As social distancing and staying at home is encouraged during the COVID-19 outbreak, services such as Unsafe at Home help victims of abuse reach out for help. With the current circumstances, there are limited opportunities to seek help and the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women aims to create more accessibility around that.
Working alongside Crime Prevention Ottawa, the Eastern Ottawa Resource Center, and the Interval House of Ottawa resulted in a text and chat service. Communication is entirely confidential with encrypted technology to protect data. On the other end of the chat are support workers and trained counsellors, creating plans to reduce risk, find services, talk about ways to cope, and more.
Discreet Domestic Safety Services
Unsafe at Home Helps Victims Reach Out for Help Through Text
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Support Services - Virtual support services like Unsafe at Home provide victims of abuse with accessible and confidential assistance through text and chat.
2. Digital Confidentiality - The use of encrypted technology in services like Unsafe at Home ensures the confidentiality and protection of users' data and communications.
3. Collaborative Initiatives - Partnerships among organizations like Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, Crime Prevention Ottawa, Eastern Ottawa Resource Center, and Interval House of Ottawa enable the development of innovative support services for victims of abuse.
Industry Implications
1. Technology for Social Services - The use of encrypted communication technology in services like Unsafe at Home presents opportunities for the development of digital solutions to support victims of abuse and ensure their privacy.
2. Online Counseling and Therapy - The integration of support workers and trained counsellors in virtual platforms like Unsafe at Home demonstrates the potential for the growth of online counseling and therapy services.
3. Collaborative Advocacy - Multi-organizational collaborations, as seen in the partnership between Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, Crime Prevention Ottawa, Eastern Ottawa Resource Center, and Interval House of Ottawa, offer possibilities for the advancement of collaborative advocacy efforts in addressing domestic violence.