The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) is a non-profit, founded by several Toronto doctors, lawyers and social service professionals, many of whom were associated with Amnesty International. They had begun to see survivors of torture in their practices as early as 1977. Many of the survivors were in the process of claiming refugee status in Canada. The doctors saw the need for specialized counseling for the social and legal problems faced by these clients. Lawyers, social workers and community groups saw clients who were survivors of torture, and in need of treatment by doctors and other health professionals. more... See more text