•Family Services of the North Shore FAQ•

Office Hours
Location
Getting to FSNS
Privacy and Confidentiality
Fees and Payments
Cancellation Policy
Referrals
Waitlist
Number of Sessions
Changing Counsellors
How do I volunteer?
Archives

What are the office hours?
Where is Family Services located?
How do I get to Family Services of the North Shore?
What about Privacy and Confidentiality?
What are the fees and payment policy?
What if I need to cancel an appointment?
Do I need a referral?
Is there a wait list?
How many counselling sessions will it take to solve my problem?
What if I want to change counsellors?
How do I volunteer at Family Services?
Archives

Office Hours

Family Services of the North Shore tries to accommodate the busy schedules of our clients by booking daytime, evening, and Saturday counselling appointments. However, there is typically more demand for evening and Saturday sessions than we can accommodate. We appreciate your flexibility in attending counselling sessions before work or school, during lunch, or in the afternoon.

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sundays and statutory holidays – Closed

Location

Family Services of the North Shore is located in the lower Lonsdale area of North Vancouver.

Suite 101 – 255 West 1st Street
North Vancouver, BC V7M 3G8

Getting to Family Services

There is 2-hour parking available on 1st and the surrounding streets, or pay parking in the lot, for clients who wish to drive. FSNS is strategically located near public transport with easy bus and Sea Bus access. For information on public transport schedules please call Coast Mountain Bus Company 604-953-3333.

Map to Family Services

Privacy and Confidentiality

Counselling sessions are private and confidential. Information can not be released about counselling services without a client's written consent. Family Services of the North Shore is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. The information you provide to us will be used to assist in the proper administration of counselling services and to keep you informed about our programs and services. We do not release client names or information under any circumstances unless required by law.

Legally mandated exceptions to this are as follows:

Child neglect or abuse is suspected or known
Another person’s life is threatened or endangered
When suicidal risk is present
Court order

Fees and Payment Policy

Income is never a barrier to service at FSNS. Our programs (with the exception of the Parent Education Program) operate on a sliding fee scale that adjusts according to annual gross family income, availability of medical insurance and/or employee assistance programs. The amount of your counselling will be assessed during the initial Intake interview.

Payment is due at each session and payable by cash, cheque, Visa or MasterCard. Receipts are issued for all services. Keeping appointments is essential to effective therapy. If unable to keep an appointment, 48-hours advance notice is required for cancellation or the regular fee for the session will be charged.

Referrals

NO referral is necessary for retaining most counselling services at FSNS. Referrals for counselling may be given by lawyers, educators, courts, employment assistant programs, and/or healthcare professionals. People may self-refer by calling FSNS’ Intake Counsellor at 604.988.5281 local 202.

Wait List

Some programs have no waitlist, however others do. Once you have completed an Intake form, either over the phone, in person, or via fax, our intake counsellor will contact you (within 2 business days) to discuss with you the programs for which you are eligible, will let you know if there is a waitlist for the program and approximately how long you can expect to wait. The intake counsellor will also discuss fees if there is a fee for the program for which you wish to register. Once your intake has been completed and the appropriate program assigned, your file is assigned to a counsellor who will then contact you by phone to set up your first session.

Cancellation Policy

FSNS requests that clients inform their counsellors as soon as possible if they need to change or cancel their appointment. Session fees will be billed to the clients account if the session is not cancelled at least 48 hours before scheduled appointment time.

How many counselling sessions will it take to solve my problem?

The number of sessions it takes for clients to resolve the issues that caused them to seek counselling varies greatly. It depends on the nature of the problem, the clients’ willingness to change, type of therapy, and many other variables.

What if I want to change counsellors?

Having the right fit in regard to client-counsellor relationship is important. This relationship will largely dictate the success of counselling. If at any point you, as a client, feel that you require a different counsellor, we will help you find an acceptable fit from our approximately 32 full-time, part-time and contract counsellors.

How do I volunteer at Family Services of the North Shore?

To volunteer one simply needs to place a call to us at 604.988.5281 and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator—local 312. Or to learn more, click here