Provincial Protection Investigation Unit
- Reporting Abuse and Neglect
What is the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit?
The Provincial Protection Investigation Unit is a specialized unit within the Department of Families that investigates reports of abuse and neglect. Suspected abuse or neglect can be reported directly to the unit by anyone.
How are adults living with an intellectual disability protected from abuse and neglect?
In Manitoba, The Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act is the law that protects adults living with an intellectual disability from abuse and neglect. This law is there to ensure their safety and well-being, and to prevent further abuse or neglect. This law used to be called The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Mental Disability Act or the VPA.
What is the “duty to report” abuse and neglect?
The law says that anyone who believes that an adult living with an intellectual disability is or is likely to be abused or neglected must immediately report that belief to the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit in the department.
The Protection Guidebook describes the responsibilities of service providers and everyone else involved in the life of an adult living with an intellectual disability to report suspicions of abuse or neglect of an adult living with an intellectual disability.
What is abuse and neglect?
The Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act describes abuse as:
- the use of physical force resulting in pain, discomfort or injury, including slapping, hitting, beating, burning, rough handling, tying up or binding;
- the intentional causing of emotional or psychological harm, including through threats, intimidation, humiliation, harassment, coercion or restriction from appropriate social contact;
- sexual contact, activity or behaviour between an adult living with an intellectual disability and an individual in a position of trust or authority;
- non-consensual sexual contact; or
- the theft or destruction of the property of an adult living with an intellectual disability.
The Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act describes neglect as:
- an act or omission that causes or is reasonably likely to cause: the death of an adult living with an intellectual disability, physical or psychological harm to an adult living with an intellectual disability or a significant loss to the property of an adult living with an intellectual disability.
Who reports abuse and neglect?
Anyone who suspects abuse or neglect of an adult living with an intellectual disability must report that belief to the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit in the department. This could be the person or service provider who provides supports, a substitute decision maker, a member of a support network or anyone else who witnesses or believes that an adult living with an intellectual disability is being abused or neglected.
If you are an adult living with an intellectual disability and believe that you are being abused or neglected, you can report it to the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit in the department. You can also report it if you believe that another adult living with an intellectual disability is being abused or neglected.
Who do I report to?
If you are or someone you are supporting is in the Community Living disABILITY Services program, you can report suspected abuse or neglect to the adult’s Community Service Worker or Program Manager, or the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit.
How do I report abuse and neglect?
If you are or someone you are supporting is in the Community Living disABILITY Services program, you should contact the adult’s Community Service Worker or Program Manager at the office where the adult receives case management services to report abuse or neglect, or you may report abuse or neglect directly to the Provincial Protections Investigation Unit.
Anyone who believes that an adult living with an intellectual disability is or is likely to be abused or neglected can report it directly to the Provincial Protections Investigation Unit by telephone at 204-945-0471 or by completing and submitting an online report form.
The telephone number and online submissions are monitored Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call 911 if you are or someone you are supporting is in immediate danger. Call your local RCMP detachment or police department if 911 service is not available in your community.
You can contact the police at any time if you believe a criminal act has occurred.
What happens after abuse and neglect is reported?
Staff from the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit will review the information in the report and determine the next steps. These steps may include:
- the Community Service Worker working with the adult, their support network and the service provider to develop a plan to keep the adult safe and help prevent further occurrences;
- the Community Service Worker helping the adult access different resources in the community or offered through the Department of Families to help them; and/or
- the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit conducting a formal investigation into the reported abuse or neglect.
What happens if there is a formal investigation?
Staff from the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit and the Community Service Worker may want to meet with the adult living with an intellectual disability to ask them questions about what happened. They may also ask other people questions about what happened to the adult living with an intellectual disability.
Following the investigation, Department of Families staff will let the adult living with an intellectual disability know the results. Department of Families staff will also share the results of the investigation with their substitute decision maker if they have one.
Who can I talk to if I have more questions or concerns about abuse and neglect?
If you are or someone you are supporting is in the Community Living disABILITY Services program, you should talk to the adult’s Community Service Worker or Program Manager at the office where the adult receives case management services.
If you have questions or concerns about a report made directly to the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit, you can contact the unit by telephone at 204-945-0471.
How can I get the report form in a different format?
The report form is available in other formats upon request by contacting a Community Service Worker or Program Manager or calling the Provincial Protection Investigation Unit at 204-945-0471.
Where can I learn more about Protection from Abuse and Neglect?
If you are a service provider employee who supports adults living with an intellectual disability, you may be able to receive training with Abilities Manitoba.
Abilities Manitoba offers training in Protection from Abuse and Neglect as well as orientation sessions for the Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act (ALIDA).
Please visit our website for information on training availability and registration options.
Questions about training through Abilities Manitoba can be sent to: training@abiltiesmanitoba.org
