We normally act as a kind of systems navigator for victims of crime in Canada. A lot of the time folks come to us because they don't necessarily want to report to the police, so they're trying to figure out what rights and what services they can access, given those circumstances.
Unfortunately, within Canada, things like compensation programs and victims' services are done provincially. Therefore, they vary vastly from province to territory. A lot of the time they're left, as Ben mentioned, somewhere in the middle, and they're not sure what to do.
Also, sometimes victims are not getting informed of their rights if they are reporting to the police. They're not told that they can bring someone with them when they're going to the police. They're not told that they're able to do a victim impact statement, or that there is a deadline for that statement or that there are lots of rules they have to follow when writing that. Even navigating post-trial agencies...because their journey doesn't end when the accused is put away. That journey continues, and not just the healing journey. If it's a federally incarcerated offender, it's hearing after hearing after hearing. We can act as a support person during those hearings, and we can help them write their statements. We can also read them on their behalf, because we know it can take a really big toll on victims.