This page details information about how reporting around harassment, misconduct and other workplace violence issues are managed. If you have any further questions, you are encouraged to reach out anonymously (via the hotline) or directly.
This page details information about how reporting around harassment, misconduct and other workplace violence issues are managed. If you have any further questions, you are encouraged to reach out anonymously (via the hotline) or directly.
If you want to report an incident in person, you can begin the process with any of the following people: the Director of HR, the Manager of HQHR, or any member of the Management Team. You can also reach to a Member of the Board, or to the Board President.
If you choose to report online, you have the option to share what you have experienced before you share your identity and learn what the response will look like. For this reason, some people feel more comfortable reporting online.
The Employee Family Assistance Programme includes confidential access to counsellors and lawyers; this is a programme paid for by MSF, but the organization does not have any access to the information you share with the EFAP practitioners.
MSF staff also have no-cost access to the PsychoSocial Focal Points: Juliet Donald (Toronto) and Richard Zereik (Montreal). Conversations with Juliet and Richard are confidential, as both are mental health practitioners accountable to independent regulating bodies.
Hard Feelings is a low-cost counselling service located on Bloor St. HF counsellors slide their fee between $50.00 and $85.00 per session, with a 10 session limit. Fees are negotiated based on income and insurance access.
www.hardfeelings.orgStudents at the Toronto Institute of Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP) offer therapy to adults at $25.00 per session. TIRP students receive supervision and support from qualified psychotherapists, and the per session fee will increase when your therapist graduates.
www.tirp-lowcost-therapy.caTherapists and healing practitioners operating out of the Village Healing Centre are committed to offering a variety of therapies at affordable rates.
www.villagehealing.ca/practitioners.htmlStudents of OISE`s counselling MEd offer sliding scale therapy to adults, couples and children based out of OISE`s Psychology Clinic. The fee is determined by the client`s income.
www.oise.utoronto.ca/psychservices/Home.htmlThe United Way maintains a database of free services offered in Ontario. Services are organized according to the topic area and focus, and you can search online:
211ontario.ca/211-topics/browse-all-topics/The Independent Legal Advice for Survivors pilot is a specialized legal aid programme that allows survivors of sexual violence to access 4 hours of independent legal advice. The ILA is available to survivors of violence aged 16 and older, living in Toronto, Ottawa and Thunder Bay. You can access the ILA by applying for a voucher online, and you are not required to disclose details of your experience. The ILA will send you a list of qualified lawyers in your region, and you can choose the practitioner who meets your needs.
www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/ovss/ila.phpThe Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is a nonprofit counselling and legal aid service focused on gender-based violence.
schliferclinic.com/Family Service Toronto offers a variety of services, including individual, family and group counselling.
familyservicetoronto.org/The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape offers individual and group counselling to survivors of GBV from a feminist, antiracist perspective.
trccmwar.ca/Women`s College Hospital offers a Trauma Therapy Programme that supports survivors of abuse and violence using relational psychotherapy and trauma-focused approaches. You will require a family doctor`s referral to participate in TTP.
womenscollegehospital.ca/programs-and-services/mental-health/trauma-therapy-program/McGill Psycho-educational & Counselling Clinic offers therapy at $40.00 per hour. Therapists are students in the Counselling Psychology programme and are supervised by psychologists.
www.mcgill.ca/edu-ecp/about/clinicLa Clinique universitaire de psychologie de l’Université de Montréal, forte de sa mission d’offrir des services psychologiques de qualité à la population métropolitaine tout en maintenant des tarifs réduits, propose également aux psychologues des formations variées et abordables reconnues par l’Ordre des psychologues du Québec.
psy.umontreal.ca/ressources-services/clinique-universitaire-de-psychologie/poursuit une double mission; dispenser des services psychologiques et neuropsychologiques à la population et offrir un milieu de stage privilégié pour les doctorants en psychologie de l’UQAM. Ces services, offerts à prix modiques, s'adressent à toute la population. Les services sont offerts au cours de l'année académique soit, de septembre à avril et sur rendez-vous seulement.
