Nova Scotia Domestic Violence Coordination Framework

Guidelines for DV partnership and inter-agency coordination across Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Regional Coordination Model

Overview

Nova Scotia’s domestic violence service ecosystem is highly influenced by Halifax-based institutions, with provincial services, regional agencies, and community partners connecting into a Halifax-centric coordination model. This page outlines structural elements that organizations can use when aligning local protocols with provincial and Halifax-based coordination mechanisms.

Halifax-Centric Coordination Model

The Halifax-centric model is characterized by provincial program administration, urban-based specialized services, and regional delivery partners. Organizations in other parts of Nova Scotia frequently interface with Halifax entities for policy, specialized services, and system navigation.

Core Structural Components

• Centralized policy and program direction
  Halifax-based government units, large community organizations, and provincial networks often set:
  • Service standards and minimum operating requirements
  • Common screening and referral tools
  • Training frameworks and accreditation expectations
  • Templates for MOUs and data-sharing agreements
• Specialized urban services
  Halifax hosts many of the province’s:
  • Specialized domestic violence and family violence teams
  • Legal and court-related supports connected to urban courts
  • Clinical and assessment services in hospitals and health centres
  • Research, evaluation, and training hubs
• Provincial referral and consultation pathways
  Regional agencies frequently route complex, cross-jurisdictional, or specialized matters through Halifax partners using:
  • Designated single points of contact in Halifax organizations
  • Standardized inter-agency referral forms
  • Scheduled case consultation calls or virtual meetings
  • Service escalation pathways for high-complexity situations
• Cross-sector Halifax working groups
  Halifax-based tables and working groups often include or represent:
  • Community-based anti-violence organizations
  • Health, housing, and social service partners
  • Justice, corrections, and policing partners
  • Academic, evaluation, and research partners

Operational Implications for Regional Partners

• Aligning local policies with Halifax-generated standards and guidelines
• Maintaining clear mapping of Halifax-based contact points
• Using Halifax-developed tools while adapting them to local context
• Clarifying when situations are managed locally versus escalated to Halifax-based partners

Regional Gaps and Alignment Considerations

Because of Halifax’s concentration of infrastructure, there are operational gaps and asymmetries across Nova Scotia’s regions. Addressing these gaps often requires deliberate Halifax–region coordination structures.

Common Regional Gaps

• Service availability and specialization
  • Limited access to specialized domestic violence services outside urban areas
  • Fewer co-located or multi-service hubs in small communities
  • Lengthy wait times for specialized assessments linked to Halifax resources
• Workforce capacity
  • Smaller staff teams with broad, non-specialized mandates
  • Limited access to in-person training and peer consultation
  • Higher vulnerability to staffing disruptions and turnover
• Transportation and geography
  • Travel barriers to in-person services in Halifax
  • Challenges coordinating across large rural catchments
  • Inconsistent access to reliable transportation for in-person appointments
• Digital and information infrastructure
  • Variability in secure IT systems between organizations
  • Inconsistent access to virtual service platforms and teleconferencing
  • Limited shared data systems for cross-agency coordination

Regional Alignment Models

Partners in Nova Scotia frequently apply one or more of the following models to bridge Halifax–region gaps while maintaining local autonomy.

• Regional coordination leads
  Designated organizations in each region act as principal connectors to Halifax-based systems by:
  • Consolidating information from Halifax working groups
  • Coordinating multi-agency meetings within their region
  • Maintaining shared resource inventories and referral directories
• Shared-service agreements
  Halifax-based agencies provide specialized services to regional partners through:
  • Virtual consultation and case conferencing
  • Time-limited outreach clinics in regional centres
  • Shared staffing arrangements or secondments
• Regional consortia
  Multiple smaller organizations form a consortium to:
  • Coordinate with Halifax as a single regional interlocutor
  • Pool funding for training, evaluation, and technology
  • Develop common protocols for intake, referral, and documentation
• Hybrid virtual–in person models
  Halifax-based specializations are combined with local presence via:
  • Virtual legal, clinical, or case consultation
  • Local staff facilitating remote services and follow-up
  • Shared scheduling platforms for inter-regional appointments

Eligibility for Participation in Coordination Structures

Eligibility criteria for inclusion in Nova Scotia’s multi-agency coordination structures are typically established collaboratively by lead agencies and coalitions. The criteria below can be adapted for Halifax-based or regional tables.

