Indigenous Family Justice Support Worker Program
Carolina Rondeau,
LL.B./Family Mediator
Campbell River
Office: 250-914-2212
Cell 250-201-1104
The Indigenous Family Justice, Mediation & Safety Planning Program at Sasamans Society offers culturally grounded, compassionate support to Indigenous families and individuals navigating the family justice system, family law concerns, family mediation, and safety planning.
The program combines family mediation, family law advocacy, and safety planning support. We can help you understand your options, organize information, prepare for conversations or court steps, complete family law forms, and make a practical plan that supports your safety, your voice, and your choices.
We support Indigenous parents, guardians, extended family members, Indigenous women, youth, and Two-Spirit / 2SLGBTQIA+ people who may be going through separation, parenting arrangements, guardianship, child support, spousal support, family violence, gender-based violence, or situations where something does not feel right.
Our work is grounded in self-determination, safety, respect, balance, and community. Gender-based violence can affect a person’s spirit, voice, choices, relationships, and sense of belonging. You do not have to figure things out alone.
We Can Support You With:
- Understanding your rights and options in family law.
- Family law advocacy and navigation, including helping you identify next steps, organize documents, prepare questions, and connect with legal or community resources.
- Family mediation sessions facilitated through our program, where mediation is appropriate and safe.
- Separation, divorce, guardianship, parenting time, parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support, and family agreements.
- Family law forms, including applications, replies, agreements, consent orders, and related paperwork.
- Preparing for court, mediation, Legal Aid appointments, lawyer meetings, and other family law conversations.
- Safety planning where there is family violence, gender-based violence, coercive control, or concerns about emotional, physical, sexual, cultural, or financial safety.
- Talking through safe next steps, support people, emergency contacts, children’s needs, and available community supports.
- Referrals to Legal Aid, lawyers, counselling, victim services, housing supports, and culturally safe community services.
What is Family Mediation
- A voluntary and confidential process to resolve family issues peacefully.
- A neutral mediator helps guide respectful conversations and decision making.
- Helps families create fair, lasting agreements without going to court.
- Resolve parenting time, support, and guardianship issues
- Peaceful, out of court resolution
What Is Family Law Form Advocacy?
Family law advocacy means practical support to help you understand what is happening, what options may be available, and what steps may come next. We can help you organize information, prepare forms, understand legal language, connect with Legal Aid or legal services, and feel more prepared for court, mediation, or conversations with the other parent or family member.
Family law advocacy is not about telling you what to do. It is about helping you feel informed, supported, and able to make choices for yourself and your family. We provide legal information, support, and referrals. We do not replace independent legal advice.
What Is Family Mediation?
Family mediation is a voluntary and confidential process to help families resolve family issues peacefully. A neutral mediator helps guide respectful conversations and decision-making. Mediation can help families create fair, practical, and lasting agreements without going to court, where it is appropriate and safe. It may help with parenting time, decision-making, child support questions, communication, guardianship, and family agreements.
What Is Safety Planning?
Safety planning is a supportive and practical conversation about what may help you feel safer, more prepared, and more in control of your choices. A safety plan can include safe communication, emergency contacts, important documents, transportation, technology safety, protection order options, support people, children’s needs, and referrals to other services and community resources, such as counselling, mental health supports, housing, financial assistance, and other supports that may be helpful to you and your family.
The plan is led by you. We move at your pace, with respect for your choices, your culture, your family, and your safety. We can also help connect you with appropriate services and supports based on your individual needs.
Our Approach
Our services are trauma-informed, confidential, culturally safe, and grounded in Indigenous values of respect, balance, and community. We honour the strength of families and aim to help families move forward in a way that supports safety, dignity, connection, and self-determination. Support is offered in a calm, non-judgmental environment where your voice matters.
Who We Support
- Indigenous parents, guardians, and extended family members.
- Indigenous women, youth, and Two-Spirit / 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
- Individuals and families experiencing or affected by family violence or gender-based violence.
- Individuals at any stage of a family law or family justice matter.
- Anyone looking for guidance, family mediation, family law advocacy, safety planning, or peaceful alternatives to court.
Reach Out
You do not have to figure things out alone. Whether you need to talk through what is happening, explore mediation, complete family law forms, prepare for a family law process, make a safety plan, or connect with legal or community supports, we are here to help.