Due to staff shortages, the only transitional home in Gaspésie will have to close its doors on March 31, unless a miracle happens.
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The deathblow has come for Arc-en-Soi in Maria, which is unable to fill two positions in particular. The temporary closure of the transitional house last April could prove permanent.
The main problem is the inability to fill two key positions, namely one position as deputy director and one as clinical consultant.
“We have given ourselves until October 1st to find staff for the reopening. It was very utopian to think that. On October 1, we had nobody,” said Lorraine Michaud, director general of the community housing center L’Arc-en-Soi (CRC), which also has a house in Rivière-du-Loup.
In a last-ditch effort, the board now has until the end of its fiscal year, March 31, to find a solution, otherwise the fate of Maria’s house will be sealed.
A rejection
“Gaspésie cannot afford to lose a resource like the Arc-en-Soi in Maria. Offenders who want to get back on their feet have to break away from their families and communities and move to Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec or Beauce,” she says.
“Efforts, you have no idea how we’ve been doing them for a year. We used two companies specializing in human resources. We have not received a CV. (…) It’s always the same problem. People don’t want to move because it’s too far and because of the salaries. We are a non-profit, grass-roots organization. We should not forget that. Without taking into account the housing shortage, which makes things even more difficult.
attractiveness problem
Salary for the Assistant Director position “goes up to” $34/hour. The organization competes with correctional facilities in Canada and Quebec, which often offer more favorable conditions.
Despite everything, Ms. Michaud still has hope of being able to save this house.
“I’m working in that direction,” she said.
According to David Henry, executive director of the Association of Social Rehabilitation Services of Quebec (ASRSQ)
The shortage of skilled workers and working conditions that are not competitive compared to the public system threaten the sustainability of the community network.
“It’s also a money issue because we’re not able to offer the same salaries as in the public sector. A lot of resources have been withdrawn from the community sector, either by the prisons, but also by the DPJ, the CIUSSS, who have been very aggressive in recruiting in the community,” regrets Mr Henry.
According to a survey by ASRSQ last autumn, 89% of the employees in the interim house are resigning because of salary reasons. The pay gap is 29% in the public system for positions requiring the same academic qualifications. The turnover rate is high, with more than half (54%) of the workforce having changed in the last two years.
“When a transitional home closes, it is very complicated to reopen because of the standards, also because of the social acceptability of this type of facility,” warns Mr Henry.
“It’s a loss of service for people who have to move further from home in the transition while it doesn’t facilitate social reintegration. (…) This has a very concrete impact on someone, the fact that they cannot reintegrate into their community,” he said.
It is much less costly to society to supervise a person in the community than in prison, according to ASRSQ. It costs the state $120,589/year in federal custody but only $32,037 per year in the community. In addition, 70% of the residents of these centers find a job during their stay and contribute again to the country’s economy.
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