Professional counselling services in Vancouver and online, reaching out to anywhere in the world!
Community Resources and Support Programs
Family Services of Greater Vancouver
Founded in 1928, Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV) supports thousands of families and individuals across the Lower Mainland living in need, in crisis, or with trauma.
Over fifty programs, services, workshops, and groups help people build resiliency, develop skills and knowledge, and gain the confidence to make positive changes in their lives.
From youth experiencing homelessness, to families impacted by trauma, to isolated seniors and newcomers to Canada – whatever the challenges our clients are facing, our compassionate, expert staff meet people where they are at and give them the support they need to create brighter tomorrows.
Website: http://www.fsgv.ca
Crisis Centre
The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC (Crisis Centre) is a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to helping people help themselves and others deal with crisis.
The Crisis Centre has been providing emotional support to youth, adults and seniors in distress since 1969. As a safe place to turn when there seems to be no hope, the Crisis Centre is operated by 425+ frontline volunteers and a small team of professional staff who support and empower individuals to see their own strengths and options, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We work at the community level to provide education and training aimed at fostering resiliency and building capacity to respond to crisis and suicide.
In 2016, the Crisis Centre impacted more than 102,000 lives across BC through its three core services:
24/7 Distress Phone Services. Operating four regional crisis lines, two 1-800-SUICIDE lines and two Mental Health Support Lines which are connected to a network of crisis lines across BC as well as a dedicated Seniors’ Distress Line. The provincial 1-800-SUICIDE lines and Mental Health Support Lines are available in over 140 languages using a language service.
Online Distress Services: YouthInBC.com, CrisisCentreChat.ca. Provide youth and adults with an opportunity to talk openly yet confidentially when in distress, or crisis, seek emotional support, and locate referral services in their community.
Community Learning and Engagement. Education and training that fosters resiliency and builds the capacity to respond to crisis and suicide in our communities. Includes programming for community members and service providers (training), youth and older adults. Service providers and community members from all over BC attend our training programs.
Website: https://crisiscentre.bc.ca
BC Bereavement Helpline
The BC Bereavement Helpline (BCBH) was established as a charity in 1988 and has become a provincial leader in providing education, support and advocacy for the bereaved, their caregivers and professionals.
The BC Bereavement Helpline assists the bereaved and their caregivers in coping and managing grief. When you call us, your call will be answered by a caring, compassionate volunteer who is familiar with over 300 grief support groups and organizations in the province. Bereavement support groups provide a safe, nurturing environment for participants to share and support each other in their grief. Trained facilitators provide information about grief and encourage individuals to speak about their loss as they feel comfortable. Your call is free, confidential, and anonymous and will be treated with care in helping you find the most appropriate support for your specific type of loss.
Website: http://www.bcbereavementhelpline.com
Women Against Violence Against Women
24-Hr Crisis & Info Line. WAVAW provides immediate crisis assistance and emotional support, information, and referrals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The crisis line is free and confidential. Lower Mainland: 604-255-6344 National Toll-free: 1-877-392-7583
Hospital Accompaniment. Support workers can accompany survivors seeking medical attention from the Sexual Assault Service team at Vancouver General Hospital 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 604-255-6344 and request hospital accompaniment.
Police and Court Accompaniment. Our Victim Services Program offers support, accompaniment, information, and referrals for survivors engaging with the criminal justice system (police and court system). Call 604-255-6344 between 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri.
Website: www.wavaw.ca
BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse
The British Columbia Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA) is a non-profit society established to provide therapeutic services for males who have been sexually abused at some time in their lives.
Website: www.bc-malesurvivors.com
QMUNITY
QMUNITY is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. QMUNITY provides a safer space for LGBTQ/2S people and their allies to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included. QMUNITY building serves as a catalyst for community initiatives and collective strength.
Website: https://qmunity.ca
MOSAIC
MOSAIC is one of the largest settlement non-profit organizations in Canada. MOSAIC serves immigrant, refugee, migrant, and mainstream communities in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley as well as throughout the province of BC and overseas via online programs.
