PEOPLES' COUNSELLING CLINIC SOCIETY, THE

Published purpose

The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute (ANSJI) is an institute of the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (ANSDPAD). It is our view that the knowledge of and created by Impacts of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCA) should not be "owned" by private individuals, but rather by the community. We consider the work of IRCAs to be embedded within the ANSJI. The Peoples' Counselling Clinic (PCC) is a community based mental health clinic that has had a partnership with ANSJI to train, house and supervise Impact of Race and Culture Assessors, and to coordinate the intake and assignment of such assessments in Nova Scotia. IRCA assessors and supervisors, though based within the PCC comprise the Forensic Assessment and Treatment Unit (FATU) of the ANSJI. They consist of a group of practitioners who have been trained and supported by Robert Wright and Lana MacLean. Legal Aid Nova Scotia commissioned the first IRCAs in Canada (as best we know) and have been leaders in promoting them. They are integral partners in the development of this work both provincially and nationally. The initiative with ANSJI is to train IRCA writers and develop IRCA reports.