Support Services
Covid-19 Services Status:
Support staff are available by phone for various support programs.
PLEASE CONTACT US AT 1-888-939-1831 or info@fswe.ca
for more information or to speak with a FSWE support staff person.
We provide professional, voluntary and confidential advocacy and support services to families, individuals, couples, older adults and persons with developmental disabilities or mental health issues. Our programs are client-centered. We provide strategies and support to resolve conflicts, address personal problems and help people live independently in the community.
Our Support Services can help:
- Handle daily life and community barriers
- Deal with arising challenges and concerns
- Learn new skills to manage issues
- Connect with other services, as needed
- Take action to move forward in life
Typical Areas of Support:
- Finances
- Housing
- Personal Support Workers
- Independence
- Relationships
- Clutter, Hoarding,
- Neglect and Abuse
- etc…
See each service for eligibility requirements and specific services available
Professional Support
When People Need It
- Services available for individuals, couples, families, older adults, children and youth
- Specialized services for adults with developmental disabilities or mental health issues
- Referral to other Community Agencies, when needed
You are not alone. Help is a phone call away.
Support Services
Windsor-Essex Housing Connections
Helping people find a place to liveVoluntary Trusteeship and Financial Literacy Program
Helping people 'at risk' manage their moneyHoarding Response Service
Helping people de-clutter and deal with hoarding issuesElder Abuse Response Service
Helping older adults deal with bullying, neglect or abuseIncome Tax Completion Service
Adult Protective Worker Program
Helping adults with developmental disabilities manage daily lifeAvenues Program
Helping adults with developmental disabilities manage their money and support workersPartner Assault Response (PAR) Program
Community-based program for domestic violence offendersHow do our Support Services work?
Our Professional Support Staff will
- Talk privately with people about concerns
- Decide what issues to work on together
- Provide advice, advocacy and professional support to manage concerns
- Connect people with other Community Agencies, as needed
- Help deal with any new issues that may arise
- Help people cope with changes in life
Our Professional Support Staff
- Can support people as they work on a wide range of issues
- Focus on growth, development and independence
- Facilitate overall well-being and resilience
- Have a broad range of clinical expertise and real-life experience
How much will it cost?
Most of our Support Services are free, unless otherwise indicated by the specific program.
Donations for Support Services are very welcomed. Donations help us continue our important, local work.
See How You can help by donating today.
Counselling Services do have fees. See Counselling Services Overview for rates and subsidies
Windsor-Essex Housing Connections (WEHC)
Windsor-Essex Housing Connections (WEHC) is a partnership of agencies who work together to help people find affordable, rental housing and end the cycle of homelessness. As there are a number of agencies that help people find appropriate housing, please read carefully below to determine which agency will best meet your housing needs at this time.
Housing First Program
Through the Housing First Program, Family Services Windsor-Essex (FSWE) helps people with the greatest level of need find affordable rental housing. FSWE works with people who have been chronically homeless (ie 6+ months) and have a significant mental health and/or addiction concerns.
Housing First Workers also provide these clients with weekly advocacy and support for up to three years. We connect people with other agencies to help deal with mental health or addiction issues. Our goal is to help maintain the tenancy and reduce issues of safety and security for people who are chronically homeless.
Windsor-Essex Housing Connections (WEHC) Partnership Teams include: Service Coordinators, Housing Response Workers, Housing First Workers, Outreach Workers, Peer Support Workers, Landlord Developers and Hoarding Response Workers.
WEHC partnership agencies work to end the cycle of homelessness. The Partnership is led by Family Services Windsor-Essex, in collaboration with Housing Information Services, Accessible County Community Support Services and/or CAN-AM Indian Friendship Centre.
For more information about our Housing First Program contact us at 1-888-933-1831.
Finding Affordable Rental Housing and Housing Response Program
Listed below are local agencies that help people who do not require the intensive support of the Housing First Program, but who are looking for:
- Safe, affordable rental housing
- Community based private market housing
- Landlord/tenant resolution and tenancy support
- Supports to maintain housing in the community
*Note: people (may or may not) be homeless and/or have mental health and addiction issues
Housing Information Services (HIS)
Call 519-254-4824 for help in Windsor and surrounding areas.
Located at 3450 Ypres Ave #200, Windsor, ON N8W 3P6.
Visit hiswindsor.ca
Accessible County Community Support Services (ACCESS)
Call 519-324-0990 for help across Essex County.
Located at 310 Sherk St. E. Leamington, ON N8H 3L1.