Website: https://www.mosaicbc.org
CHIMO Community Services (Crisis lines, advocacy, workshops)
Chimo is a non-profit organization serving people in crisis, transition and through education. Chimo prevents tragedies and saves lives. Chimo strengthens individuals, families, and communities. Chimo connects people with needed community resources. Chimo builds bridges of understanding.
Created in Richmond, British Columbia in 1973, Chimo Community Services now serves over 10,000 individuals and families each year from different cultural backgrounds, age groups, family lifestyles, and economic situations. Through nine program areas, Chimo provides diverse services from community building to prevention, from individual crisis support to advocacy, and from peer support to education. Chimo engages in collaborative community planning and develops innovative resources to address emerging needs.
Chimo has a three prong approach to affecting social change in our community. Through crisis programs, Chimo serves people in immediate need. Through transition programs, people make meaningful, lasting changes in their lives, or establish themselves in their new country. Education encourages prevention and positively influences views and behaviours.
Crisis: Crisis Lines, Nova Transition House, Crisis Counselling
Transition: Counselling, Outreach and Advocacy, Newcomer Settlement Service, Homeless Prevention Program, Vacant House Program / Rental Connect
Education: Community Engagement
Website: http://www.chimoservices.com
Pacific Postpartum Society
Pacific Post Partum Support Society has been supporting mothers and their families experiencing postpartum/perinatal distress, depression and anxiety for over 45 years. The program started in 1971 as a grass roots initiative when a small group of women began meeting at the Vancouver Crisis Line office to share their experiences and support each other around postpartum issues. This established the pattern for our treatment model: mothers supporting mothers. This was a new approach to addressing the issues of postpartum depression and one that has since influenced changes in postpartum support.
Website: http://postpartum.org
Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society
Indigenous Homeless Outreach Program. A disproportionate number of individuals who are homeless are Indigenous and due to the cycle of poverty, issues associated with homelessness has been the main source of crime. In response to community need, VATJSS offers an Homelessness Outreach necessary to address housing needs in a way that recognizes unique cultural and social needs. The VATJSS Homeless Outreach Program aims to reduce the number of Indigenous who are homeless by providing direct access to immediate housing supports along with services to address the individual’s housing, health, and cultural needs. This program works within a continuum to provide services from emergency and imminent needs to self sufficiency. The program provides outreach services for street homeless, couch surfing, in care or who have struggle with intermittent homelessness issues.
Justice Program. VATJSS Justice Program provides service in two key areas:
The Diversion Unit delivers Crown referred Alternative Measures (adult)Extra Judicial Sanctions(youth) and VPD/RCMP Diversion to Indigenous people residing in the Metro Vancouver area.
Support to those members in Provincial Community Corrections completing orders. The main objectives of the program is to offer a structure that fosters our Indigenous protocols and way of life to repair relationships among those affected by crime - the victim, the accused, their families, and the community - and to empower individuals to identify behaviours/patterns that have led to crime, mitigate new responses and strategies to deal with the crime and participate directly in processes that affect the overall well-being of the community.
Website: http://vatjss.com/resources
BC Center for Elder Advocacy & Support
Seniors First BC is the only non-profit organization in Western Canada offering a mix of legal psycho-social and justice based supports to older adults. Seniors First BC has staff from different professional fields. As a result, the Elder Law Clinic is able to benefit from the expertise of staff in other programs under the Seniors First BC umbrella, and from easy access to programs in the community programs arm of the agency. Similarly, the community program arm of the agency is able to benefit from the expertise of the Elder Law Clinic, providing a legal lens to publications, educational initiatives and advocacy work.
Website: http://seniorsfirstbc.ca
The Public Guardian and Trustee
The Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) is a corporation sole established under the Public Guardian and Trustee Act with a unique statutory role to protect the interests of British Columbians who lack legal capacity to protect their own interests. The mandate of the PGT is to:
Protect the legal and financial interests of children under the age of 19 years
Protect the legal, financial, personal and health care interests of adults who require assistance in decision making
Administer the estates of deceased and missing persons
Website: https://www.trustee.bc.ca
BC Housing: Transition Houses & Safe Homes List
BC Housing works in partnership with the private and non-profit sectors, provincial health authorities and ministries, other levels of government and community groups to develop a range of housing options.
Website: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/women-fleeing-violence/transition-houses-safe-homes