Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is a community-based reintegration program designed to support people newly released from prison who have been convicted of sex offenses, admit to committing these offences, and request CoSA's help to prevent further offending. CoSA-Ottawa is one of currently 18 Canadian cities operating CoSA programs, representing approximately 150 to 200 Circles that aim to:

• Prevent further victimization through accountability; and
• Assist former offenders become increasingly responsible and productive individuals through support.

CoSA works with former offenders, who we refer to as "Core Members", who have been held in prison to the end of their sentence and typically have little or no community support and are considered a high-risk to re-offend. Core members participate voluntarily, and must therefore commit to leading a positive, crime-free life.

The Core Member and three to five community volunteers comprise the Circle. They meet individually and as a group on a regular basis to:

• Challenge the Core Member's behaviours and attitudes that may be associated with his offending cycle;
• Support the Core Member's community reintegration by facilitating his practical needs (i.e. access to medical services, social assistance, seeking employment/affordable housing, etc.) and by providing a consistent network of emotional support; and
• Develop constructive and pro-social strategies and solutions to everyday problems and concerns as well as celebrate successes.

Volunteers

Mature, committed and responsible individuals are welcome to participate in CoSA-Ottawa’s Training Program. Prospective volunteers must:

• Participate in and complete the Basic training;
• Complete a screening process including: a police background check (cost covered by CoSA), provide two character references and attend a volunteer interview;
• Make a commitment to CoSA for one year.

The Basic Training involves interactive information sessions intended to acquaint the public and potential volunteers with CoSA, sexual offending and its impacts on victims and the community.

Anyone aged 21 or over is welcome to participate. Attending the training does not obligate the participant to become a CoSA volunteer.

The Advanced Training takes place following approval as a CoSA volunteer. Professional development sessions are intended to provide practical and meaningful opportunities to enhance the support provided to volunteers - the cornerstone of Circles of Support and Accountability – on topics that are relevant to the unique work that we do.

VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM Fall 2009 As a lead up to Restorative Justice Week, November 15-22 we are kicking off our volunteer training program with a presentation on restorative justice by Pierre Allard, former Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) prison chaplain and current president of Just.Equipping, a charity committed to educating, training and equipping in the area of restorative justice. Everyone is welcome! For info on RJ Week, click go to www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rj/rj2009/lett-eng.shtml BASIC TRAINING 1.  Wednesday, Oct 7, 7-9PM (St. John’s Church* - Parish Hall) Restorative Justice with Pierre Allard, Former Prison Chaplain and President of Just Equipping – a charity committed to educating, training and equipping in the area of restorative justice 2.  Wednesday, Oct 14, 7-9PM (The Bronson Centre**, Room 221) An Introduction to Sex Offenders and Sex Offending With Nadine Amelotte, Federal Parole Officer 3.  Saturday, Oct 17, 10AM-3PM (St. John's Church* - The Well) New Date! Fundamentals of Circles of Support and Accountability With Susan Love and Susan Haines, CoSA-Ottawa Program Coordinators History of CoSA Research on how CoSA works; facts and statistics of sexual offences and victims Circle functioning and the role of volunteers and core members Boundaries and Self-Care 4.  Wednesday, Oct 28, 7-9PM (The Bronson Centre, Room 221) Understanding Legal Controls for Sex Offenders With Nadine Amelotte, Federal Parole Officer and Cst. Mitch Houle, Ottawa Police Service - High Risk Offender Unit 5.  Wednesday, Nov 4, 7-9PM (The Bronson Centre – Room 221) Assessments of and Treatment for Sex Offenders at the ROMHC With Wendy Stewart, Social Worker at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre 6.  Tuesday, November 10, 7-9PM (St. John's Church - The Well) New Date and Location! The Key to Successful Reintegration With a Crisis Counselor from John Howard Society of Ottawa * St. John’s Church – 154 Somerset St. W (corner of Somerset and Elgin Sts) ** The Bronson Centre – 211 Bronson St (two blocks north of Somerset St West) Directions and details about parking to be provided. ADVANCED TRAINING This is a sample of topics to be offered in the new year to trained, approved volunteers. Topics and dates to be determined. Motivational Interviewing; Mental Health considerations including: Personality Disorders, Psychopathy, Developmental and Cognitive limitations, FASD, ADHD, Substance abuse and Addictions Awareness; Risk, Need and Responsivity (RNR) Assessments and the Good Lives Model; Public Perception of Sexual Offending and The Media

Core Members

Seeking assistance is indeed the first sign of serious commitment to turning one's life around and to never committing another offense. CoSA-Ottawa requires a completed application package if you are interested in applying for a Circle which includes: a Letter of Interest and Bio, a Program Application form and a Consent Form, allowing CoSA-Ottawa access to your CSC file. These documents are available from:

Susan Love, CoSA Program Coordinator
154 Somerset Street West
Ottawa ON K2P 0H8
Tel: (613) 232-4500
Fax: (613) 232-4553
E-mail: love@magma.ca

Once your application is reviewed by the Screening Committee, the Program Coordinator will contact you. One interview with the Screening Committee is required, at minimum, before a decision is made based on a number of criteria including: being held to the end of your sentence (WED) from a federal correctional institution for committing a sexual offence and may serve a long term offender sentence in the community.

