The Urban Native Youth Association offers a variety of services for Indigenous youth, ranging from health and wellness services to sports & recreation programs, to alternative schools and transitions programs.

Vancouver Area Network of drug-users is a democratic, grass-roots organization with a special emphasis on peer-support. Run by drug users and former users, VANDU has pioneered harm reduction initiatives in Vancouver and run a number of services in the DTES area, including a wide variety of support groups and harm reduction resources.

Information on safe supply options in BC and the Yukon.

Insite is a supervised injection site in the DTES. They also offer other harm reduction supports and a variety of resources. They also have drug testing kits.

"MOSAIC is a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society. Services include ESL programs, employment programs, family support programs, legal advocacy, interpretation and translation, and community outreach." -from the MOSAIC Website

The Pacific Community Resources Society offers a wide range of resources for youth and young adults across BC, including housing, treatment programs, work experience programs, and counselling services. These are listed on the website linked below.

Aboriginal Health Services offers support for health and wellness as well as healing opportunities through spiritual, cultural and traditional practices. AHS initiatives include the Culture Saves Lives program.

QMUNITY offers a variety of services for the advocacy and support of LGBTQ/2S folks. Offering links to counselling, social events, and even workplace competency training.

"The Black Lives Matter Vancouver chapter is a cause that supports the organizing work of black folks and allies in undoing systemic racialized violence. Black Lives Matter is a cause cognizant of the ongoing struggles of all marginalized folks and we strive to honour that in the work we do. We centre the voices of Black folks as well as other folks of colour and hope to lift up those who are queer, women, trans, differently abled, poor or otherwise marginalized." -from the BLM Vancouver Website

West Coast LEAF offers a number of services for pertaining to women's rights as well as expertise with the Canadian legal system. They offer litigation, making submissions to all court levels, they monitor and advocate for appropriate law reform to better support women's rights, and they offer education to the community.

"EMBERS, the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society, is a social enterprise and registered community economic development charity located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Since 2001, EMBERS has helped thousands of people facing barriers to work lead productive, fulfilling lives by offering economic and employment opportunities – including job placements, training and support." -from the EMBERS website

The NYHWC at the Urban Native Youth Association offers a variety of culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed services including drop-in counselling, a nurse practitioner, midwives, and an easy referral process to a psychiatrist. Services are for aboriginal youth ages 12-24.

ASH offers a safe place for youth ages 16-18 of all backgrounds who don't have a place to stay. Accepting referrals 24/7 from both youth an service providers, ASH offers a warm, low-barrier, non-judgmental space with a compassionate staff. 

"Starting a new life in another country can be very hard, especially when you’re unfamiliar with the culture, language and laws. If you’re new to Canada, ISS of BC can help. Since 1972, we’ve been providing a variety of support services for immigrants and refugees to help them get settled, find careers and learn all they need to know about starting their new lives in Canada. Through our dedicated staff, volunteers and community partners, we provide settlement, education and employment services for over 25,000 clients every year." -from the ISS of BC website

"The Burnaby Youth Hub is a safe, inclusive space where youth can access a variety of
resources, programs, and services for their personal health, development, and wellbeing. The Hub, a program of the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, works with a number of dedicated partners to create a community where youth are empowered and supported to be their most engaged, independent, and confident selves. So, check out more about our Clinic, our School, our Other Programs + Services, Upcoming Events, and more. And if you want to get in touch with us, Contact Us anytime. We're here to listen, talk, and support." -from the Hub website

A "one-stop shop" for youth health services on Granville street in downtown Vancouver. Offering primary care, mental health and substance use support, and array of other services, ICY is connected to a series of other youth health services across BC, including a new Hub on the North Shore. Check out http://bciysi.ca/ for more info on these other clinics.

BWSS supports girls and women to be free from violence. BWSS provides counselling and healing practices for those who have experienced abuse, and initiates systemic advocacy, law reform, in-class youth engagement programs. They also run the social enterprise My Sister’s Closet, which you will find in the Alternative Reinforcers section. BWSS also supports men by urging them to own their role in ending violence against girls and women.

"The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Canada envisions a world where psychedelics and marijuana are safely and legally available for beneficial uses, and where research is governed by rigorous scientific evaluation of their risks and benefits. MAPS Canada envisions global education based on science and cultural reintegration for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS Canada furthers its mission by {p}roviding evidence-based, honest public education about the risks and benefits of psychedelics... {s}upporting scientific research into many aspects of psychedelics including treatments for medical conditions, neuroscience, creativity and spirituality... {p}lanning, conducting, and publishing scientific research of psychedelic medicines...{d}eveloping psychedelics into prescription medicines... {t}raining psychedelic psychotherapists and working to establish a network of treatment centers that can provide this service in the context of professional best practices." -from the MAPS Canada Website

Accessible website with resources, tools, information as well as links to treatment centres, for people struggling with addiction. 

Watari offers a number of support services for at-risk youth and adults. With a primary focus on substance use, Watari addresses a number of community issues with resources such as a day treatment program, outreach workers and counsellors.

Options for Sexual Health offers a range of information and resources across British Columbia, including a clinic finder, events, and the 1-800-SEX-SENSE hotline.

"S.U.C.C.E.S.S... was founded in 1973 and incorporated in 1974 as a non-partisan and non-profit charitable organization. Initially founded to assist new Canadians of Chinese descent to overcome language and cultural barriers, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has evolved into a multicultural, multi-service agency assisting people at all stages of their Canadian experience.Today, the organization is recognized as one of British Columbia's largest social service providers. With over 20 locations, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. proudly services local communities in Greater Vancouver, Fort St. John and overseas in Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, Korea. Through advocacy, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is also recognized as a prominent voice of positive social change. Guided by policies envisioned by a board of volunteer directors elected by the membership, over 400 professional staff and 2,000 volunteers deliver a multitude of services in the areas of settlement, employment, health and housing as well as business, auto insurance, economic, community and social development." - from the SUCCESS website.

