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Support programs for victims of crime and tragedy

Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) runs four programs that offer different kinds of support to people who have been affected by crime or tragedy. You can find information about what these programs offer and how to access them below.

Unfortunately, we can’t respond to emergency calls. Call 911 if someone’s life is in immediate danger or a crime is happening right now. Otherwise, call a crisis line to speak to someone right away.

Our commitments to you

We want you to feel welcomed, safe and supported when you contact OVS. Here are some important things to know:

Everyone is welcome and respected. We consider the different cultural backgrounds of the people we serve. Our services are freely available no matter your race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity.

You can get help in your own language. We’ll do our best to find an interpreter if you need one. We often get help with translating from our partners at Immigrant Women’s Services Ottawa.

You’re safe with us. Our volunteers get lots of training and have to get a background check from the police. We understand trauma and provide support that is sensitive to it. We have a complaints process to make sure any problems get looked at quickly.

You’re in control. It’s completely your choice whether you accept our advice and support. You can change your mind about using our services at any time.

We value your privacy. We’ll only share your personal information with other services if you want us to (unless we have to by law — for example, if child abuse is happening and hasn’t been reported to the police.)

We’re not the police. We partner with the police, but we’re a separate organization. You don’t need a police report to get help with us, unless the crime was:

  • A homicide or attempted homicide (someone killed or tried to kill someone)
  • Serious assault (like someone being badly hurt or hurt with a weapon)
  • Child abuse (like a child being hurt or touched sexually)

Who can access our programs

Our programs might be right for you if:

  • You’ve been affected by crime or sudden tragedy
  • You’re over 16 years old
  • The crime or tragedy happened in the Ottawa area (not including Gatineau)

Each of our programs may have extra rules about who can access them.

Are you under 16 years old? We may still be able to help you if your parent or guardian agrees. Or we can connect you with a different service or organization.

Did you experience crime or tragedy outside Ottawa? Please contact the victim services in the area where it happened, such as Toronto Victim Services or Quebec’s Crime Victims Assistance Centres. If you live in Ottawa, they may work with us to help you get support nearby.

Call 613-238-2762 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm EST)

It can take around 3 business days for us to connect you with the right support. We work hard to reach as many people as quickly as possible.

24/7 support through our partners
Our partners can contact VCARS at any time on the phone number we share privately with them. We can’t help everyone immediately (even though we want to), so our partners help us decide who needs our support most urgently.

What does VCARS do?

The Victim Crisis and Referral Service (VCARS) provides emotional and practical support to victims of crime and tragedy — for example, people who’ve experienced sexual assault or lost someone to suicide. If there’s anything we can’t provide, we’ll connect you with other community or government services.

We’re here to help you feel safe and well again. Chat to us about what you’re struggling with and what you need. We may be able to help you get:

  • Safe housing
  • Income supports (help with the costs of dealing with crime or tragedy)
  • Counselling (help with your feelings and thoughts)
  • Medical care
  • Peer support (help from people similar to you)
  • Mental health and addiction services
  • Legal services
  • Emotional and practical support at a crime scene
  • A volunteer to come with you to criminal court or to make a police report
  • A volunteer to come with you to get your belongings back if you left home because of violence or abuse
  • Essentials like groceries or a cell phone for calling 911

Volunteers are at the heart of our VCARS program. We couldn’t do what we do without them. Our victim support workers do 40+ hours of training so they can support our staff and survivors in their hour of need. Have you thought about volunteering? You have the power to change people’s lives for the better.

Can I use VCARS?

You need to be over 16 years old to use this service. If you’re under 16, we can still help you if your parent or guardian agrees.

VCARS is for people who’ve experienced crime or tragedy including:

  • Criminal harassment (like someone trying to contact you all the time after you’ve told them not to)
  • Intimate partner violence (like being physically hurt by your partner)
  • Elder abuse (when an older person is treated badly)
  • Hate crimes (like someone hurting you, threatening you or calling you slurs because of your race or religion)
  • Homicide (when someone kills another person)
  • Human trafficking (like being tricked or forced into going somewhere where you have to do physical labour or have sex with people)
  • Motor vehicle accidents (like being hit by a car)
  • Robbery (someone taking your money or property by force)
  • Property crimes (someone damaging your property or belongings)
  • Sexual assault (when someone touches you sexually in a way you don’t want)
  • Sudden death (such as from illness, accident or violence)
  • Suicide (when someone ends their own life)

Call 613-238-2762 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm EST)

It can take around 3 business days for us to connect you with the right support. We work hard to reach as many people as quickly as possible.

What does VQRP+ do?

The Victim Quick Response Program (VQRP+) helps people pay for the services and resources they need after being affected by a violent crime. We can give financial help to survivors, their family members, and witnesses of crime.

We don’t give out money — we pay for the things you need directly instead. You don’t need to pay us back, because it isn’t a loan.