Once approved by CoSA-Ottawa, a Covenant, or agreement, is signed by the Core Member, volunteers and Program Coordinator for a minimum period of one year (this can be renewed). The Covenant, tailor-made for each Core member, lists his specific legal requirements and outlines expectations and responsibilities of all Circle members. The Covenant is reviewed throughout the year, along with the Core Member's Relapse Prevention Plan and other unique considerations.

Since CoSA volunteers do not act as therapists, consultation with the Core Member's network of professionals is essential. Individuals applying for a Circle are asked to provide consent for CoSA-Ottawa to discuss his case with his professionals and with the Correctional Service of Canada. By doing so, we are better able to understand each Core Member and provide a more effective and holistic approach to community reintegration.

Referrals

Professionals interested in referring an individual to CoSA-Ottawa can complete the following Referral Form and send it to the CoSA coordinator (see contact info below). To assess this person's suitability for the program, he will be required to sign a Consent Form to allow open communication about his case and access to his file. Please contact the CoSA coordinator to discuss a referral.

Donors

Since its inception, CoSA-Ottawa has relied upon and gained the support of individuals, communities, organizations and foundations. The stigma associated with sex offending - especially against children - has brought corresponding financial challenges, which we hope will both improve through education and, ultimately, engagement. In fact, preliminary research has demonstrated that men participating in CoSA sexually reoffend 70-80% less than those who do not. (Wilson et al, 2005)

Your contribution will help CoSA-Ottawa provide vital public safety services that benefit our community, and is tax deductible. Please take a moment to consider contributing to, what many consider, an essential service. You can find a downloadable Pledge Form here.

MAY 2009: CoSA Resource Library

Thanks to volunteers Christy and Selena, the CoSA-Ottawa Resource Library is ready for lending!

Library categories include: CoSA and Sex Offending; Crime and Victimization; Healing and Hope; Personal Development; Relevant Issues and Religion; and Restorative Justice.

If you are interested in learning more about CoSA and related topics, feel free to contact CoSA-Ottawa. Materials are in print, audio and video formats.

Contributions to the library are also welcome.

MARCH 2009: CoSA-Ottawa Volunteer Retreat

Thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, many of our volunteers were able to attend our first ever Volunteer Retreat at Temple Pastures in Gatineau, Québec. The goal of the retreat was for CoSA volunteers to be better able to deal with compassion fatigue and continue in their role as mentor.

The Retreat consisted of:

• An Introduction to Meditation session facilitated by Jim Moore, Joyful Land Buddhist Centre, on the evening of Friday March 13, 2009 and
• A full day workshop on Compassion Fatigue, facilitated by Rita Myers, counselor at The Men's Project, along with her co-facilitators, Lynn Crossan and Terry Dyer-Adams, on Saturday March 14, 2009.

Volunteers reported that the sense of unity with other CoSA members was of greatest value. The organizers thank the fabulous volunteer cook Maristela Carrara for contributing to the warm and relaxing environment.

Feedback from evaluations demonstrated that participants benefitted most from spending time with each other in order to build relationships and provide support to one another. Becoming more aware of self-care was the second most valuable aspect of the retreat for respondents. In fact, 92-100% of participants "strongly agreed" that they obtained enhanced knowledge and skills that will contribute to their capacity to deliver meaningful volunteer support as a result of participating.

NOVEMBER 2008: CoSA-Ottawa receives funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation

We are extremely grateful for the support received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, allowing CoSA-Ottawa to increase its capacity to provide valuable community-based reintegration services.

The one-year funding will allow us to accomplish a number of goals including: hiring a part time program assistant, Susan Haines (a long-time CoSA volunteer); holding the first ever Volunteer Retreat; purchasing much-needed equipment to conduct our volunteer training program and community presentations; and increasing the hours of our dedicated Program Coordinator, Susan Love.

Thanks so much to the Ontario Trillium Foundation!

May 2008: Benefit Concert

A benefit concert to support Circles of Support and Accountability was held at St John's Church on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. The evening opened with Detective Wendy Leaver, from the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Unit, and long-time CoSA volunteer, who spoke eloquently about her experience in the program.

The concert featured the talents of The Cambridge Male Chorus and local singer/song-writer Dave Andrews, both who donated the proceeds of the event to CoSA. Please click here to view photos from the concert.

CoSA is extremely grateful for everyone's generous participation and contribution. Thank you all.

APRIL 2009: Volunteer Appreciation Week

We are truly grateful for the contributions of CoSA members throughout the year, and would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU all during National Volunteer Week, April 18 - 25, 2009.

The staff and Steering Committee at CoSA-Ottawa are grateful to everyone involved - volunteer and core members alike - for making CoSA-Ottawa the successful and well-recognized program that it is.

So take a moment to give yourself and fellow CoSA members a well-deserved pat on the back for your dedication, compassion and hard work.

Members are encouraged to read more about self-care and the ABC's of transforming compassion fatigue in our new Volunteer Retreat Report.

The staff, volunteers and core members would like to thank the folks at St John's Church for their on-going support and hospitality. We are truly very fortunate to have found a home at St John's!