« Je ne savais pas que de telles maisons d’hébergement existaient et, dans ma tête, j’avais refusé d’y aller, car ma perception était erronée. J’avais peur de me retrouver avec des personnes droguées, en situation d’itinérance, etc. J’ai paniqué, à vrai dire, mais je ne regrette pas d’avoir osé donner une chance à la MFT. Une fois de plus, mille mercis à toutes les personnes que j’ai eu le privilège de côtoyer durant mon séjour. Vous avez toutes et tous été en quelque sorte des petites fées semant du bonheur. »
Our support and accommodation services Our 1st step assistance and accommodation services respond to safety emergencies for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!
This first form of accommodation allows women and children to rebuild themselves by regaining power over their lives. The MFT offers them a place to settle down in complete safety, allowing them to take some time to take steps to reorganize their lives in order to break the vicious cycle of domestic violence.
MFT workers offer specialized services in domestic violence to women and children who need to catch their breath and pursue a process of autonomy to regain power over their lives. The intervention work aims to give women the means to take stock of their lives and take steps to break their isolation and to acquire the skills that will allow them to improve their own living conditions as well as those of their children.
A stay in a shelter serves as a protective safety net for women and children who seek refuge there.
A stay in a second-stage shelter is crucial in the life trajectory of women who experience post-separation domestic violence . The Alliance MH2, an alliance of 2nd stage shelters for women and children victims of domestic violence, estimates that 8% of women who complete a stay in 1st stage need a place in 2nd stage to ensure their safety. The breakup or the announcement of the breakup is an extremely dangerous period for women and their children.
Post-separation domestic violence manifests itself when the woman makes the decision to end the relationship and is part of a process of reorganizing her life and regaining power. This is a period when the ex-spouse’s strategies of domination and control are transformed and multiplied, thus exposing the woman and her children to a greater risk of harm to their security (psychological and physical) which can go as far as homicide.
“Not only does violence continue after separation, but in many cases the first assault occurs after separation. »
When the dangerousness assessment demonstrates an imminent risk, the MFT uses the Concerted Action Unit for Domestic Violence of Montreal (C-A-C VC Montreal) to urgently put in place a safety net to protect the woman and children who are at risk of homicide.
The current rental market makes it difficult for women to find suitable housing . More and more women are turning to cohabitation with friends or family members or applying to shelters offering long-term stays in transitional housing.. MFT staff work actively to support these women in their efforts.