A social worker friend who is a psychotherapist and works with victims of trauma, Pat Guillet, MSW, RSW, told me that today, September 30th, 2019 is the last day you can apply to the Criminal injuries Compensation Board (CICB) in Ontario for childhood sexual abuse, or any other violent crime you may have experienced. On its government website it says: CICB assesses financial compensation for victims and family members of deceased victims of violent crimes committed in Ontario. These cases have an application process and are decided at a hearing by an adjudicative tribunal. Although I doubt CICB tribunal members received any training in sexual trauma, and the payouts were pathetically low $2,500-$10,000, and very few historical sexual abuse survivors I know were actually awarded anything--they had become more accepting of late, and were a source of help and hope for survivors who often struggle to work because of PTSD, and other health-related issues.
The CICB is being closed by Doug Ford’s government, and folded into the Victim Quick Response Program, where it is rumoured victims will have to have a police report in order to apply. Considering that one in three women will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime and only 5% of survivors report to the police, (partly because so few cases are successful) the majority of sexual assault or sexual abuse victims will not be eligible for the new program. Survivors have now lost an important resource. Not good news. If you have a claim get it in today. Here is the link: http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/cicb/contact-the-cicb/#.
After today contact VQRP+: https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/ovss/vqrp.php