Organizational Eligibility Dimensions

• Organizational mandate
  • Non-profit, public sector, or Indigenous governance structures
  • Mandate that intersects with domestic or family violence impacts
  • Ability to contribute to system-level coordination, not only single cases
• Geographic scope
  • Clear catchment area within Nova Scotia (Halifax or regional)
  • Defined responsibility for specific communities or populations
  • Transparent interface points with adjacent regions
• Governance and accountability
  • Documented governance structure (board, council, or equivalent)
  • Established internal policies on confidentiality and information handling
  • Regular reporting to funders or oversight bodies
• Operational capacity
  • Designated staff to attend coordination tables and follow through on actions
  • Basic capacity to manage and store information securely
  • Ability to participate consistently over time
• Policy and values alignment
  • Commitment to non-discrimination and human rights–oriented practice
  • Alignment with provincial and Halifax-based coordination principles
  • Willingness to use shared tools and protocols where mutually agreed

Eligibility for Specific Tables and Working Groups

• Strategic or policy tables
  • Regional representation from key sectors (justice, health, community)
  • Decision-making authority or clear mandate to represent organizations
  • Experience in program design, evaluation, or system planning
• Operational coordination groups
  • Front-line or supervisory staff with day-to-day coordination roles
  • Established local relationships across sectors
  • Capacity to implement agreed operational changes within their agencies
• Time-limited project or pilot groups
  • Direct involvement in the pilot region or population
  • Ability to participate in data collection and reporting requirements
  • Interest in adapting Halifax-based models to regional realities

Data-Sharing Guidelines for Nova Scotia Partners

Data-sharing within Nova Scotia’s Halifax-centric model is generally structured to support coordinated service delivery, system planning, and evaluation. The following guidelines are intended to support alignment between Halifax-based and regional partners while respecting applicable privacy and information management frameworks.

Foundational Principles

• Purpose limitation
  Data is shared only for specific, documented coordination purposes (for example, service linkage, system navigation, or aggregate reporting), with the scope of data matched to the stated purpose.
• Proportionality and minimization
  Partners share the minimum data necessary to achieve the coordination objective, avoiding unnecessary duplication or expansion of data fields.
• Role clarity
  Halifax-based and regional partners define roles as data “providers,” “users,” or “stewards,” with clear boundaries regarding access and retention.
• Consistency across regions
  Common data elements, definitions, and coding structures are used wherever feasible, to enable aggregate analysis across Nova Scotia.

Types of Data Shared

• Operational coordination data
  Information that supports inter-agency referrals, coordination of services, and follow-up between Halifax and regional partners, using standardized forms and fields where possible.
• Aggregate service utilization data
  De-identified or aggregated counts and metrics (for example, number of referrals by region, service type, or time period) to support planning and funding discussions.
• System performance and outcome data
  Agreed indicators related to timeliness, service pathways, and other system measures, collected with consistent definitions across Halifax and regional sites.
• Training and capacity-building data
  Information on staff training participation, technical assistance requests, and capacity-building needs to help align Halifax-based resources with regional priorities.

Data-Sharing Agreements and Documentation

• Formal agreements
  Many Nova Scotia partners utilize written data-sharing agreements or MOUs that outline:
  • The specific purposes and scope of data-sharing
  • Roles and responsibilities for each organization
  • Information security and storage expectations
  • Processes for review, amendment, and termination
• Standardized tools and templates
  Halifax-based entities often provide:
  • Standard referral and consent forms for cross-agency coordination
  • Data dictionaries and field definitions for shared datasets
  • Templates for aggregate reporting by region and service type
• Governance and oversight
  Oversight structures may include:
  • Joint steering groups with Halifax and regional representation
  • Designated data leads in each participating organization
  • Scheduled reviews of data-sharing practices and tools

Information Management Practices

• Access control
  Access to shared data is limited to identified roles within each organization, with procedures for authorizing, reviewing, and revoking access as staffing changes.
• Secure transmission and storage
  Partners use secure channels for data transfer (for example, encrypted email or secure portals) and maintain local storage consistent with their internal information management policies.
• Retention and disposal
  Retention periods, archiving, and destruction procedures are documented and applied consistently, recognizing that Halifax-based and regional partners may have differing policy or funder requirements.
• Quality assurance
  Procedures for verifying completeness, consistency, and accuracy of data are integrated into regular workflows, with feedback loops between Halifax and regional entities to address errors or discrepancies.

Halifax–Region Coordination Practices

Organizations across Nova Scotia commonly structure their Halifax–region relationships using repeatable routines and tools. The following practices can support consistency and transparency.

Communication and Escalation Pathways

• Designated liaison roles
  Each participating organization identifies staff who act as primary contacts for Halifax–region coordination, with updated contact lists shared across agencies.
• Regular coordination meetings
  Halifax-based and regional leads schedule recurring cross-regional meetings to:
  • Review coordination challenges and system-level trends
  • Update each other on policy and program changes
  • Plan joint training or pilot initiatives
• Structured issue escalation
  Agreed pathways clarify when an issue remains at the regional level versus when it is escalated to Halifax-based systems or provincial oversight bodies.

Shared Planning and Evaluation

• Joint planning cycles aligned with provincial or funder timelines
• Co-developed indicators that allow comparison across Halifax and regions
• Shared evaluation frameworks for pilots implemented in multiple locations

Resource and Capacity Exchange

• Halifax-based technical assistance linked to regional implementation plans
• Regional feedback loops to adapt tools to local contexts
• Coordinated training schedules to include both Halifax and regional staff

Recommended Articles

• Coalition Frameworks for Multi-Agency Coordination
• Partnership Eligibility and Participation Standards
• Data Governance Models for Domestic Violence Collaborations
• Regional Coordination Options in Distributed Service Systems
• MOU Templates and Clauses for Inter-Agency Cooperation