Searching for Counselling For Abused People

• Provides duty counsel legal assistance to individuals appearing in court without a lawyer
• Informs individuals about legal rights, obligations and the court process
• Provides assistance in the courtroom for bail hearings and sentencing
• Assists with diversions, guilty pleas and adjournments
• Helps determine if further duty counsel services are required or if the matter requires Legal Aid Ontario's assistance in retaining a lawyer

May provide assistance in specialized courts including:

• Aboriginal persons (Gladue) court
• Domestic violence
• Drug treatment
• Mental health

Note: Criminal Duty Counsel cannot assist with trials

• Promotes health and healthy lifestyle choices for Indigenous individuals
• Educates Indigenous women and their families about health care, illness prevention, and how to reduce or escape family violence

Services offered include:

• Access to traditional supports and ceremonies
• Advocacy
• Individual and group programming
• Referrals and aftercare

Provides information and assistance to support participation in and understanding of the criminal court process

• services begin once police have laid charges and continue until the court case is over
• information about victims' rights, the criminal justice process and their specific case (e.g., court dates)
• needs assessment and referrals to community agencies
• crisis intervention, emotional support, victim advocacy
• facilitates victim's input and liaises with Crown Attorneys, police, regarding bail, safety, resolution of charges, release conditions, publication bans, testimonial aids, trial preparation and court orientation
• information and support on Victim Impact Statements, Statement on Restitution
• facilitates access to court orders, such as bail conditions, probation orders, peace bonds
• debriefing and follow-up support

Vulnerable Victims and Family Fund

Provides financial and court-based supports to enable victims of crime and families of homicide victims to attend court, including:

• Travel arrangements and expenses
• Language interpretation
• Real-time captioning or other equipment for victims with disabilities

Supports reduction or prevention of family and community violence

• Provides victim service referrals and emergency support for family violence
• Works one-on-one with families experiencing family violence to develop a plan of action for identified concerns
• Provides referrals to counselling, legal services, and treatment centres
• Offers Indigenous culture-based healing, self-help processes for anger management, and positive self-image development; alternative discipline methods and positive relationships
• Organizes and facilitates community events in schools, powwows, and health fairs to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevention of family violence
• Develops programs, workshops, promotions, and prevention education campaigns dealing with family-based violence awareness

Offers a variety of programs and services to address the health and wellness of families and community environment

• Focuses on mental health crises and youth solvent abuse
• Works to develop community-based approaches to address mental health and addictions issues
• Provides initiatives to address homicide, suicide and family violence
• Addresses the early stages of child development with a focus on helping them to reach their full potential

Services include:

• Assessments
• Counselling services (individual and family)
• Referrals for treatment and follow-up treatment
• Aftercare

Provides a health promotion and injury prevention program for community children and youth

• Offers information and awareness activities to promote good mental health including topics such as depression, stress management and family violence
• Coordinates traditional craft sessions and recreational activities
• Offers injury prevention workshops and activities including water, fire and bicycle safety

Activities and outings can include:

• Bowling nights
• Game nights
• Golfing
• Movie nights
• Snow sculpture building
• Swimming events

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) initiative to assist each Indigenous community to design and deliver their own holistic, prevention-focused services/programs and cultural supports to promote a healthy community and support families as needed in the community

• Focus is on improving the overall health and well-being of communities and to empower families to build healthy relationships
• Works to eliminate family violence, the number of youth involved in the justice system and the number of children in care

Activities and programs provided can include but are not limited to the following:

• Activities that revitalize Native language
• Problematic alcohol and substance use prevention and intervention
• Community events such as feasts
• Family circles, counselling and child/youth support groups
• Referrals to other programs and services
• School programs
• Traditional land-based healing events

• Offers on-site early intervention and crisis intervention
• Provides needs assessment, safety planning and referrals to community services
• Offers enhanced support for vulnerable victims
• Provides assistance with applications to VQRP+

Victim Quick Response Program+ (VQRP+)

Provides assistance with emergency expenses related to the eligible incident, including:

• home safety
• accommodation
• meals
• transportation
• basic necessities
• dependent care costs
• counselling
• traditional Indigenous health services
• cellular phones
• vision care
• dental care
• aids for victims with disabilities
• interpretation services
• crime scene cleanup
• government/medical documents
• funeral expenses

Additional assistance for victims of human trafficking includes:

• storage locker
• tattoo removal
• treatment at a recovery facility

Note: No direct reimbursement to victims for above supports

Financial support also available for:

• victims who sustained serious physical injuries during a crime
• parents of child homicide victims
• spouses of homicide victims

Sexual Assault Counselling

• Provides individual counselling to victims and their families

Provides information, nursing care and treatment services for individuals who have been sexually assaulted or have experienced intimate partner violence

Offers any/all of the following optional services:

• A safe place to be heard
• Advocacy for the rights and safety of the survivor
• Appropriate legal documentation of injuries
• Care and treatment
• Collection of accurate forensic evidence
• Emergency contraceptive pill (if within 72 hours of assault)
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing
• Referrals to counselling and community agencies
• Treatment for sexually transmitted infections

Child and Youth Prevention Services

• Provides support and prevention services for children and youth focused on bullying, healthy relationships, teen dating violence and intimate partner abuse
• Partners with local schools, parents and community services to provide interactive presentations/workshops

Member agency of Support Services Network for Male Survivors in Ontario

Provides a broad spectrum of mental health and addiction services

Services offered include but not limited to:

• Provides drug and alcohol assessments
• Offers case management and forensic case management
• Provides mental health and addictions counselling, both long-term and crisis counselling
• Offers problem gambling counselling
• Provides community outreach and education

Share for Hope Program

• Provides weekly visits to Out of The Cold Shelter by community volunteers (survivors)
• Volunteers speak and offer encouragement about topics such as addictions, homelessness, family violence and grief

