In 2018, the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS) collaborated with representatives of relevant provincial government ministries to improve the legal system response to victim/survivors of intimate partner violence/abuse (IPVA). One of the recommendations resulting from this project was to create a common risk assessment tool for use across systems in the province.
In 2024, using funds provided under the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, a federal and provincial partnership, the province of Saskatchewan issued a call for proposals for the development of a common assessment tool. PATHS and project partners, Family Service Regina and Family Service Saskatoon, were selected by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Community Safety and Well-Being, as the successful proponents.
The project to create the Saskatchewan Common Assessment Protocol for Intimate Partner Violence/Abuse (SK CAP) began in November 2024 and will end in March 2026.
The project began with a review of relevant literature, risk assessment and screening tools, and protocols/frameworks in other jurisdictions to determine best practices and develop a made-in-Saskatchewan screening, risk assessment, and safety planning protocol that best fits Saskatchewan’s unique history and current context. The next step was a survey for professionals (Fall 2024), followed by consultations with stakeholders conducted in December 2024- January 2025 and June 2025. A near-final draft of the SK CAP was shared with stakeholders in October 2025.
Next steps (October 2025 to March 2026) will include gathering feedback from stakeholders on the near-final draft of SK CAP, building an interactive online version of two tools included within the SK CAP: the Saskatchewan Risk Indicator Checklist (RIC) and the Saskatchewan Safety Planning Guide, and creating an online training module to accompany the SK CAP. Agencies will be piloting the SK CAP (including initial screening questions, RIC, and Safety Planning Guide) in Winter 2026. The SK CAP will launch at the end of March 2026.
If your agency may be interested in piloting the SK CAP, or if you have any questions about the project, contact Crystal Giesbrecht, PATHS Director of Research, at paths.research@sasktel.net.
