services

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the support & follow-up program
the support & follow-up program

This service enhances an essential means of support in the social reintegration process of our members.

Conceived in respect of the aptitudes and limits of the person, all interventions take place at home or in the community. With the help of a worker of the organization, the person identifies his/her needs, determines realistic goals and then works on ways of achieving them. Having the necessary psychological tools through regular follow up, the person takes an active role in his/her decisions and assumes the consequences.

Among the results achieved by this service, we have seen an increased autonomy and self-esteem, the maintaining in their natural milieu and the decrease of number of hospitalisations.

The four programs of this service are:

*Evaluation of the needs and potential, structuring of goals and reevaluation
*Support and understanding of the history and the personal dynamics of the
person, psycho-social counselling, help with regards to basic life management
skills, referral to resources and defense of the rights
*Crisis intervention, accompaniement and support to the family
*Collaboration with resources and health professionals involved

-community follow-up program also offered to the elderly

The Quebec population is aging and we observe over the last years in North America a significant rise of mental health problems.

Organizations that offer services to elderly people do exist. We can also find psychogeriatric programs which focus their services to elderly people that have developed mental health problems related to aging. However, very rare are the organizations that serve those who already have chronic mental health problems.

Friendship Volunteer Association inc. always made an effort to offer to this specific clientele all its services and programs. So, the community follow-up services are offered to them.

This particular aspect of the community follow-up program is adapted to their needs by offering them a special type of assistance related to older people problems. Through interventions, our goals are to help them reduce psychological distress, to dimunish their social isolation and defend their rights related to abuses. We can also help them facing typical problems associated to older people.

-socio-judiciary service

Over the years, the staff of Friendship Volunteer Association inc. has observed a continuous rise in the number of members who have judicial problems. Many of these have made requests for our services after having been refused by other organizations because of their trouble with the law, their time spent at the Philippe-Pinel Institute or the nature of their infractions.

The principal services we offer are:

*Providing support to members who have had trouble with the law to ensure that
they are not alone in their dealings with the judicial system.
*Working in collaboration with lawyers to ensure that their representation in court
reflects their dynamic
*Demystifying judiciary procedures for these people so that they can understand
the legal processes as well as the consequences of their infractions
*Preparing pre-sentencing reports in order of encouraging magistrates to render
more humanitarian verdicts
*Raising the possibility, in collaboration with lawyers and judges, of alternatives
to detention as a sentence
*Assuring, through a community follow-up, appropriate services with the aim of
reducing or eliminating repetitions of their offenses

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community center
community center

The Friendship Volunteer Association inc.'s community center is a place where members of the organization can socialize. Easy to access, the center is located downtown Montreal. The members are welcomed daily by social animators who offer support and activities.

The center focuses on socialization objectives as it offers the opportunity of increase social interactions.

The members also have the possibility to take part in educational and therapeutic activities and have access to a variety of entertainments.

Outings are made and information sessions on topics such as rights and recourses, taxes, welfare and mental health are offered throughout the year. Every year, CLSC Metro holds a flu shot clinic.

Two fully meals are served every week and snacks are offered daily. Also, under supervision of mental health workers, 8 members are involved in an employability and skills development program. Finally, the Christmas party is the biggest event of the year for all the members.

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friendship volunteer program
friendship volunteer program

Inspired by American programs, the Friendship Volunteer Association inc. is the first organization in the province of Quebec to offer a service involving volunteers in a social integration program of intervention for people who have mental health problems.

It is through a warm human contact that this service created and ensures a relationship between a trained and supervised volunteer and a beneficiary.

The role of the volunteer is to eleviate the loneliness felt by the person being helped by building up his/her confidence and self worth. This process is achieved through respecting the personal rythm of the person.

Volunteers offer listening and understanding, make home visits and outings.

Our volunteer network is composed of people who have been selected for their warm personality. To prepare them for their new tasks, a 12 hour training session is given. During all through his/her involvement, the volunteer is supervised by a community worker of the organization who is assigned to the person visited. This ensures that the appropriate interventions required are met.

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activities
activities

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May

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September

October

November

December

Activities