Visit accesscounty.ca
CAN-AM Indian Friendship Centre
Call 519-253-3243 for help for indigenous people living in Windsor and Essex County.
Located at 2929 Howard Avenue Windsor ON N8X 4W4.
Visit caifc.ca
Eligibility Criteria
Housing First Program – People who have been chronically homeless (ie 6+ months) and have a significant mental health and/or addiction concerns are eligible for the Housing First Program through Family Services Windsor-Essex.
All other people needing assistance with affordable, rental housing can contact one of the following agencies: Housing Information Services, Accessible County Community Support Services and/or CAN-AM Indian Friendship Centre.
Hoarding Response Service
Through our Hoarding Response Service, we can help people deal with the clutter in their home and de-clutter to create an organized, safe and healthy place to live.
Hoarding is a complex disorder with three key areas of concern:
- Collecting too many possessions and having difficulty getting rid of them
- Living areas cannot be used for their intended purposes
- Significant stress is experienced due to too many possessions
People cannot always recognize when their personal clutter has become a hoarding issue. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have a hoarding issue, please contact us at 1-888-933-1831. We can work with people to organize and manage their home and possessions, while dealing with underlying issues of hoarding.
Attached are some *Hoarding Information Documents that may be helpful:
*Materials developed through funding from a Government of Canada New Horizon’s Grant.
How does it work?
Meet with our Hoarding Response Worker
- Learn about clutter and hoarding
- Figure out why there are too many belongings
- Review health and safety issues in the home
- Develop a plan to get rid of unneeded items
- Connect to cleaning services, as needed
- Teach how to avoid having too many items in the future
- Plan for a healthy and organized home
Receive Professional Support
- Counselling and problem solving support for people throughout the process
- Connecting people to other agencies to support them in an organized and healthy home
- Helping people to move forward in their life
Eligibility Criteria
Open to individuals who are:
- Receiving Social Assistance,
- Living in Subsidized Housing, or
- Facing eviction or becoming homeless because of hoarding
Referrals
Referrals are not required, but are welcomed from Family, Friends, Advocates and Agencies.
Voluntary
This is a voluntary program. Clients can withdraw from the program at any time.
Elder Abuse Response Service
Through our Elder Abuse Response Service, we help Older Adults deal with neglect, bullying and abuse. Elder Abuse can include:
- Financial or property misuse
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Mental or Emotional abuse
- Caregiver neglect or self-neglect
How does it work?
We help older adults by:
Providing a quick and flexible response to a request for help
- Matching Older Adults with a Social Worker
- Listening and learning about immediate concerns of neglect, bullying or abuse
- Identifying key factors influencing the situation
Providing Professional Advocacy and Support
- Providing options, guidance and support to handle concerns of abuse, neglect or bullying
- Together – stopping any abuse from taking place and addressing other areas of concern
- Intervening on behalf of the Older Adults, if needed
Helping Older Adults to move forward in their life
- Teaching how to exercise rights and freedoms to maintain independence
- Teaching how to recognize arising issues in the future
- Planning how to deal with abuse, neglect or bullying
- Connecting Older Adults to available services and resources, as needed
We can help a Friend or Advocate
on behalf of an Older Adult
- Respond to a suspected abuse
- Help the Older Adult resolve a challenge or conflict
- Intervene on behalf of the Older Adult, if needed
- Support the Older Adult with next steps
- Connect them to other Agencies for support, as needed
Eligibility Criteria
Adults 55 years and older.
Referrals
Referrals are not required, but are welcomed from family, friends, advocates and agencies.
Voluntary
This is a voluntary program. Clients can withdraw from the program at any time.
Adult Protective Service Worker Program
Through our Adult Protective Service Worker Program (APSW), we help adults with developmental disabilities living in the community to be independent, safe and secure. Staff help adults in accessing community services and supports.
How does it work?
We help each person by:
- Learning about their personal situation, wants and needs
- Matching them with an Adult Protective Service Worker (APSW)
- Together – Planning how we can help in their daily life
- Providing Counselling and Support through the process
- Encouraging Family and Friends to be included in the planning process
- Coordinating resources and the development of personal support networks
- Helping with unique and arising issues, like housing, or interpersonal concerns
Typical Areas of Support:
- Personal planning and arranging support, like PSWs, etc.
- Housing and Voluntary Trusteeship
- Encouraging Community involvement, Personal Engagement, Recreation, Physical Fitness
- Supporting Education, Employment, Volunteering, Skill Development
- Health and Well-being Management, Social Planning and Interaction
- Personal Advocacy, Forms and Applications Completion
- Dealing with arising issues, aging, health, grief, etc.
