The Victim Services program is based on the principles that victims should be treated with courtesy, compassion and respect, that victims should suffer the minimum of necessary inconvenience from their involvement with the criminal justice system, and that victims should receive prompt and fair redress for the harm they have suffered.

Services Offered:

• General information about the criminal justice system to help you understand how it works
  
• Updated information on what is happening with your case
  
• Pre-court preparation so you can participate more meaningfully in the court process
  
• Help with preparing a Victim Impact Statement, if you wish to complete one
  
• Identifying and referring you to specialized community resources, if you need them
  
• Providing emotional support and short-term counselling as you prepare to go through court
  

The Victim Services program is voluntary. You may decide that you do not require any services; you may like a full range of services, or may want only some of the services offered. The choice is yours. Services are free and confidential.

Available to:

Adults (16 years of age or older)

Services are available to those who feel they have been victimized regardless of whether a complaint has been made to the police or a charge has been laid.

Children (under 16 years of age)

Children, under the age of 16 years, who will be testifying in criminal proceedings. This would include both victims of a crime and witnesses to a crime, regardless of whether they are testifying for the Crown Attorney or Defense Counsel. The child's family is also eligible for services.

Referral Process

In the majority of cases referrals will be made by the police, the Crown Attorney or Child Protection. However, referrals are accepted from other agencies, as well as self referrals.

Contact Information:

Barbara Holwell, Victim Services Coordinator
Telephone: 466-5808

Eastern Health is the largest integrated health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador, with 12,000 dedicated employees serving a regional population of more than 293,790. We offer the full continuum of health and community services, including public health, long-term care, community services, hospital care and unique provincial programs and services.

Child Protection Service-Children, Seniors and Social Development

The Child, Youth and Family Services Program, through its legislative framework supports an array of responses to meet the needs of children, youth and families. In addition to legally mandated, protective intervention services this program's legislation now supports the provision of voluntary family services.

Some of the core services offered by this program include:

• Assessment of allegations of child/senior abuse and neglect
  
• Crisis Intervention
  
• Family Counselling
  
• Advocacy
  
• Referral services
  
• Supervised access and other social work support services aimed at reunification of families where children have required alternate care.
  

Protective intervention services are available 24 hours a day

Mental Health & Addictions

The program provides crisis response and community-based mental health and addictions counseling.

Some of the core services offered by this program include:

• Counselling services
  
• Mental Health Crisis Centre, a 24-hour, seven days a week telephone and in-person crisis intervention service. Call 1-888-737-4668.
  

Contact Information:

Formally known as Social Services, the department of HRLE helps people with planning their careers, finding jobs, getting financial assistance, and immigrating to the province.

HRLE has a policy in place to help them assist victims of violence who wish to leave a violent situation.

Services for victims of violence include:

• transportation to a shelter/transition house or other safe location
  
• accommodations
  
• personal allowance for the period of time you reside at a shelter (this is based on your financial circumstance)
  
• income support benefits based on your financial circumstance
  
• start- up allowance as a contribution towards obtaining furniture, linens, clothing etc. if it is determined to be unsafe to return home for these items
  
• services of the regional liaison social worker
  

*Normal eligibility rules for assistance may be waived in the case of a person who is leaving a violent or abusive situation in the event that the violence is disclosed to the support worker.

Contact information:

Toll-free: 1-877-729-7888
After Hours: 1-888-566-1997
TTY: 1-877-292-4205

Through the NLHC's Rental Housing Program they help low-income households that cannot obtain suitable and affordable rental housing on the private market.

NLHC gives priority status to victims of violence.

Contact information:

(709) 1-833-724-2444