Programs
- Aboriginal Outreach
- ASAP (Anger Substance Abuse Program
- Breaking the Cycle
of Addiction - Community Justice
- Finding Employment with Criminal Record
- Intake, Counselling,
and Case Management - Public Education
- Record Suspension (Pardon)
- S.T.E.A.M. (Strategies to Employment Anger Management)
- Youth Intervention Counselling Program
Programs
Aboriginal Outreach Program
Working within the Aboriginal community, community agencies and local jails to provide anger management, traditional teachings, support services, counselling, and healing & talking circles.
Anger Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)
Referrals for this program are made through Court services only from Community Justice Programs. Individuals are provided counseling for Substance Abuse and Anger Management. This program assists individuals with addressing both of these issues by identifying triggers for each and steps to take towards implementing prevention strategies.
Breaking the Cycle of Addiction
- Experienced addiction counsellors offer addiction counselling to match the specific needs of the
individual with the appropriate treatment program (e.g. S.T.A.R.T. ~ Scarborough Treatment Addiction Resources Team). - Weekly relapse prevention groups, motivational groups, individual counselling, community
partnerships, and specific on-site institutional addiction counselling programs are offered to all
individuals in need of support.
Community Justice Program
This program provides adults charged with mostly minor first time criminal offence(s) an alternative to the formal court process. Individuals charged are still held accountable for their actions by completing community based sanctions. Upon successfully satisfying the program, through the options of charitable donations, volunteer community work, participating in workshops or programs, the charge(s) against the individual is withdrawn by the court. We offer Community Justice Programs at the Metro North Courthouse and the Metro West Provincial Court.
Finding Employment with Criminal Record
Finding Employment with a Criminal Record is a
12-session Pre-Employment Program for males 18+ currently in receipt of Ontario
Works who are having difficulty finding, obtaining or maintaining employment due
to their criminal record. The program is focused on giving individuals the tools
necessary to succeed in work environments and with job searches. Topics include
how to overcome barriers to employment, communication in the workplace, resume
writing, interview skills, basic job search techniques, etc. Clients enrolled in
this program who are eligible for a pardon will also be connected to a Records
Suspension Worker to begin the Records Suspension process.
Intake, Counselling, and Case Management
- Individual clients meet with counsellors to share information and develop a plan of care during
the intake interview. - One on one sessions with professional counsellors help clients problem solve to make positive
life changes. - Counsellors provide internal referrals to Society programs and external referrals to other community
agencies as needed.
Public Education
- We work closely with our community/coalition groups to educate individuals about the social justice issues affecting our clients.
- We provide information and workshops about the criminal justice system and it's impact on society.
- We help individuals to address barriers inside and outside of federal and provincial correctional facilities.
- We participate in research initiatives to enhance societal understanding about the needs of our clients.
S.T.E.A.M. (Strategies to Employment Anger Management)
This program is for (male) clients in receipt of Ontario Works who may have anger management difficulties, poor conflict resolution skills, or minimal success in personal relationships. S.T.E.A.M. works to provide the tools and necessary skills to maintain employment and communicate positively with employers, coworkers and people in the community. Individuals will learn positive communication skills, how to express their anger in a positive way, methods for attaining work/life balance and assertiveness skills, while increasing their confidence and self-esteem. Clients in this program also receive pre-employment supports including, but not limited to short and long-term goal setting, resume writing assistance, a financial literacy session and connections to other job service providers in the city. This program is 12 sessions in length and is held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the afternoons. In order to access this program please see your Ontario Works caseworker for a referral.
Youth Intervention Counselling Program
This service is provided for individuals between the ages of 18-24 that are incarcerated at the Metro East Detention Centre, Metro West Detention Centre and Toronto Jail. The objective of this program is to assist these young people to make positive decisions in order to meet their future goals through counselling, support and community referrals. In order to access this service individuals are required to put in a request to the John Howard Society through a correctional officer.