"The 'DUDES Club' provides events and activities that focus on the spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of wellness in men residing on the DTES. We focus on connecting men with health care professionals and other support services, as well as instilling a sense of solidarity and empowerment within the community." -from the DUDES Club Website

"Pivot works in partnership with communities affected by poverty and social exclusion to identify priorities and develop solutions to complex human rights issues.  Our work is focused in four policy areas: police accountability, health and drug policy, homelessness, and sex workers’ rights.   

We combine strategic litigation with high-impact public education and advocacy campaigns to maximize our effectiveness. Our deep collaboration with marginalized people and grassroots movements, combined with our unique approach to social change, makes Pivot the only human rights organization of its kind in Canada." -from the Pivot Legal website

The DURC offers a wealth of innovative harm reduction services on the DTES side. Check out their website for info on their many programs and support groups. NOTE: Services have changed recently due to adjustments in funding, so please e-mail or call ahead for more details on services.

The Toward the Heart  website has a ton of information on Narcan and other harm reduction strategies. You can find places where you can get Narcan training or just to learn more about how you can be prepared to save a life in the event of an overdose.

"Atira Women's Resource Society is a not-for-profit organization committed to the work of ending violence against women through providing direct service, as well as working to increase awareness of and education around the scope and impact on our communities of men's violence against women and children. Atira is accessible to anyone who identifies and lives full time as a woman and who experiences gendered violence and misogyny, including trans, two spirit and intersex women and or those who identify with a femme of centre non-binary gender. Atira recognizes the barriers and stigmatization faced by women who do not fit into society’s gender-binary system and the violence, poverty and discrimination they encounter as a result."

-from the Atira Facebook Page

PLEA offers a wide range of services for both youth and adults, including substance use support, outreach, and residential programs.

"The Crosstown Clinic is the only clinic in North America to offer medical-grade heroin (diacetylmorphine) and the legal analgesic hydromorphone within a supervised clinical setting to chronic substance use patients.

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We have an on-site pharmacy, and doctors, nurses, social workers and addictions counsellors are available. We also offer life-skills counselling, housing referrals and direction to legal assistance. The clinic is currently at capacity and closed to admissions"

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-from the Providence Health Care website

We offer a variety of engaging, practical workshops (both indoor and outdoor) on a number of health-related topics. We are currently offering free Naloxone/overdose prevention training. Please contact Shaun at 778-928-3458 to set up a training session. You can also click the button below for a variety of other free resources, or check out towardtheheart.ca for more information. 

Our "Walk and Talk" Sessions highlight the capacity of the therapeutic relationship to transform in the context of nature, and movement. Through the inherently fortifying properties of exercise and the rugged beauty of the Pacific-Northwest, clients can reach new therapeutic depths in a soulful and holistic manner. Outdoor Sessions also benefit from transcending some of the social barriers that sometimes pose challenging in one-one therapy. Clients often prefer to have their first few sessions outdoors, and some like to change their Indoor Sessions to Outdoor in the event of good weather! You can also customize these sessions to make a round-trip back to the original meeting point, or walk in a direction that ends somewhere more convenient for you. Please contact us for details on how we best assure your confidentiality during these sessions.

This program offers indoor, one-on-one counselling services with our Shaun, our Clinical Counsellor. Our services are entirely client-directed and are designed to complement the rest of our clients’ lifestyles. These indoor sessions can be combined with any of our other services, including Outdoor Sessions, which we recommend most of our new clients try. While some clients seek Counselling as a means of some sort of holistic growth or self/existential exploration, some others also seek comprehensive support with such issues as depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma, sexuality, gender, and addiction (we are certainly not limited to these however, please make an appointment for a 30-Minute Consultation if you have questions or would like to learn more.) Our expertise and experience enables us to provide support for a variety of client needs in the warm environment of our Broadway Clinic. Suite 720, 999 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K5.

Check out program for practical steps to reduce the harm associated with alcohol use, and other evidence-based tools to make real life changes regarding alcohol.

Seeking Safety offers a number of evidence-based, trauma-informed substance use tools. Check out this website for a number of resources. You can also register for your own online training in Seeking Safety. Please note that there are Seeking Safety groups throughout Vancouver, notably at East Pender Clinic and Battered Women's Support Services.

EPI offers information and resources for people who are wanting to learn more about psychosis, or who are looking for support with their psychosis.

SMART Recovery features a number of CBT-based resources for people who want to develop the skills to move past drug abuse and get on with their lives. This website also has a bunch of online tools and activities you can use, as well as a 24/7 Live Chatroom.

The At-Risk Youth Study offers youth opportunities to be compensated for their involvement in the studies. ARYS also offers informative workshops, harm reduction training, and also publish their research findings on their website.

Check out LifeRing for a number of online and community meetings. You can also check out a bunch of their online resources including books and media.

16-Step offers a feminist, multicultural expansion of the 12-Steps. Check out this website for contact info, tools, and meetings.

A number of people access Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-Step Programs to offer spiritual support and other resources, as they work on improving their quality of life in regards to their substance use. Check out this website for meetings, contact info, and other useful resources from this abstinence-based program.

Support group for people who are concerned about a family member or friend who is struggling with substance use.

12-Step based support group for adults who grew up with parents who had challenges pertaining to their alcohol use.