Violence Against Women Prevention
Our goal is to advocate for the safety of women and children and help them on their road to recovery after abuse or violence. We provide a wide range of reliable, accessible, and accountable services to women and children who are at risk of, or in the process of recovery from, exposure to abuse or assault. Whether you require crisis support, safety planning, counselling, or help with transitional planning to rebuild your life after abuse, we hope that there is a service offered through Manitoulin Family Resources that is right for you.
Crisis Telephone Line
Our crisis line offers confidential support, referrals, safety planning and information to women 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need assistance, call either of these listed numbers and a trained staff member will answer your call to assist you.
Haven House Shelter
We realize that one of the biggest concerns a woman has when thinking of leaving a situation of violence is needing a safe place for her and her children to go. Haven House Shelter offers safe emergency accommodation to all self-identified women 16 years of age and older, with or without dependents, who experience or are at risk of experiencing violence and/or abuse. Women are supported by residential counsellors in developing client-led plans for their future, while also addressing current needs with respect to safety planning and risk assessment, legal and financial issues, and counselling support. Women staying at the shelter have access to internal programs and resources, but can also choose to become connected, or remain connected, to other community resources and supports. The shelter program is free and confidential and can be accessed by calling either of the listed crisis lines.
Outreach Counselling
Manitoulin Family Resources offers flexible, trauma-informed counselling services in the areas of woman abuse, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and addictions’ support services. Counselling services are free and confidential and are offered in agency offices or an alternate safe and secure setting throughout the communities of Manitoulin, Espanola and the North Shore. Women and/or children accessing any of our counselling programs do not need to have accessed the shelter program in order to participate in counselling programs. All counselling services follow the philosophy of the shelter in seeing the woman as the expert of her own situation, and the lead in identifying the issues she would like to work on. Manitoulin Family Resources promotes collaborative service delivery with other partners involved in a woman’s healing journey, but always with the woman’s expressed and written consent.
Outreach services include safety planning and risk assessment, crisis management, long and short term counselling, court support, and referrals to other appropriate community resources to assist a woman on her healing journey. Self-referrals can be made by calling into the shelter on the crisis line. Referrals will then be assigned to the worker most appropriate to respond to the needs identified.
Transitional and Housing Support Program (THSP)
We realize that re-establishing life after experiencing violence or abuse can require help in many areas in order to move forward. Manitoulin Family Resources’ Transitional and Housing Support program is open to assisting all women navigate such challenges while trying to move forward. THSP can provide information and assistance making connections with housing, educational opportunities, job training, income support, navigating the legal system, or making other changes in line with their long-term goals. Women can access THSP from the shelter program or while residing in the community. Self-referrals can be made by calling into the shelter on the crisis line.
Building Bridges Program
This program offers age-specific group programming to children who have been exposed to violence against women in their homes. Programming is available through “closed groups” where children of a similar age can be together in a confidential and safe setting to learn about abuse and staying safe, and that abuse is not their fault. These truths are learned through activities that inspire healing in a safe and fun way. An interview is held with a counsellor prior to a child starting this program to ensure that the child will be placed into a group that feels safe for him or her. Groups are held for children between the ages of 4 and 16. When possible, a concurrent group is held for the mothers participating in the Building Bridges Program. This allows moms to know exactly how information is shared with the children and to have the support of one another as they are facing the challenges in helping their children overcome exposure to violence. The mom’s group is also a closed group, which allows for the building of trust and friendship as the weeks unfold.
An alternate group for mothers of infants and preschoolers is also in development. “Mothers in Mind” is a trauma-informed parenting group for moms who have been victims of trauma or violence in the past. Moms attend the parenting group with their infants and preschoolers with other moms who have faced similar challenges and want to focus on being empowered parents. Each session provides child development materials such as children’s books that moms take home at the end. Mothers in Mind is also a closed group with a trained facilitator. An interview is held with the facilitator prior to starting in a group to ensure confidentiality and emotional safety.
The Building Bridges and Mothers in Mind programs have no cost to participate.