUSE THEY ARE WHY WE HAVE COUNSELLING SUPPORT AND THEIR VIEWS MATTER. 

o INTERNALLY, STAFF OF THE INQUIRY WILL ASSESS ANY ISSUES THEY HAVE SEEN ARISE ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR MY REVIEW; AND INQUIRY STAFF WILL MEET WITH STAFF FROM THE MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DISCUSS EVALUATION OF COUNSELLING SUPPORT, GAINING KNOWLEDGE FROM EXPERIENCED PROGRAM EVALUATORS. 

o I HOPE TO RECEIVE A STAFF REPORT AND THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH RESULTS BY LATE FEBRUARY AND MAKE MY DECISION KNOWN NO LATER THAN THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH. 

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BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE DO VALUE COUNSELLING SUPPORT, I WANT TO REASSURE PEOPLE THAT I AM INCLINED TO EXTEND IT IN SOME WAY. HOWEVER, I WANT TO FIX THINGS THAT MAY NEED FIXING, AND THINK ABOUT THE RIGHT PERIOD OF EXTENSION. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT OUR UNIQUE INITIATIVE HAS ATTRACTED SOME INTEREST AND ATTENTION AS A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR OTHER SIMILAR SITUATIONS, OR FOR VICTIM SERVICES GENERALLY. THIS BEING THE CASE, THIS EVALUATION WOULD BE USEFUL FOR BROADER PURPOSES AND SHOULD BE DONE IN A SOUND AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER. 

I WANT TO CONCLUDE BY GIVING SOME STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON COUNSELLING SUPPORT, AS A BACKDROP TO THE EVALUATION, AND IN RESPECT TO OUR INVITATION FOR PARTY AND PUBLIC INPUT: 

o AS AT DECEMBER 1, 2006, WE HAD 155 COUNSELLING FILES OPENED; OF THESE, 149 WERE APPROVED. THE MOST COMMON REASON PEOPLE ARE NOT APPROVED IS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE AN INTAKE INTERVIEW, WHICH CAN BE DONE IN PERSON HERE AT THE INQUIRY OR OVER THE PHONE; SOMETIMES THERE IS A DELAY IN PEOPLE CONTACTING US AND ATTENDING FOR INTAKE. 

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o OF THOSE APPROVED FOR COUNSELLING, ABOUT 71 WERE MEN AND 84 WERE WOMEN; MEN PREDOMINANTLY IDENTIFY AS SURVIVORS, AS DO WOMEN, BUT THERE ARE MORE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFYING AS FAMILY MEMBERS AMONG THE GROUP OF WOMEN THAN AMONG THE GROUP OF MEN. 

o MOST HAVE ATTENDED COUNSELLING SINCE APPROVAL; PEOPLE SOMETIMES DELAY ATTENDING OR TAKE BREAKS AND THEN RETURN, OR MAY STOP ATTENDING. 

o 21 COUNSELLING PROVIDERS CURRENTLY PROVIDE OR HAVE PROVIDED COUNSELLING SERVICES; 34 HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO PROVIDE SERVICES. 

o THE INQUIRY STAFF DID 39 REFERRALS TO PROVIDERS – THE REST HAD THEIR OWN COUNSELLOR IN MIND. 

o AS AT DECEMBER 1, 2006, THE INQUIRY HAS AUTHORIZED ABOUT $316,000 IN COUNSELLING FEES, PAID DIRECTLY TO COUNSELLORS. 

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o AT DECEMBER 1, 2006, THE SUM OF APPROXIMATELY $27,000 HAD BEEN PAID TO INDIVIDUALS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO COUNSELLING SESSIONS BY CAR, BUS, OR IN LIMITED CASES, BY TAXI. 

o ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF THE INQUIRY ARE RELATIVELY LOW IN THAT NO INDIVIDUAL HAS A FULL-TIME JOB IN COUNSELLING SUPPORT; SEVERAL PEOPLE “PITCH IN” TO KEEP THE PROCESSES GOING, TO MANAGE INTAKE, PAY BILLS AND SO ON. WE HAVE TRIED TO KEEP OUR MONIES FOR DIRECT COUNSELLING SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION. 

IN CONCLUSION, WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTIVE PROCESS TO GET FEEDBACK ON COUNSELLING SUPPORT, AT THE TIME WE PROMISED AT THE INCEPTION OF COUNSELLING SUPPORT. I URGE EVERYONE TO COOPERATE WITH US AND TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MAKING THEIR VIEWS KNOWN. WE SET UP COUNSELLING SUPPORT WITH THE INTENTION OF DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THOSE IN NEED OF COUNSELLING AND NEED HELP TO CONTINUE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS ON COUNSELLING SUPPORT.