We may be able to help with the cost of:

  • Counselling (help with feelings and thoughts)
  • Funeral costs for someone who was killed
  • Emergency home repairs to help you stay safe
  • Emergency care for children and/or dependents
  • Emergency transportation (like uber rides)
  • Cleaning a crime scene
  • Emergency housing, meals and other basic needs
  • Help with serious injuries and dental health

Can I access VQRP+?

VQRP+ might be the right service for you if any of these things are true:

  • You’ve been a victim of a violent crime including:
    • Attempted murder (if someone tries to kill you)
    • Homicide (when someone kills another person)
    • Serious physical assault (if someone hurts you badly)
    • Intimate partner violence (like being physically hurt by your partner)
    • Sexual assault (if someone does something sexual to you in a way you don’t want)
    • Human trafficking (like being tricked or forced into going somewhere where you have to do physical labour or have sex with people)
    • Voyeurism (if someone watches or records you without your agreement)
    • Child abuse (like hurting a child, touching them sexually, or not caring for them properly)
    • Criminal harassment (like someone trying to contact you all the time after you’ve told them not to)
    • Hate crimes (like someone hurting you, threatening you or calling you slurs because of your race or religion)
  • Your family member was a victim of a violent crime (including someone who was killed)
  • You saw a violent crime

You need to be over 16 years old. If you’re younger, we can still help you if your parent or guardian agrees.

You might not be able to use VQRP+ if you can get similar financial support elsewhere, such as from an employer or your insurance.

If you can’t use this service, we’ll try to connect you with another community or government service.

How do I apply?

and we’ll talk about whether this program is right for you. We’ll help you fill out the paperwork and apply to the provincial government for the funding.

If your application is successful, you should get financial help within two weeks. It may be a lot faster depending on what you need — for example, we can often get clients replacement locks or groceries within 24 hours, while something like counselling can take a little longer. You can help the process go faster by replying to us quickly.

Call 613-238-2762 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm EST)

It can take around 3 business days for us to connect you with the right support. We work hard to reach as many people as quickly as possible.

What does VSCP do?

VSCP can help you stay safe if you’re worried that you or your family are in danger. We can provide:

Safety planning

Safety planning means figuring out how to keep yourself safe now and in the future. We’ll talk about:

  • What you think might happen
  • What you want to do
  • What’s realistic and sensible
  • What services can help you
  • What your first steps should be

Safety resources

We can give you a:

  • Personal safety alarm – a small alarm you can carry with you, which makes a loud sound when you push the button or pull the ring. You can use it when you’re in danger.
  • 911 cell phone – a cell phone that you can use to call the emergency services (police, ambulance, fire and rescue services.)

We can also help with:

  • Housing changes – we can get you transferred to a different public housing unit if you’re in danger where you live.
  • Counselling – we can connect you to free community-based counselling programs.
  • Special accommodations – we can help explain your circumstances to service providers.

Help with writing Victim Impact Statements

Your Victim Impact Statement is an explanation of how a crime has affected you, such as:

  • Physical harm (like bruises or cuts)
  • Emotional harm (like anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder)
  • Economic loss (like stolen money)
  • Property damage (like broken vehicles or smashed windows)

The court has to take your statement into account and it can affect the outcome of the court case.

Writing a victim statement can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re going through a tough time. That’s why we offer to help you write your statement.

Can I access VSCP?

This service might be right for you if:

  • You’re worried about your safety because of threats, scary events, crime or tragedy. We try to help everyone, but we’ll help the people who are most at risk first.
  • You’re over 16 years old. If you’re under 16, we can still help you if your parent or guardian agrees.

Individuals can’t access OVS-VSU services directly. Instead, we contact people first to offer them our support through this program. If you want to ask for support, please try one of our other programs above (like VCARS)or search for resources.

Call 613-238-2762 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm EST)

It can take around 3 business days for us to connect you with the right support. We work hard to reach as many people as quickly as possible.

What does OVS-VSU do?

The OVS-VSU Project is a partnership between Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) and the Victim Support Unit (VSU) through the Ottawa Police Service.

This partnership allows one of our case managers to work in the VSU. They look at police reports to see who needs help most urgently. Then, they contact the people who need help and ask if they’d like to get support through OVS.

Together, OVS and VSU ensure that more people across our community get the support they need after being impacted by crime.

We value your independence and your privacy. We work in partnership with the police, but we’re not the police.

You don’t need a police report to get help with us unless the crime was:

  • Homicide or attempted homicide (someone killed or tried to kill someone)
  • Serious assault (for example, if someone was badly hurt or hurt with a weapon)
  • Child abuse (for example, if a child was hurt or touched sexually)

We won’t share your details with anyone outside our organization (even the police) without your agreement, unless:

  • Child abuse is happening that hasn’t been reported to the police
  • We think you might kill someone or yourself

“Once again thank you and the team so much for your unfailing support and strength in the face of such overwhelming odds. None of what we have achieved together would have been possible were it not for you having my back through thick and thin and never giving up on me or my commitment to fight for truth, justice and accountability, even at my lowest points.”

An OVS client

“Thank you for speaking with me this afternoon. I appreciate that you took the time to really listen and understand my experiences and concerns.”

An OVS client