Where do we provide support?
We provide some support at our Main or Satellite offices across Windsor-Essex. Most support happens in the community:
- People’s Homes, Workplaces, Volunteer Locations, Schools,
- Community Centres, Police stations, Courts, Coffee Shops, Libraries, etc.
We encourage
Trusting and empowering relationships between the Person with a Disability, their family/friends and the APSW so that:
- Individuals can live as fully and independently as possible
- Family and friends are included in the life of a person with a disability
- Everyone knows the person has support when and how they need it.
Eligibility Criteria
Adults 18 years and older with a developmental disability that are referred through Developmental Services Ontario (DSO).
Referrals
Are required from the Developmental Services Ontario (DSO).
- Go to www.dsontario.ca for more information on how to apply.
- Contact us to learn more about this program and how to apply.
Voluntary
This is a voluntary program. Clients can withdraw from the program at any time with approximately 30 days’ notice.
Avenues Program
Flexible supports for people’s lives. Through our Avenues Program, we provide personalized human resource and financial support for people with individualized or Passport funding. Our qualified staff help adults with developmental disabilities recruit, hire and maintain independent contractors and employees. Please note: there are fees for our Avenue Program, please see below for details.
How does it work?
The Avenues Program helps Adults with Developmental Disabilities:
- Budgeting – Helping you decide how to best use Individualized or Passport Funding.
- Finances – Direct payment of your bills to other services and agency supports. Reimbursement of invoiced expenses.
- Staffing – Support with recruiting, training, monitoring your independent contractors/employees. Support with administering their contracts and annual reviews.
- Liaison – Linking you to the wider community.
Where do we support people?
We provide some support at our Main or Satellite offices across Windsor-Essex.
Most support happens in the community:
- People’s Homes, Workplaces, Volunteer Locations, Schools,
- Community Centres, Police stations, Courts, Coffee Shops, Libraries, etc.
YOU decide how much service you need!
Eligibility Criteria
Adults (18 years and older) with a developmental disability that have been allocated individualized or Passport funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCSS).
Fees for Avenues Program
The cost of this service varies depending on the services chosen. Please contact us to discuss potential fees and payment details.
Referrals
Referrals are accepted from Family, Friends, Advocates, Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) and other professionals.
Voluntary
This is a voluntary program. Clients can withdraw from the program at any time with approximately 30 days’ notice.
Support Your Way
FSWE is affiliated with Support Your Way, an online service that helps families, individuals and professionals with information and links to support services in local communities and across the province. Support Your Way also uses the ever growing and popular workerbank database that connects families & individuals looking for screened direct support workers.
Click here to learn more about www.supportyourway.ca
Volunteer Trusteeship and Financial Literacy Program
Through our Volunteer Trusteeship and Financial Literacy Program, we can help people better manage their money, pay their bills on time and teach people basic money management.
How does it work?
Our Professional Staff will:
- Receive all money directly from an individual’s source
- Create a budget with people for their spending money
- Pay all bills on time
- Teach People about
- Basic Money Management
- Credit Cards and Interest Rates
Our Advocacy and Support Services help:
- Budget people’s money to get the most from the monthly allowance
- Ensure all bills are paid on time
- Plan how to handle arising financial concerns
- Ongoing Professional Counselling and Support
- Connect to other services for support, as needed
Eligibility Criteria
Open to everyone 16 years and older, facing one (or more) of these situations:
- Have trouble managing money
- Homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless
- Receives money from:
- Ontario Works,
- Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or
- Old Age Security (OAS) or Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
- Are living under the Low Income Cut-Off
- Are able to provide direction to program staff
- May require a trustee to help with financial management
Referrals
Referrals are not required, but are welcomed from family, friends, advocates and agencies.
Voluntary
This is a voluntary program. Clients can withdraw from the program with approximately 30 day’s notice.
Partner Assault Response (PAR) Program
The Partner Assault Response (PAR) Program is a domestic violence, court initiative that delivers specialized, community-based, group education/counselling programming to domestic violence offenders. The PAR program gives offenders the opportunity to examine their beliefs and learn non-abusive ways of resolving conflicts, as part of the court or probation conditions. Through this program, our staff also offer support to the victim(s) of the domestic violence.
