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Canadian Arabic Community Center

Canadian Arabic Community Centre

Mental Health, Addiction Recovery & Family Support

A Multicultural, Inclusive, Community-Based Not-for-Profit Organization Serving Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area

Canadian Arabic Community Centre

Who We Are


The Canadian Arabic Community Centre (C.A.C.C.) is a federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit organization established on June 14, 2016, under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. Corporation number: 979222-8.

Based in Mississauga, Ontario, C.A.C.C. is developing community-based counselling, addiction recovery support, family counselling, non-emergency crisis-support services, and structured mental health education programs.

Our goal is to help individuals and families experiencing mental health challenges, substance use difficulties, significant emotional distress, and family-related psychological difficulties access appropriate, culturally sensitive support.

Although our organization’s name reflects its historical identity, our programs are intended to serve eligible members of the public from all cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. Our services are not restricted to people of Arab origin.

Where qualified personnel and resources permit, we intend to provide services in English, French, and Arabic.

C.A.C.C. is preparing its application for charitable registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The Centre does not currently represent itself as a CRA-registered charity.

Why we exist

Our Mission


To promote mental health, support addiction recovery, alleviate psychological distress, and advance public education through accessible, culturally responsive counselling, appropriate referral services, and structured educational programs for individuals and families.

We are committed to reducing financial, cultural, and linguistic barriers to appropriate mental health support while promoting dignity, respect, inclusion, and professional accountability.

The future we are working toward

Our Vision


To build healthier, more resilient communities in which individuals and families, regardless of cultural background or financial circumstances, can access appropriate support, develop effective coping skills, and improve their psychological well-being.

Our priorities

Our Core Objectives


01

Promoting Mental Health

To support individuals experiencing mental health conditions, substance use disorders, addiction-related difficulties, and significant psychological distress through appropriate counselling, recovery support, and referrals to qualified health professionals.

02

Advancing Public Education

To provide structured educational courses and workshops that improve public understanding of mental health, addiction prevention and recovery, emotional regulation, stress management, coping strategies, and family-related psychological distress.

Planned services

Our Proposed Programs and Services


The following programs form part of C.A.C.C.’s planned service development. Their introduction is subject to qualified personnel, applicable professional authorization, operational readiness, and available funding.

Addiction Counselling and Recovery Support

C.A.C.C. intends to provide individual and group counselling and recovery support for adults experiencing difficulties associated with alcohol, drugs, prescription medication misuse, and other addiction-related concerns. Depending on participant needs and practitioner competence, the program may address:

  • Understanding addictive behaviours and identifying personal triggers.
  • Developing healthier coping strategies and recovery goals.
  • Motivational interviewing and structured behavioural change.
  • Cognitive behavioural coping skills.
  • Stress management and emotional regulation.
  • Relapse-prevention planning.
  • Harm-reduction education and referrals to appropriate addiction-treatment services.

The program will aim to help participants strengthen their recovery skills and obtain specialized medical or addiction treatment when required. C.A.C.C. will not provide medically supervised withdrawal, medication prescribing, or emergency addiction treatment.

Individual Counselling and Mental Health Support

Our proposed individual counselling program will support people experiencing significant emotional or psychological distress. Areas of support may include grief, adjustment difficulties, stress-related concerns, emotional challenges, social isolation, and other difficulties appropriate to the practitioner’s authorized scope of practice.

Services may include supportive counselling, coping-skills development, emotional regulation, structured goal setting, and referral to specialized mental health services. The objective is to help participants reduce distress, strengthen coping abilities, and improve their daily functioning.

Marriage, Couples and Family Counselling

C.A.C.C. intends to provide counselling for couples and families experiencing significant psychological distress related to marital conflict, separation, grief, family transitions, and difficulties in family relationships. Depending on individual circumstances, the program may address:

  • Communication difficulties and recurring conflict.
  • Emotional distress within family relationships.
  • Constructive conflict management.
  • Coping with separation, loss, and family transitions.
  • Family systems and patterns of interaction.
  • Referral to specialized family or mental health services.

Our focus will be on psychological well-being, the alleviation of distress, and healthier family functioning. Where violence, coercive control, or serious safety concerns are present, appropriate assessment and referral will take priority over joint counselling.

Non-Emergency Crisis-Support Counselling

C.A.C.C. proposes to provide short-term, appointment-based counselling and referral support for individuals and families experiencing significant emotional distress or personal crises that can safely be addressed in a non-emergency setting.

Support may include emotional stabilization, identification of coping resources, short-term planning, and referral to appropriate community or health services. This program will not operate as a 24-hour crisis hotline, mobile emergency-response team, or emergency medical service.

Individuals in immediate danger or requiring urgent medical or psychiatric intervention should contact emergency services or an appropriate crisis-response provider.

Mental Health and Family Educational Workshops

C.A.C.C. plans to provide structured psychoeducational workshops designed to improve public knowledge and practical coping skills. Proposed educational subjects include:

  • Mental health awareness and psychological well-being.
  • Addiction prevention, recovery, and relapse prevention.
  • Stress management and emotional regulation.
  • Healthy coping strategies.
  • Communication and conflict-management skills.
  • Understanding psychological distress in family relationships.
  • Recognizing when professional mental health support is needed.

Workshops will include educational presentations, facilitated learning activities, practical exercises, and information about appropriate community resources. Programs may be delivered in person or online, depending on resources and facilitator availability.

Inclusive community support

Who We Intend to Serve


C.A.C.C. intends to support eligible members of the public in Mississauga and throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Our intended beneficiaries include individuals experiencing mental health difficulties, adults affected by substance use or addiction, people experiencing significant emotional distress, and couples and families facing psychological challenges.

