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Appendix F: Questionnaire for Service Providers
This survey
was filled out by a lesbian who worked at a shelter
in Saskatchewan. This survey was received after the
data analysis had already been completed, so data from
it is not included in any data base or analysis.
1. What services does your agency provide to abused
women generally? (check all that apply)
X shelter
X crisis
line
X one-to-one counselling
X support groups
X referrals __other (please specify)____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What does your agency know about abuse in lesbian
relationships?
X nothing
X
very little __some __quite a bit
3. Does your agency consider sexual orientation to be
a contributing factor to the challenges faced by women
who have experienced abuse in lesbian relationships?
__yes
X no
4. Does your agency consider issues in lesbian relationships
to be something that requires specialized services?
__yes
X no
If no, please explain:
They don't
recognize lesbian relationships as relationships.
If yes, what specialized services/supports do lesbians
in abusive relationships need/want?
________________________________________________________________
5. What general services has your agency knowingly provided
to women who have experienced abuse in lesbian relationships?
(check all that apply)
__shelter
X crisis line __ one-to-one counselling __support
groups
X referrals __other (please specify) (It's
offered, however we have homophobic counsellors.)
6. What services has your agency provided specifically
for women who have experienced abuse in lesbian relationships?
(check all that apply)
__shelter __crisis line __one-to-one counselling __support
groups __referrals __other (please specify)____________________________________________________________
7. Please estimate the average number of self-identified
lesbians who access your agency's programs/services
per year: 3
-5
8. Please estimate the average number of self-identified
lesbians with same sex abuse issues who access your
agency's programs/services per year: 1-2
9. Does/would your agency feel comfortable providing
services to women who have experienced abuse in lesbian
relationships?
__yes
X no Please explain:
I would
feel comfortable because I am a self-identified lesbian.
Other support staff, including management, would not
because of religious, moral & personal beliefs.
If no, what would help your agency feel more comfortable?
Awareness
and training in specified area. Knowledge of agencies
for referrals
TOLERANCE, SENSITIVITY, UNDERSTANDING!
10. Does your agency have a specific response or protocol
for dealing with a client who is or was in a abusive
lesbian relationship? __yes
X no Please explain:
When I
started at the shelter 4 years ago, there was no information
or referral lists for Lesbians. I added the contact
number for GLHS, but few staff were aware or willing
to be informed on such issues.
11. Does your agency have counsellors who deal specifically
with women who have experienced abuse in lesbian relationships?
__yes
X no
12. Are you aware of barriers that might prevent lesbians
from accessing the services of your agency?
X yes __no Please explain:
Even though
they said it was a "friendly" environment, it wasn't.
Such comments by staff members like "Being gay is wrong"
or "There is something morally wrong with gay people".
Staff couldn't even say the word lesbian let alone understand
it.
13. What is your understanding of the term "homophobia"?
____________________________________________________________
Does your agency have employees who could be described
as homophobic?
X yes __no
14. If your agency provides shelter services, does it
have concerns about other residents being homophobic?
__yes
X no
Please explain:
I doubt
if the shelter would knowingly admit a lesbian, because
of religious and personal beliefs.
If your agency provides shelter services, does it have
concerns about an abusive female partner getting into
the shelter? __yes __no Please explain:
____________________________________________________________________
15. Have staff at your agency received training in providing
'lesbian friendly' services? __yes
X no
If yes, who provided this training:________________________________________________
16. Do you consider your agency's services lesbian-friendly?
__yes
X no
Only 3
or 4 out of the 10 counsellors are lesbian friendly
If yes, what makes your agency's services lesbian friendly?
____________________________________________________________________
If yes, what efforts does your agency make to inform
the 'lesbian community' that your services are lesbian
friendly?
__no efforts
__openly displays sexual minority material in its waiting
room and offices (i.e. material depicting other than
heterosexual relationships). If not, please explain:
_____________________________________________________________
__openly advertises its services in sexual minority
publications. If yes, where? If not, please explain:
_____________________________________________________________
__other efforts (please specify)
_________________________________________________________________
If no (and even if yes), would your agency be interested
in receiving training in providing lesbian friendly
services? __yes
X no
If no, please explain: I
feel they would not be interested in receiving training
because the willingness to be open-minded and receptive
to different ideas is not there.
17. Does your agency have an internal policy to protect
lesbians from harassment or discrimination? __yes
X no
18. Has your agency ever received complaints or negative
feedback related to sexual orientation issues from a
lesbian client? __yes
X no
19. How would your agency deal with a client who discloses
discrimination or harassment within your agency because
of her sexual orientation?
Speaking
from experience, because I had to leave my position
because of discrimination in the workplace, I feel a
client's complaint would be ignored and "swept under
the carpet". The client would not have a voice because
staff are very tightly knit and would not allow board
members or others to hear such a complaint.
20. Does your agency refer women who have experienced
abuse in lesbian relationships to other agencies?
X yes __no If yes, to whom do you refer?
Staff referred
to Mental Health, I referred to GLHS
21. Do you see gaps in the services your agency can
provide to women who have experienced abuse in lesbian
relationships?
X yes __no Please explain:
Because
of the lack of information / referrals, services and
because staff do not take lesbian relationships seriously,
staff are not properly trained or educated about the
seriousness of the relationship or how to handle abuse
of this type.
23. What does your agency know about the services offered
in Saskatchewan by abuse help agencies to women abused
in lesbian relationships?
X nothing
X
very little __some __quite a bit (management
knows nothing, 1 or 2 staff members know only about
GLHS)
24. Do you see gaps in the services provided in Saskatchewan
to women who have experienced abuse in lesbian relationships?
X
yes __no
Please explain: The
gaps lie in the uneducated people who are working in
our shelters as well as other Government agencies.
25. Have clients expressed to your agency that there
are gaps in the services provided to women who have
experienced abuse in lesbian relationships in Saskatchewan?
__yes
X no
Please explain:Clients
fear rejection and ridicule from support staff, so to
them it's best to "stay in the closet". The bottom line
is abuse is abuse no matter your sex, color, religion
etc..
Any other comments?
Working
in rural women's shelter, I found staff insensitive
to the needs of a lesbian. They don't recognize same
sex relationships and they express their negative opinions
freely to clients. So in actuality, it is not a lesbian-friendly
environment for the self declared or for the non-declared.
More needs to be done in regards to education. I know
you could ask any staff if they are gay positive and
they would say yes to your face. But experiencing the
side of the cold shoulders and disgusted stares, I know
they disagree behind your back.
The way I see it, it's 'women abusing women', that is,
'staff abusing clients'.
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