The province maintains a list of services for survivors of gender-based violence according to region. There are four services specific to Montreal. These services support people who have experienced both physical and psychological violence. You can see the list online here:
www.quebec.ca/en/family-and-support-for-individuals/assistance-and-support/help-and-resources-for-sexual-assault-victims-and-sexual-assailants/community-organizations-that-help-victims-of-sexual-assault/AMI Quebec maintains a list of counselling services in Montreal. The list includes both free and low cost services, and is available here:
amiquebec.org/therapy/24/7 helpline, shelter, expertise in violence and immigration, tailored services, assistance with paperwork, services for kids - all this offered in english, french and spanish.
www.assistanceauxfemmes.ca/?lang=enShelter, individual and group counseling, help with paperwork, agreement with schools in the neighborhood to protect kids and partners, assessment over the phone, follow-up - offered in french, english, arabic, spanish and creole.
multifemmes.com/en/Free diapers for new moms, medical check-ups, counselling, support for victims of domestic violence - offered in french, english and spanish.
centredesfemmesdemtl.org/Info sessions, counseling services for domestic violence victims and referrals to other resources.
www.sosviolenceconjugale.ca/Shelter, psychosocial support, legal clinic and reintegration programs.
www.ydesfemmesmtl.org/Focused on housing, including services for women who are in danger of becoming homeless or leaving unsafe living situations.
www.laruedesfemmes.org/en/There are two ways to consult with the organization. If you want to ask questions with your identity protected, you can reach out via the online reporting platform. This option allows you to get information directly from the Director of HR and/or the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors without disclosing your name. If you are comfortable sharing your identity, you are welcome to reach out directly to any of the people above.
The Director of HR is the process lead on harassment cases. If the Director or any of the senior leadership are involved in the case, the Executive Director acts as the process lead. If the ED is involved, responsibility flips to the President of the Board.
In many instances, harassment cases will be investigated by an external investigator. The investigator will have the closest knowledge of what occurred. This is an intentional decision by the organization so that we can respond to your report thoroughly while also protecting your privacy and avoiding any unnecessary transfer of sensitive information.
To protect your privacy and your wellbeing, the final details of the investigator’s report will be redacted to remove unnecessary detail. This final report will be what is used to determine any sanctions or outcomes of the process.
Sanctions or outcomes are decided upon by the Process Lead, in consultation with the Ethics Committee.
For more information about who is involved in the management of harassment cases, see:
Role ClarityTo see our current roster of investigators and external mediators/facilitators, see:
Investigators Roster and Allied ProfessionalsOnce you have submitted a formal report (also known as a complaint), the next step is an assessment process. In our HQ policies on harassment, discrimination and violence, we have committed to completing an assessment within 2 (two) working days of receiving a written report.
While assessment is occurring, the person accused of harm (also known as a respondent) will not be notified of the process. Only once the case has been assessed and a plan for next steps has been shared with you will the respondent be notified.
Below is a list of questions that the HR Director will ask when completing an assessment.
MSF-C makes every effort to follow the needs of people coming forward about issues of abuse or harassment in the organization. The research in sexual harassment response shows that so-called “target-led” resolution processes have much better outcomes—as such, we endeavor to implement this practice within the constraints of the legislation to which we are accountable.
In many cases, people experiencing harassment have one primary objective in disclosing their experience – they simply want the behaviour to stop. In cases like this, if the respondent consents to a facilitated resolution process (such as a behavioural contract), an investigation may not be required or helpful.
It is important, however, to remember that, if informal resolution (also known as alternate dispute resolution, or ADR) is not successful, investigation is still an option open to you. At no point does engaging in ADR preclude an investigation later on; if the behaviour reported escalates or continues, the organization may require an investigation.
There are cases in which an investigation is required. These are situations in which the harm reported is egregious in nature, or where there has been a pattern of offence, or a person high up in leadership is implicated.
There are two cases in which MSF is legally obligated to inform police or other authorities. They are:
1. If we receive information about violence or harm affecting a child or a minor (under the age of 18), we are obligated to inform Child Protection Services. This should be done by the person who receives the information most directly. The best practice is to inform the person who disclosed, so they are aware that CPS has been notified.
2. If an act of physical aggression occurs on our premises, we are obligated to inform the police. This is the responsibility of the highest level of management present on the premises. Police typically respond by taking a summary from all witnesses and laying a charge if there is sufficient evidence.
