Community-Based Residential Facilities

Guy Richmond Place, Hobden House, Elliott House, and Miyáq’elhá:wetwat (Tims Manor)

Guy Richmond Place (GRP), Hobden House (HH), Elliott House (EH), and Tims Manor are community-based residential facilities (CBRF) which operate under contract with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). The CBRFs provide housing to individuals on conditional release under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act from federal and provincial correctional institutions. GRP, HH, EH, and Tims Manor provide stable home environments with added structure for individuals as they reintegrate into the community, and assist residents in navigating obstacles that they experience as they transition to independent living and meet their needs as contributing members of the community. Persons residing in the facilities receive individualized care through supportive relationships, the development of personal plans, and the establishment of healthy community supports. All residents are subject to both general and specific conditions of release, and community safety is ensured through 24-hour staff who provide structure, monitoring, and support.

Elliott House is located in Abbotsford and can accommodate up to 25 residents, Guy Richmond Place is located in Vancouver and has a maximum occupancy of 18 residents, and Hobden House is a 17-bed residence located in Surrey.

Miyáq’elhá:wetwat (Tims Manor) is a specialized Indigenous CBRF for up to 8 residents in Abbotsford, which incorporates specific programming for Indigenous offenders using a culturally based framework.

Community Living Residential Services

East 3rd Residential

The East 3rd Residential program was developed to provide a structured living environment and community supports for adults who are under the care of Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) with supervision orders which require 24-hour monitoring. The program provides innovative and individualized alternatives to the traditional justice and forensic systems, and residents are supported to achieve community integration through a customized model of housing and support. East 3rd provides monitoring for safe living in the community, and person-centered plans through which residents can learn the skills necessary to be responsible, independent, contributing members of society within the parameters of their supervision orders.

Miller Block

Miller Block provides stable and supportive housing for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness who also have co-occurring barriers such as a developmental disability, active substance use, ongoing mental health, and social and criminal justice issues. The residential program provides a housing opportunity where residents can participate in a rich social community that embraces differences, and promotes the active participation of each resident. Miller Block acts as a pivotal building block towards long-term sustainable housing by leveraging community, creating effective programming, and supporting people with life-skills. Miller Block works in partnership with CLBC, and by blending a housing first and person-centered approach to peoples’ lives, we want to support people with the opportunity to establish themselves in a community that is welcoming, supportive, and safe.

Miller Block is made up of 13 single occupancy suites, with 11-12 designated for CLBC funded residents and 1-2 designated as affordable housing. In addition, people living at Miller Block have access to 16-18 hours of staffing resource per day.

Vancouver Apartments

The Vancouver Apartments program provides 24-hour support to residents who are under the care of CLBC. The program supports residents to acquire the social, educational, or vocational upgrading which will enable them to thrive in less structured independent living arrangements. Vancouver Apartments provides intensive living assistance to promote independence, and activities focus on community participation, inclusion, and removing barriers and stigma to accessing essential supports.

Willow Place

The Willow Place program is a supervised shared home option dedicated specifically to assisting up to three adult women with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) who receive supports from CLBC, either through the Personal Support Initiative or the Developmental Disabilities stream. Individuals may also live with compound effects of trauma, violence, mental health, and addiction. The goal of the program is to provide an environment that is safe and secure, supportive of individual growth and development, and focused on individual needs.

Home Shares

The Home Share program is a residential option in which an adult with a developmental disability shares a home with someone who is contracted to provide ongoing, individualized support. For some, this is a step towards greater independence, while for others it is a lifelong living arrangement. The person-centered nature of the program allows individuals to select a home share provider and home environment that meets their unique goals and preferences. Support is flexible, and evolves according to the individuals’ changing needs.

Community Housing

Fraser Street Apartments

Fraser Apartments is an opportunity to intentionally build strong community ideals within an inclusive and affordable housing platform. Striving to achieve the value of authentic citizenship, Fraser Apartments acts as a foundation to long-term sustainable housing, while fostering a community where people can belong. By blending a housing-first and person-centered approach to people’s lives, Fraser Apartments enhances our ability to successfully support people. The residence also strives to serve a wide demographic of people living with multiple barriers including areas of developmental disabilities, substance use, homelessness, and mental health, and provides an opportunity for tenants to establish themselves in a community that is welcoming, supportive, and safe. To most successfully provide these characteristics of housing, Fraser Apartments leans heavily on the committed presence of organizational members, stakeholders, and community. Fraser Apartments is comprised of 8 bachelor suites total, with 4-5 units designated for CLBC funded people, and 2-3 units rented out as Affordable Housing.