How it works:
The 12-session program provides offenders with an opportunity to:
- Examine their beliefs and attitudes towards domestic abuse
- Realize they are not alone, that others also face challenges resolving conflicts
- Become more aware of their own thoughts, feelings, moods and needs
- Begin to recognize the effect of these in their daily life
- Understand that they can learn new ways to handle arising issues
- Learn non-abusive ways of resolving conflict
- Exercise responsibility and accountability for their choices
Supporting the Offenders’
victim and/or current partner
Throughout the duration of the program, we also provide victims and/or current partners with:
- Safety support, counselling and planning
- Referrals to community resources, and
- Regular updates on the offender’s progress
Eligibility Criteria
Domestic violence offenders who have been mandated by the court to attend
Referrals
Referrals to this program are required as a result of a court order or probation officer
Mandatory
Participants are required to complete the 12-session program as part of their court or probation conditions.
Income Tax Completion Service
Please review new Income Tax Drop-off Service – during Covid19, as follows:
We can complete and file Income Tax Returns for individuals and couples with simple tax returns and a modest income (as outlined below under Eligibility Criteria)
For 2021, there are two ways that we can handle your Income Tax Return either by telephone or dropping off your paperwork. Please read and select which method will work best for you.
How does it work?
Drop off Income Tax Returns
- Print the 2020 Income Tax Authorization Forms (3 pages). French Forms (3 pages) are also available.
- Blank forms can be picked up in the box outside our front door during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday).
- Complete and Sign all 3 pages of the Authorization Forms (for each person who is getting their taxes done)
- Attach all Income and Expense Forms/Receipts to the Authorization Forms (for each person who is getting their taxes done) (French Form – 1 page)
- Mail all information/signed forms in a sealed envelope to Income Tax Services at 1770 Langlois Ave Windsor ON N8Z 4M5, or
- Drop-off all information/signed forms in a sealed envelope in our FSWE mailbox (locked silver Mailbox by the front doors).
- FSWE will review to ensure packages are complete and signed (taxes will NOT be completed unless all paperwork is attached and signed).
- Clients will get a Notice of Assessment directly from CRA.
- Due to COVID19, this year all documents will be returned to you by mail when your Income Tax Return has been completed.
- It is your responsibility to save your documents as required by Canada Revenue Agency.
Telephone Income Tax Returns
- Have all tax documents ready.
- Call FSWE at 1-888-933-1831 or 519-966-5010, and ask for the Income Tax Program.
- Provide your name and phone number to the staff member in the Income Tax Program.
- A Tax Volunteer will call you from a Private Number within 48 hours, please pick up the phone from the private number.
- On that call, the volunteer will take all of your information over the phone to complete your income tax return.
- You will be given a confirmation number when your taxes have been filed.
- You will get a Notice of Assessment directly from CRA.
- It is your responsibility to get a Notice of Assessment directly from CRA.
Our Tax Completion Service
- Our Service is available year-round by appointment or dropping off the information.
- We will prepare and electronically file the tax return.
- The Notice of Assessment will be sent by CRA directly to the applicant.
- During Covid19, all original forms and paperwork will be mailed back upon completion. It is your responsibility to save your documents as required by Canada Revenue Agency/
Our Income Tax Completion Service uses:
- Canada Revenue Agency Trained and Approved Volunteers
- Canada Revenue Agency Income Tax Return Software
- Computerized Electronic Returns
Government of Canada – Telephone Information Numbers
| Individual Tax Enquiries – CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) | 1-800-959-8281 |
| Tax Information Phone Service (TIPS) (automated line) | 1-800-267-6999 |
| Social Insurance Number Application | 1-800-206-7218 |
| Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement | 1-800-277-9914 |
| Canada Child Tax Benefit | 1-800-387-1193 |
| GST/HST Rebate | 1-800-387-1193 |
Eligibility Criteria
You may be eligible for help at a free tax clinic if you have a modest income and a simple tax situation.
Modest income
In general, you have a modest income if based on your family size, your total family income is less than the amount shown in the chart below.
| Family size | Total family income |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $35,000 |
| 2 persons | $45,000 |
| 3 persons | $47,500 |
| 4 persons | $50,000 |
| 5 persons | $52,500 |
| more than 5 persons | $52,500 plus $2,500 for each additional person |
Simple tax situation
In general, your tax situation is simple if you have no income or if your income comes from these sources:
- employment
- pension
- benefits such as Canada Pension Plan, disability, employment insurance, social assistance
- registered retirement savings plans (RRSP’s)
- support payments
- scholarships, fellowships, bursaries or grants
- interest (under $1,000)
Your tax situation is not simple if you:
- are self-employed or have employment expenses
- have business or rental income and expenses
- have capital gains or losses
- filed for bankruptcy
- are completing a tax return for a deceased person
Please contact us to find out more about qualifications.
Referrals
No referral required for this service.
