Health and social services & workshops

Health and social services

The needs of residents are various and services in the community cannot always answer them directly. The Council, without noticing it at first, slowly increased the number of residents met individually for support. Some need only help to better understand an official communication, some cannot fill out important forms, and others are lost and do not even know what they need and where to start from. Our team then goes slow with them to identify the steps needed to regain confidence and put their life on the right track. On many occasions, our team members also accompanied the residents to appointments to reassure them through their journey for a better quality of life.

The Health and Social Services initiative by the NDG Community Council aims to address the diverse needs of residents by providing personalized support. From aiding individuals in understanding official communications to assisting with form submissions, the focus is on offering tailored assistance. By enhancing access to crucial information and empowering residents to navigate complex administrative processes, this service strives to ensure that everyone in the community receives the support they need.

OBJECTIVES

Individualized Support: Provide personalized assistance to residents, addressing their unique needs, such as understanding official communications, filling out important forms, or navigating complex administrative processes.
Access to Information: Improve residents' access to critical information by offering guidance on various topics, ensuring they are well-informed about available services, resources, and support systems.

Activities, Events, Projects

Workshops on community services or topics related to health and social services
Individual appointments with residents
Administrative support and referral to partners or official service organizations
Gathering needs to better respond to them and share information with the competent institution.
Comprehension of communications sent in French to residents, leading to a relief of stress
Feeling of being "in control" for residents who had diverse issues with governments and institutions from being accompanied in the multiple steps .

"One on One" Initiative

This initiative aims to address the diverse needs of residents by providing personalised support. From aiding individuals in understanding official communications to assisting with form submissions, the focus is on offering tailored assistance. By enhancing access to crucial information and empowering residents to navigate complex administrative processes, this service strives to ensure that everyone in the community receives the support they need.

Through the "One on One" initiative, we have achieved significant results, including empowering residents by informing them about their rights and available government benefits, improving residents' access to critical information by offering guidance on various topics, ensuring they are well-informed about available services, resources, and support systems. It is important to note that some, if not most, of the interventions covered several different challenges lived by the individual, but we only learned about the needs once we start the intervention.

Key Areas of Support

Immigration & Legal: Work permits, newborn daycare registration, passport renewal, citizenship certificates, and Quebec health forms.
Financial & Benefits: Disability tax credits, shelter allowance, GIS, OAS, CRA accounts, tax issues, EI benefits, government debt assistance, and social financial aid.
Housing & Community: Housing resources, housing allowances, rent management, lease renewals, landlord issues, and addressing social isolation.
Health & Social Services: Family doctor access, hospital bill support, medical card renewal, pharmacy access, mental health referrals, and appointment accompaniment.
Education & Employment: French courses, job search assistance, CV help, and public sector job applications.
Child & Family Services: Child benefits, legal name changes, and daycare support.
Crisis & Emergency: Food security, emergency resource referrals, and support for utility billing issues.

McGill Dental Workshops & Clinics

For the fifth consecutive year, the Council partnered with McGill University's Faculty of Dentistry to provide free oral health workshops and clinics. Two student teams were assigned to the Council: one delivered interactive workshops on dental hygiene for parents and children, while the other focused on seniors living in two local HLMs.

In addition to the workshops, we hosted two free dental clinics in the neighborhood—one in October and another in February—at the Monkland Community Centre. Many residents were also accompanied to follow-up appointments at the McGill Dental Faculty downtown to ensure they received complete care. In total, 58 residents benefited from these essential services. This collaboration continues to make a tangible difference in bridging gaps in access to dental care in our community.