Our services will be guided by participant needs, program suitability, practitioner competence, and available resources. We welcome people from all cultural and religious backgrounds.

Eligibility for counselling support will not depend on Arab ancestry or membership in a particular cultural community.

Reducing barriers to support

Accessible Counselling and Financial Assistance


We believe that financial hardship should not automatically prevent individuals from seeking appropriate mental health support.

C.A.C.C. intends to adopt a sliding-scale counselling fee policy that may include:

  • Standard fees for participants who can afford counselling.
  • Reduced fees for eligible individuals with limited financial resources.
  • Free or subsidized appointments for eligible individuals experiencing financial hardship, subject to funding and program capacity.
  • Free or low-cost educational workshops where resources permit.

Fees, subsidy eligibility, appointment availability, and program commencement dates will be confirmed as services are established.

Counselling fees paid to C.A.C.C. will be recorded as organizational service revenue and used to support the Centre’s programs, reasonable operating costs, accessibility initiatives, and legally authorized professional services.

Important: Payment for counselling is a service fee, not a charitable donation. C.A.C.C. will not issue official charitable donation receipts unless and until it obtains CRA charitable registration and the payment qualifies as a receiptable gift.

Our guiding principles

Our Approach to Counselling and Community Support


Dignity and Respect

Every participant deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness

We recognize that cultural experiences, language barriers, and personal circumstances may influence access to mental health support.

Confidentiality and Ethical Practice

We intend to maintain appropriate privacy, informed-consent, safeguarding, and recordkeeping procedures.

Professional Responsibility

Counselling activities will be provided only by personnel with the qualifications, competence, and legal authorization appropriate to the services involved.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We seek to reduce financial and cultural barriers while making our programs available to eligible individuals from diverse communities.

Appropriate Referral and Collaboration

Where a participant’s needs exceed our service capacity or professional scope, we will assist with referrals to appropriately qualified health or community services.

Organizational leadership

Governance and Leadership


The Canadian Arabic Community Centre is governed by a three-member Board of Directors.

Dr. Said Saad Botros Attalla

President and Director

Provides organizational leadership and strategic direction for the Centre’s development and community programs.

Said Afrajy

Director and Manager

Responsible for organizational management, program coordination, and the development of the Centre’s proposed counselling and educational services.

Dr. Mireille Attalla

Director

Participates in corporate governance, organizational oversight, and the Centre’s long-term development.

The Board is responsible for ensuring that organizational resources are managed appropriately and that programs are developed in accordance with applicable legal and professional requirements.

Safety and accountability

Professional Standards and Program Development


C.A.C.C. is developing its counselling programs with attention to professional competence, participant safety, confidentiality, and compliance with Ontario’s applicable healthcare and counselling laws.

The Centre’s proposed clinical services will be introduced only when the necessary practitioner authorization, staffing, insurance, supervision where required, and operational safeguards are in place.

C.A.C.C. does not represent itself as a CRPO-registered psychotherapy practice or claim that its practitioners are registered psychotherapists unless the applicable registration and professional requirements have been met.

Community participation

Volunteers and Student Learning Opportunities


As its programs develop, C.A.C.C. may welcome volunteers and student interns to assist with appropriate educational, administrative, and community support activities. Student learning opportunities will be subject to suitable supervision, applicable educational requirements, and professional scope-of-practice limitations.

Volunteers and students will not independently undertake clinical services for which they lack the necessary qualifications or authorization.

Our intended impact

Our Commitment to Public Benefit


Through its proposed counselling and educational activities, C.A.C.C. aims to contribute to:

Improved awareness

Improved mental health awareness and coping skills.

Recovery support

Stronger addiction recovery knowledge and support.

Reduced distress

Reduced psychological distress.

Healthier families

Healthier family communication and functioning.

Inclusive access

Greater access to culturally responsive support.

Community connections

Improved connections to appropriate health and community services.

Public education

More accessible mental health education for the public.

We intend to evaluate our programs through participation information, service feedback, accessibility measures, and appropriate outcome indicators while respecting confidentiality.

Organizational status

Our Charitable Registration Status


The Canadian Arabic Community Centre is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

Incorporation details

Corporation number: 979222-8

Incorporation date: June 14, 2016

Registered office jurisdiction: Ontario, Canada

CRA registration

C.A.C.C. is preparing an application to the Canada Revenue Agency for registration as a charity.

Federal not-for-profit incorporation does not itself confer registered charitable status. Until CRA grants registration, C.A.C.C. will not represent itself as a registered charity or issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes.

Get in touch

Contact and Service Information


Canadian Arabic Community Centre (C.A.C.C.)

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Serving Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area.

Websitewww.cactv.ca
LocationMississauga, Ontario, Canada

For information about proposed programs, future counselling availability, educational workshops, and community initiatives, please contact C.A.C.C. through the contact information published on this website.

Counselling appointments and program availability are subject to confirmation. This website does not provide emergency crisis intervention or medical advice.

Contact Us

Building Healthier Individuals, Stronger Families, and More Resilient Communities

Canadian Arabic Community Centre — Inclusive Support, Accessible Education, and Community Well-Being.

About CACTV

Canada Press Arab is an Arab-Canadian media organization dedicated to professional journalism, news, interviews, investigative reporting, digital media, and multimedia broadcasting for Arabic- and French-speaking audiences in Canada and internationally.

Contact Us

Address:3061 Sir John’s Homestead, Mississauaga Ontario Canada L5L3H9
Email Us: info@cactv.ca
Contact Office: 905 828 2003
Contact: 647 700 5887