Family Assistance
EFAS helps facilitate the availability of information and assistance to families who require its services. Oftentimes, families in need are unaware of the external resources available, or are unwilling to utilise them owing to the fear of social stigmatisation.
Individual & Family Counselling
It is noteworthy that key problems faced by the families specifically relate to rehabilitation issues, which other organizations may not be sufficiently able to address, to provide the means of assistance required. For example, the process of adjustment that the ex-offender and his family need to face in the period following his release is a case in point. The ex-offender, who had been separated from his family and environment during the term of incarceration, has now to deal with the changes that have occurred through the period of his absence from his home and family. Concurrently, the family too has to reintegrate him into their routine, which has acquired a pace of its own in the latter’s absence. To deal with the dual facets of the problem requires specialized counselling, which EFAS helps provide.
Financial Assistance
The rift between availability and access to resources is a serious one, especially in the case of ex-offenders whose problems may often require immediate intervention. For example, an ex-offender may be in need of financial assistance, for sustenance or as an interim, until the availability of the first pay cheque. EFAS endeavours to provide short-term financial assistance to bridge this rift.
Information & Referral
SACA is also aware of the need to tap on available community resources to ensure that there is no duplication of services. Hence cases would be referred to existing resources (e.g. FSCs, CDCs) after 6 months if required.
