Mental Health Counselling Services for Refugees
Immigrant and Refugee Services, Mental Health - Adult & Senior, and Mental Health - Child & Youth
Provided by Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST)
Trauma-focused psychological counselling for refugees in one-on-one and group settings.
VAST uses psycho-education, emotional self-regulation, and information sharing to prepare clients for short-term refugee claim and long-term settlement processes. It works with refugees from over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
VAST programs and services are offered in over a dozen languages, including Arabic, Farsi, French, Mandarin, and Spanish. It supports the mental health of refugees who arrive in British Columbia with psychological trauma as a result of torture, political violence, and other forms of persecution on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Individual & Group Support: Provides trauma-focused psychological counselling in one-on-one and in groups. Psycho-education, emotional self-regulation, and information sharing prepare clients for the refugee claim and settlement process.
Support with Documentation: Provides documentation of evidence of psychological trauma for the refugee claim process. The program works with clients (and their lawyers) to document symptoms of psychological trauma to support their refugee claims.
Building Capacity & Education: Provides training and professional development workshops on refugee mental health for health and social service providers and students of allied health programs. Works on local and national committees to advance the rights of refugees and access to mental health services.
Community Building & Referrals: Provides referrals to health, housing, and settlement services. Works with community partners in the health and social services sectors to create a network to support our client's basic needs.
Getting Through It: A weekly psychosocial support group for refugees on “getting through” their refugee claim. VAST has partnered with Settlement Orientation Services (SOS) to provide an integrated approach to address the immediate mental health and settlement needs of refugees in their first few months in Canada.
Refugee Readiness Project: Provides province-wide education and training for health and social service providers working with refugees throughout British Columbia. VAST provides information, referrals, and case consultation. Contact the Provincial Refugee Mental Health Coordinator toll-free at 1-866-393-3133 for more information.
778-372-6593
Toll Free: 1-866-393-3133
Public email: referrals@vast-vancouver.ca
VAST (located inside ISSofBC) - 2610 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5N 4L2
Service is available in Arabic, Farsi, French, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Cost: No cost
Associated Programs/Services
Also offered by Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST):
Availability
Service area: Anmore, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Kelowna, West Vancouver + show cities
Service Types Provided
Immigrant and Refugee Services
Mental Health - Adult & Senior
Mental Health - Child & Youth
Ways to Access
- Provided 1:1 in-person
- Provided at a single location
- Provided in a group in-person
The listing of this service in Pathways is not a recommendation or endorsement by Pathways.