Homelessness Prevention Program

The Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) aims to connect individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with safe, affordable housing. HPP Outreach staff work with individuals to assess their needs, assist with personal goals, and connect with stable accommodation and appropriate services. The HPP program provides individuals with tenancy support and skills training, follow up and ongoing support to tenants, works to build and maintain relationships with landlords providing housing, and provides education and resources to landlords to support and maintain tenancies, as appropriate. HPP rental supplements for eligible individuals assist with securing and maintaining housing in the community.

Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) aims to prevent and reduce chronic and episodic homelessness among individuals being released from provincial institutions by connecting them to safe, suitable, and permanent housing. HPS provides intensive case management to address the complex needs of the people they support, and works to connect individuals to community resources that will enable them to maintain long-term housing and end the cycle of homelessness. While the majority of requests for assistance relate to housing, the HPS team also provides support in the following areas: legal concerns, identification, education, employment, community programming, assistance addressing substance misuse issues, mental health services, the client’s personal effects, and general support. The HPS team works collaboratively with the Community Service Office to ensure that requests received from clients are addressed and responded to in a timely matter.

Bridge to Housing

The Bridge to Housing Program (BTH) aims to reduce and prevent homelessness in the Metro Vancouver area. The program provides a wraparound approach by supporting individuals being released from federal institutions on their sentence expiry by locating potential safe, permanent housing opportunities and maintaining this housing to promote long term stability in the community by making connections to various community resources that meet identified individual needs.

Community Service Offices – Vancouver & Abbotsford

The CSOs provide important community services by assisting individuals with essential supports such as assistance with obtaining identification; locating and maintaining safe, affordable housing; referrals to employment, substance abuse treatment, mental and physical health, and income tax resources, and many other requests. The VCSO is a free call from local provincial correctional institutions (NFPT, SPT, FRCC), and the ACSO is a toll-free call from community or federal correctional institutions. The goals of the Community Service programs are to assist individuals in optimizing their personal, social, and vocational skills in order to improve their quality of life, overcome difficult barriers, and build healthy, inclusive relationships.

Abbotsford Community Service Office

The Abbotsford Community Service Office (ACSO) provides support to individuals who are impacted by the criminal justice system, those transitioning into the community from correctional facilities, individuals with developmental disabilities, persistent mental health conditions, and substance abuse issues, and those who may be at risk of homelessness. The ACSO provides assistance, referrals, advocacy, and support with essential services, and acceptance for services is inclusive. The goal of the ACSO is to fulfill the need for healthy supports and facilitate meaningful connections to the community to establish safety and success for both individuals and their community.

Vancouver Community Service Office

The Vancouver Community Service Office (VCSO) is a walk-in service which provides assistance to people in the community facing barriers including homelessness, mental health concerns, substance misuse, criminal justice involvement, and developmental disabilities. Staffed primarily by volunteers and practicum students, the VCSO provides a safe and supportive environment for individuals who may require support to access a range of community resources. The aim is to build a strong, inclusive community that advocates for and assists community members with complex barriers. The VCSO strives to enhance partnerships with local organizations to facilitate community inclusion and the establishment of meaningful relationships, and offers a variety of in-house programming geared towards promoting well-being and independence.

Community Living Outreach

Community Living outreach provides person-centered, one-to-one services to adults referred to our organization by CLBC. The Outreach program supports individuals to live as independently as possible, while ensuring opportunities to live in the community, build healthy relationships, and be citizens in society. Service delivery encompasses community-based supports that may include employment, housing, building healthy relationships, and social/recreational opportunities. Our Community Living Outreach teams serve individuals through our offices in Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford.

Community-Based Outreach

The Community-Based Outreach program provides a wraparound approach to supporting individuals deemed to be high risk and high needs transitioning from CSC institutions during the pre-release stage and through their community supervision period. Community Outreach workers support the existing supervision framework and work collaboratively with Case Management teams to create individualized care plans, and provide intensive support to assist individuals in obtaining skills to become prosocial members of the community, while working to promote their resilience and independence.

Reintegration Worker (CSC)

The Reintegration program provides support to federally incarcerated individuals who are transitioning to the community. Working in collaboration with CSC staff, the Reintegration worker assists with pre-release planning, develops working relationships with a wider audience, and enhances our ability to provide wraparound services which promote safety and success for individuals and the community. The Reintegration worker strives to bridge the gap that exists between clients’ needs and being able to access services prior to release to meet those needs.

Community Reintegration Worker (North Fraser Pretrial Centre)

The Community Reintegration program at North Fraser Pretrial Centre (NFPC) provides assistance with release planning, and information about community resources within the Lower Mainland. The reintegration worker focuses primarily on one-to-one support services, and provides information on housing, income assistance, applying for identification, taxes, recovery houses, treatment programs, employment and education opportunities. Individuals can access the reintegration worker or get more information about the program by filling out a special request form and submitting it to their Living Unit Officer at NFPC. Once the request is submitted, the reintegration worker will meet with the individual on unit, and discuss needs and help create a plan for release.

