Federal, provincial and regional counselling services to support Affected Persons

Last updated: October 12, 2022

An affected person is an individual who has experienced serious harm or loss of a loved one in a police-involved incident.

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Federal counselling services to support affected persons

Wellness Together Canada (WTC) 

  • Wellness Together Canada (WTC) is an online mental health and substance use support portal
  • The portal is the first national program of its kind, providing 24/7 access to free evidence-based tools and resources
  • WTC provides a variety of supports ranging from self-assessment and peer support to confidential sessions with social workers, psychologists and other professionals

Talk Suicide Canada 

  • Talk Suicide Canada provides nationwide, 24-hour English and French support to anyone who is experiencing thoughts of suicide
  • All crisis responders have had the training they need to support people who have concerns about suicide

Kids Help Phone 

  • Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 national support service, offering professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French

Hope for Wellness Helpline 

  • Available to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada who need immediate crisis intervention 
  • Experienced and culturally sensitive helpline counsellors are available to talk or help those in distress

Provincial counselling services to support affected persons

HealthLink BC 

  • HealthLink BC provides reliable non-emergency health information and advice in British Columbia

HealthLink BC resources 

  • Provides numerous mental health and substance use related services and resources available to British Columbians
  • Many of the resources are available in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese

First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) 

  • The FNHA is the health and wellness partner to over 200 diverse First Nations communities and citizens across B.C.
  • FNHA directly delivers a number of programs and services that include health benefits, health protection, mental health and wellness services
  • For more information please visit the Guide to Mental Health Counselling Services

Regional counselling services to support affected persons

Island Health 

Esquimalt Neighbourhood House

  • Offers free counselling to adults living in the Greater Victoria Area

Pacific Centre Family Services Association

  • ​Offers affordable community counselling options to the Greater Victoria area, primarily the West Shore and Sooke regions

Hiiye’yu Lelum (House of Friendship) Society 

  • Offers low-barrier, no-cost counselling to adults in the Cowichan Valley

Peers Victoria Resources Society

  • Offers counselling sessions and wellness programs for current or former sex workers

Salt Spring Island Community Services 

  • Community Counselling Program allows flexibility to accommodate individuals that may face barriers that prevent them from accessing counselling

Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR) 

  • ​Offers counselling services mental health counselling to immigrants and refugees on a sliding fee scale, based on clients' ability to pay, and for free when needed

South Island Centre

  • Provides professional, affordable mental health counselling services to children, youth, adults and families

Vancouver Coastal Health (Lower Mainland) 

Canadian Mental Health Association, North and West Vancouver

  • Offers short-term, low-cost, confidential, one-to-one support to adults living on the North Shore

​Family Services of the North Shore

  • Offers free counselling support for up to 6 weeks

​REACH Medical Clinic

  • Offers free virtual counselling sessions covered by MSP

Sunshine Coast Community Service

  • Community Mental Health Services is a supportive counselling service for children and their families with behavioural, social and emotional adjustment problems

​Archway Community Services 

  • ​Offers various mental health supports for community members In Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack and Langley

​Deltassist Family and Community Services 

  • Offers up to six (6) free phone or online counselling sessions for individuals, families and/or couples who live in Delta

Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services 

  • The Child and Youth Mental Health Outreach Program offers services and support to children and youth with mental health concerns
  • This support is extended to the families of these clients

SHARE Family and Community Services 

  • Talking Helps Counselling Program is available on a subsidized, sliding scale based on household income and is available specifically for Tri-Cities residents with children or youth 18 and under in the home

DIVERSECity Community Resources Society 

  • Offers free, culturally sensitive, confidential help in multiple languages

Jewish Family Services

  • Offers counselling/therapy services on a sliding scale for the Jewish and broader community

Moving Forward Family Services 

  • Offers a variety of virtual counselling services, including for individuals who cannot afford traditional rates or do not have insurance coverage

Watari Counselling and Support Services 

  • Offers free, confidential counselling, education, referrals and other preventative programs for those in Strathcona/ Downtown Eastside area and surrounding communities who struggle with substance misuse

Interior Health / Fraser Health 

OneSky Community Resource 

  • Counselling is available for individuals, couples, youth and families located throughout the South Okanagan

​Canadian Mental Health Association - Kelowna 

  • Virtual counselling services are available free of charge to individuals, couples, families and caregivers of youth

Yellowhead Community Services - Thompson Valley 

  • Provides free counselling for adults, children and youth experiencing violence, women who have experienced abuse and/or violence, and those struggling with substance use

Circle of Indigenous Nations Society 

  • Offers programs rooted in Indigenous practices that strengthen cultural connection and support holistic healing and learning

Cythera Transition House Society 

  • Offers counselling and other supports for women and children experiencing or witnessing abuse and violence

Northern Health 

Prince George Native Friendship Centre 

  • Supportive, culturally sensitive counselling supports for Indigenous peoples with flexible assessments

Carrier Sekani Family Services 

  • Provides children, youth and adults with access to timely, evidence-based and culturally relevant mental health consultation, assessment and treatment services

Dze L K'ant Friendship Centre Society (Houston) 

  • Mental health counselling and other supports in Houston for individuals, couples and families who want a third party for support, coping and problem solving

Quesnel Women's Resource Centre 

  • Offers counselling services to people who may have difficulty accessing other counselling in the community