An emergency shelter for women and non-binary people, with or without children, who are experiencing domestic abuse and/or homelessness.
Services available for residents include:
- safe shelter with access to meals, clothing, laundry, and other personal supports
- child and youth workers
- legal advocacy
- transitional housing support worker
- safety planning
- referral to other community services
An early intervention program that provides group supports for children and youth who have witnessed violence, by offering opportunities to share their feelings regarding the abuse and violence they have witnessed in a creative and supportive environment.
The specifics of the course vary slightly by organization. Contact each location for specific details.
Hamilton, ON, L9C 7S7
An emergency shelter for women, with or without children, who are experiencing family violence, abuse, and/or human trafficking. Offers emergency shelter, a safe environment, meals, and access to support workers.
Hamilton, ON, L8H 2W1
Offers personalized, confidential support services to those directly and indirectly affected by domestic violence or related to sexual assault, regardless of their sexual identity or orientation, by providing a safe, confidential space. Services include:
- Activities and support groups for women
- Services for children exposed to violence
- Support for survivors of sexual assault (women and men)
- Services for families and loved ones of survivors of sexual assault
- Anti-human trafficking program
- Community awareness and prevention activities
Hamilton, ON, L8H 2W1
Offers support services and short-term counselling to help survivors deal with the impact of abuse and to develop improved coping strategies
Partner agency of Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (West Region).
Hamilton, ON, L8S 2A5
Provides consultations and assessments around issues of child maltreatment, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect. Care provided includes physical or medical assessments, consultations to service providers and health care providers, and counselling and supportive services for children and youth and their families following exposure to maltreatment.
Hamilton, ON, L8S 2A5
Provides comprehensive and supportive care for anyone who has experienced sexual assault and/or domestic violence. A specially trained sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) will provide services, including:
- collection and recording of physical evidence
- antibiotics and antiviral medications to prevent infections and HIV
- emergency contraceptive pill to prevent pregnancy
- information and referral to community resources
- supportive counselling
- follow-up medical care and counselling
Hamilton, ON, L8R 2Y8
A 20 bed emergency shelter, providing safety, support, and emergency accommodation to women who are dealing with homelessness, poverty, mental illness, and/or violence.
Programs and services:
- Emergency accommodation and safety planning
- Referrals and advocacy for medical, legal, and other community services
- Assistance in establishing permanent housing
- Recreational and educational daily activities for residents and women living in the community
Hamilton, ON, L8R 2Y8
Hamilton, ON, L8R 2Y8
Provides a place of sanctuary, safety, and support for women (and their children) with a variety of programs.
Family Court Support Worker Program
Facilitates a victim's understanding of and passage through the family court system. Support provided includes:
- information on the family court process
- assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid,
- debriefing with clients following family court appearances
- referral to specialized services and supports in the community
- safety planning
- court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate
Transitional Housing and Support Program
- Helps women and their children access services to establish violence and abuse-free lives in the community.
Second Stage Services
- Offers furnished, affordable housing to both single women and women with children for up to one year. Supports are geared to creating greater physical, emotional, and financial stability in the aftermath of violence and abuse.
Hamilton, ON, L8R 2X5
A 40-bed emergency shelter for individuals and their children who are fleeing violence and abuse.
Programs and service:
- Safe, short-term accommodation in private family-style units
- Safety planning and emergency transportation to the shelter, if needed
- Referrals and advocacy for legal, medical, financial, employment, housing and community services
- Recreational and therapeutic programs for children
- Counselling
- Access to cultural interpreters
Hamilton, ON, L8R 2X5
Provides a place of sanctuary, safety, and support for women (and their children) with a variety of programs.
Family Court Support Worker Program
Facilitates a victim's understanding of and passage through the family court system. Support provided includes:
- information on the family court process
- assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid,
- debriefing with clients following family court appearances
- referral to specialized services and supports in the community
- safety planning
- court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate
Transitional Housing and Support Program
- Helps women and their children access services to establish violence and abuse-free lives in the community.
Second Stage Services
- Offers furnished, affordable housing to both single women and women with children for up to one year. Supports are geared to creating greater physical, emotional, and financial stability in the aftermath of violence and abuse.
Hamilton, ON, L8P 3C1
Offers confidential trauma-informed support services for survivors of sexual violence, 16 years of age and older, who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives. Services include individual and group counselling.
