For the past 25 years, Umbrella has been the leading lived-experienced-based outreach provider in the Victoria community. Level Up is a formalized, course-based project that can be used by community service providers to provide proven, effective training to People with Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE) workers in the substance use, harm reduction, and recovery field.
Umbrella provides a broad range of community supports to individuals and their loved ones struggling with substance use issues and co-occuring mental health challenges. From counselling, housing, community outreach, support groups, or referral assistance, our team can help create an individualized client care plan to help individuals achieve their goals.
We value and engage with people and groups across a broad spectrum of unique demographic and philosophical dimensions, including culture, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, ability and political or religious beliefs.
Equity:
We take active efforts to ensure that people have equitable access to opportunities, resources, experiences and outcomes in our services and supports, and in our organization.
Hope:
Through our actions, we change the way those who struggle with issues of substance use and concurrent mental illnesses see themselves and are seen by others.
Inclusion:
We strive, through deliberate and intentional actions, to create environments of belonging, support and involvement where all people feel valued and encouraged to contribute.
Empowerment:
We seek to engage all members of our community, enlighten them on substance use and mental health issues, and empower them to make a difference.
Respect:
We accept each individual’s reality without judgement. We meet people where they are and offer support and acceptance in a non-blaming and open manner. We are informed, as they are, by their life experiences.
Leadership:
We recognize that complex issues are often resolved by a series of simple acts, and that effective leadership can occur, not just within our organization, but throughout the larger community.
Trust:
We work to earn a high degree of public trust through effective collaboration with all those affected by substance use. We recognize that good work has the widest impact and best results when freely shared.
Partnerships:
We are committed to working with others to ensure that people with substance use issues can access high quality services in an effective and timely manner.
Full Access:
We reduce service barriers so that all people who require services can access Umbrella’s supports.
Umbrella demonstrates excellence in the development and delivery of innovative and unique services to support individuals and their loved ones struggling with substance use issues.
Those affected by substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges have access to a broad range of appropriate and connected community supports.
Our Defining Values
Diversity: We value and engage with people and groups across a broad spectrum of unique demographic and philosophical dimensions, including culture, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, ability and political or religious beliefs.
Equity: We take active efforts to ensure that people have equitable access to opportunities, resources, experiences and outcomes in our services and supports, and in our organization.
Inclusion: We strive, through deliberate and intentional actions, to create environments of belonging, support and involvement where all people feel valued and encouraged to contribute.
Respect: We accept each individual’s reality without judgement. We meet people where they are and offer support and acceptance in a non-blaming and open manner. We are informed, as they are, by their life experiences.
Empowerment: We seek to engage all members of our community, enlighten them on substance use and mental health issues, and empower them to make a difference.
Leadership: We recognize that complex issues are often resolved by a series of simple acts, and that effective leadership can occur, not just within our organization, but throughout the larger community.
Trust: We work to earn a high degree of public trust through effective collaboration with all those affected by substance use. We recognize that good work has the widest impact and best results when freely shared.
Hope: Through our actions, we change the way those who struggle with issues of substance use and concurrent mental illnesses see themselves and are seen by others.
Full Access: We reduce service barriers so that all people who require services can access Umbrella’s supports.
Partnerships: We are committed to working with others to ensure that people with substance use issues can access high quality services in an effective and timely manner.