Community Case Management and Supervision (CCMS)

CCMS is a risk based community release program which provides community case management for individuals awaiting deportation under the Immigration Refugee Act. An alternative to detention, the CCMS program is a risk-based community release program in partnership with the JHS Canada and Canada Boarder Services Agency (CBSA). If, subsequent to a risk assessment, a CBSA officer or the Immigration Review Board determines that an individual’s risk can be managed in community, they may be released from detention, provided that the individual is enrolled into and supported by a CCMS program. CCMS outreach staff build rapport and provide community support to ensure that various community needs are met, including mental health, addictions, housing, and other essential community services.

Employment Preparation Program

The Employment Preparation Program is a 2-day job readiness program designed to provide employment preparation and skills enhancement to provincially incarcerated individuals at Fraser Regional Correctional Center. The program provides the job skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment upon release in the community, and connects participants with community resources which enhance their ability to secure employment. Skills development highlighted in the program include how to make professional resumes and cover letters, how to network while looking for employment, how to find resources and support in the community while looking for work, as well as interviewing skills.

Grassroots Employment Program

The Grassroots program supports individuals with disabilities to obtain employment or volunteer positions through specialized employment training and customized employment support. The program provides job readiness and life-skills learning sessions designed to increase resiliency and success in the workplace, one-to-one job coaching, work support groups based on self-identified goals, access to recognized certifications, and support with locating and securing employment and volunteer opportunities.

Acquiring Community-Based Employment Skills (ACES)

ACES is a new program which aims to support people facing multiple barriers to locate and secure employment. JHS ACES staff work in partnership with participants to identify their employment goals and support them to complete life skills, employability training, and trade-specific certifications in order to achieve their goals. ACES workers provide support to participants in their work placements for several months, and act as an advocate and mediator with employers to support employment success. The ACES program is designed to particularly support Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, older workers, or those who face multiple barriers to employment. ACES also has the capacity to deliver services in correctional facilities to support individuals who are transitioning back to the community find and secure employment.

The ACES program is delivered in five JHS regions across the province of BC, serving eight communities. The JHSLM ACES program provides services in Vancouver, Surrey, and Abbotsford.

Choices and Consequences

The Choices and Consequences program brings experiential speakers into mainstream and alternative schools, youth custody facilities, and other community organizations to share their personal stories. Volunteer speakers tell of the choices that they made to bring them into contact with the law, while also offering a message of hope and illustrating how they have since learned to make positive choices. By sharing their stories, speakers provide participants with the opportunity to gain an appreciation for the real-life consequences which result from the decisions that individuals make in their lives, and the power of positive choices.

Community Resource Expo (Information Fairs)

Through our Abbotsford CSO, we organize Community Resource Expos, bi-annual events funded by CSC and hosted at nine Pacific Region correctional facilities. The expos bring representatives of community support organizations and other agencies (such as community residential facilities, treatment and recovery centres, and other community service organizations) into correctional facilities to connect incarcerated men and women with service providers in the community that can provide support once they are released. Individuals are encouraged to contribute to the management of their own sentences, learn of programs available, and establish working relationships with community agencies that can assist in preparing for release and reintegration into the community.

Dad H.E.R.O Program

Through a contract with the Canadian Families and Corrections Network (CFCN) and funded by Movember, we are able to provide the Dad H.E.R.O (Helping Everyone Realize Opportunities) program for incarcerated fathers. Dad H.E.R.O addresses the need for parenting supports for fathers in institutions. The program aims to help clients understand their value as dads, and to assist in increasing social connections to build resiliency in prison and in the community. The program includes parenting tips and explains how it is still possible to be a good dad from behind bars. Dad H.E.R.O consists of eight modules facilitated over an eight-week period. Each module focuses on a theme of fatherhood, and provides participants with a role to focus on each week. The goal is for dads to carry this knowledge and understanding back to the community and to their families. The program also provides a support group in the institution to check in with the dads, celebrate the progress they have made, and to continue to provide support with the challenges of parenting. Following reintegration to the community, there is a support group where dads can continue to receive support.

Volunteer & Practicum Student Program

The Volunteer and Practicum Student Program provides students and community members with a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge and valuable work experience while assisting and supporting individuals who access programs and services at JHSLM. Volunteers and practicum students enhance service delivery and provide integral support to many of the organization’s programs, and actively co-create an experience that fits with their goals and strengths. Through hands-on experience and coaching, the program strives to provide individuals with unique learning opportunities and specialized support to achieve their learning goals.