Hamilton, ON, L8P 3C1
Offers supportive programming for women from Hamilton's diverse racial and cultural communities, in particular women who are immigrant, newcomers, and refugees. Services include: individual support, women's support groups, information and referral, advocacy and accompaniment, and practical assistance such as childcare, bus tickets, and snacks.
Hamilton, ON, L8P 3C1
Hamilton, ON, L8P 3C1
Offers support services and short-term counselling to help survivors deal with the impact of abuse and to develop improved coping strategies
Partner agency of Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (West Region)
Hamilton, ON, L8P 3C1
Services designed to help newcomer, immigrant, and refugee women address their unique needs through community resources and referrals, short term sessional counseling, and workshops.
Supports and services offered:
- One-on-one counseling
- Specialized workshops
- Needs assessment and referrals
- Enhanced supports (child care access, transportation, translation services)
Hamilton, ON, L8P 4V3
Immigration services include:
- representation at a detention review
- representation at immigration appeals
Refugee claimant services include:
- filling in Basis of Claim and related forms for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- representation at Refugee Protection Division hearing
- written appeals for cases to the Refugee Appeal Division
- preparation of a Judicial Review application in the Federal Court
- preparation of a motion for a stay of removal in the Federal Court
- representation at the Refugee Protection Division for a cessation or vacation hearing
- help in preparing a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment
- help in preparing a danger opinion
Legal Aid Ontario does NOT help people:
- obtain permanent resident status or check the status of application with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- prepare sponsorship applications
- renew temporary resident permits or student visas
- resolve problems in getting Ontario Health Insurance Plan coverage
Hamilton, ON, L8N 2B7
Provides information and assistance to support participation in the criminal court process. Services begin once police have laid charges and continue until the case is over.
Services include:
- case-specific information ex. court dates, bail conditions
- court preparation
- needs assessment
- emotional support
- crisis intervention
- referrals to community agencies
Also administers the Vulnerable Victims and Family Fund which provides court-based supports to enable victims of crime and families of homicide victims to attend court. Services supported by this fund include travel arrangements and expenses, language interpretation, and real-time captioning or other equipment of victims with disabilities.
Hamilton, ON, L8R 3N3
Provides telephone intervention to individuals experiencing crisis.
Hamilton, ON, L8R 1A7
Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario - On-site early intervention and crisis intervention
- needs assessment
- safety planning
- referrals to community services
- enhanced support for vulnerable victims
- assistance with applications to VQRP+
Victim Quick Response Program+ (VQRP+) - Program of last resort where no other available private or public resource is available. Assistance with emergency expenses related to the eligible incident, may include home safety, accommodation, meals, transportation, basic necessities, dependent care costs, counselling, traditional Indigenous health services, cellular phones, vision care, dental care, aids for victims with disabilities, interpretation services, crime scene cleanup, government/medical documents and funeral expenses
- additional assistance for victims of human trafficking includes storage locker, tattoo removal, and treatment at a recovery facility
- no direct reimbursements are made to victims for the supports listed above
- financial support is also available for victims who sustained serious physical injuries during a crime and for parents or spouses of homicide victims
Hamilton, ON, L8N 3W7
Provides support for women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse including:
- community counselling services
- individual counselling
- employment counselling
- peer support
- wellness and recovery groups
Hamilton, ON, L8V 1M1
Offers support to women who have been exposed to abuse and violence, whether physical, sexual, emotional, or financial. Programs provide knowledge and understanding of abuse, safety planning, and access to community resources.
Hamilton, ON, L8V 5C2
Provides comprehensive and supportive care for anyone who has experienced sexual assault and/or domestic violence. A specially trained sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) will provide services, including:
- collection and recording of physical evidence
- antibiotics and antiviral medications to prevent infections and HIV
- emergency contraceptive pill to prevent pregnancy
- information and referral to community resources
- supportive counselling
- follow-up medical care and counselling
Provincial telephone and online (chat) crisis counselling, emotional support, information and referrals to emergency shelters, legal information and community services, as well as culturally appropriate resources for women who have experienced abuse
- liaison with diverse communities
- confidential and anonymous
Toronto only: initial assessment and intake for assaulted women's shelters, call 416-863-0511 or toll free 1-866-863-0511