Also offers a satellite office in Pickle Lake two days per month

• Provides support services to Indigenous women and their families who are struggling with mental health issues
• Aims to help improve Indigenous health and reduce family violence

Services offered include:

• Access to elders and healers
• Addictions
• Aftercare support
• Land-based therapy
• Mental health
• Traditional counselling
• Referrals to other programs or agencies
• Sharing/healing circles

Provides the following services for Indigenous women and their families suffering from behavioural, emotional or psychological issues:

• Mental health assessments
• Case management
• Counselling services
• Treatment and aftercare

Services and programs include:

• Intake screening and assessment
• Care plan determination
• Assistance to family members with coping and management skills
• Land-based therapy
• Referrals to other agencies and service providers for additional assistance
• Intervention through traditional and contemporary methods including ceremonies, Elders and Healers
• Healing and sharing circles
• Promotion and education of mental health issues

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) initiative to assist each Indigenous community to design and deliver their own holistic, prevention-focused services/programs and cultural supports to promote a healthy community and support families as needed in the community

• Focus is on improving the overall health and well-being of communities and to empower families to build healthy relationships
• Works to eliminate family violence, the number of youth involved in the justice system and the number of children in care

Activities and programs provided can include but are not limited to the following:

• Activities that revitalize Native language
• Alcohol and drug abuse prevention and intervention
• Community events such as feasts
• Family circles, counselling and child/youth support groups
• Referrals to other programs and services
• School programs
• Traditional land-based healing events

Provides supervised accommodations for students attending the Pelican Falls First Nation High School

Each Pelican Falls Centre house has 2 live-in counsellors and provides:

• A safe, secure home environment
• Supervision outside school hours
• Academic encouragement and individual counselling
• Life skills support and training
• Social and recreational programs

Provides services to female and male survivors of sexual assault and/or abuse, including human trafficking survivors

Service offered include:

Counselling

• One-on-one trauma informed counselling
• Crisis counselling and intervention
• Group counselling

Client Advocacy

• Accompaniment, advocacy and referrals to police, court, hospital, lawyers, social services and community agencies
• Support and assistance throughout the process

Support Groups

• Female and male survivors of sexual assault and/or abuse
• Youth and teens support
• Historic sexual abuse

Provides workshops to raise awareness of violence against women for community professionals and service providers

Workshops focus on:

• How the cycle of abuse affects the family and community at large
• Early warning signs of family violence
• Developing culturally sensitive prevention and aftercare programs
• Eliminating ostracism of victims forced to leave home/community during crisis
• Increasing understanding and policies of service providers and employers dealing with domestic violence situations

Provides support to Indigenous people in conflict with the Criminal Justice System

• Acts as a liaison between the individual/family and the court
• Ensures that the individual/family understands their legal rights and/or obligations pertaining to the law and the legal process with both the Criminal Court and Family Court
• Provides information about preventative measures imposed by the court such as bail, detention or conditional release
• Offers individual counselling
• Assists with preparing pre-sentence reports
• Explains conditions of probation to individual
• Works with community agencies on behalf of individual to ensure sentencing conditions are met
• Visits incarcerated individuals to provide support and maintains contact with Native Inmate Liaison worker
• Provides education and information about the legal system

Provides a culturally based program to support and address concerns of Indigenous youth who are at risk of negative behaviors

Addressing Violence

• Provides education on how to end violence in Indigenous communities
• Teaches about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse

Education

• Encourages youth to remain in school and provides support for obtaining high school diploma
• Offers homework assistance and time at the Centre to complete homework with access to computers and Internet

General Social Supports

• Provides individual counselling for areas that youth may be struggling with such as socialization and peer pressure
• Offers Native craft classes and regalia making sessions
• Teaches Native dancing, singing and drumming
• Allows the youth to participate in Elder's Circles

Healthy Living and Physical Development

• Holds individual and group educational sessions on healthy lifestyle choices including good nutrition and traditional food preparation
• Coordinates and assists youth in preparing nutritious meals through a weekly cooking class
• Supervises non competitive recreational activities

Justice Intervention

• Accompanies any youth registered in agency programs to court proceedings if requested
• Provides education and information about the criminal justice system and court procedures

Youth in Care

• Provides cultural education and support for youth living in foster homes within community and also to biological and foster parents

Provides mental health services for First Nation individuals and families in the Sioux Lookout area

Provides the following services:

• Intake, assessment and case management services
• Individual and family counselling for various issues including but not limited to, bereavement, grief, family violence, suicide
• Education, resources and training seminars in northern First Nation communities on mental health issues

Also provides the following programs and services:

Acute Care Services

• Provides intensive counselling for individuals requiring acute care services

Special Needs Program

• Offers case management and mental health services for children and youth with special needs including emotional, developmental and/or intellectual problems
• Provides support to parents/families in accessing other resources and financial assistance
• Offers advocacy on behalf of clients/families for other services

Specialty Sessions

• Coordinates specialty clinics including psychiatry, tele-psychiatry, psychology and art therapy
• Provides tele-conferencing with Sick Children's Hospital and other health providers
• Offers education and information sessions with visiting specialists

• Provides training, counselling and programming in the areas of mental health and addictions in the communities served
• Can also provide one-on-one counselling, individual case management, client assessments and internal or external referral options

Services are provided but not limited to the following topics:

• Anger management
• Co-dependency
• Communication skills
• Coping skills development
• Coping with dysfunctional settings (family, work, and community)
• Cultural teachings including healing circles, ceremonies, medicine and traditional healing alternatives
• Domestic violence
• Healthy lifestyles
• Healthy nutrition and physical activity
• Loss and grief
• Residential school trauma