“Building Healthy Community Links”

1. Regional Consultation:Outaouais Health & Social Services Network for the English-speaking population September 27th, 2006 “Building Healthy Community Links”

2. Mission Statement & Mandate The Outaouais Health & Social Services Network involves citizens, public institutions, service organizations, and community resources in the planning and delivery of quality and accessible health and social services to the English-speaking population. • Build the knowledge base and provide information • Help maintain and improve access • Identify and address potential service gaps, access issues • Understand and participate in the new health structure • Build networking and partnership capacities

3. What we’ve done, 2005–06 Building the knowledge base and provide information: • Sponsored a comprehensive research report Helping maintain and improve access: • Engaged in several Primary Health Care projects Identifying and addressing potential service gaps, access issues: • Partnered in McGill Nursing Retention Project Building networking and partnership capacities: • Hosted the OHSSN Regional Forum (February ’06) Understanding and participating in the new health structure: • Engaging the Regional Advisory Committee

4. English-speaking community research • OHSSN Health & social services needs assessment for the English-speaking population of the Outaouais, 2005 • CHSSN 4 regional profiles and reports on the English-speaking communities 2003–04: 16 Québec administrative regions2004–05: Communities in CLSC territories2005–06: Social Capital Report English-language Health Services access in Québec

5. CROP-CHSSN 2005 Survey Community Vitality of Anglophones (3,129 Anglophones — 1,002 Francophones) • Slight population growth • Lower proportion of seniors • Higher ratio of care-givers to seniors • Higher than average rate for non-completion of high-school • Two age groups (25-34 and 85 years/over) are more likely to have incomes below the low-income cut-off rate

6. Survey’s findings Outaouais region / province of Québec • Perceived general state of health • Satisfaction with regional access to services • Most important issues for Anglophones in Québec and the Outaouais (see handout)

7. Use of health and social services • Use of services by Anglophones • Reasons for out-of-region use of services (see handout)

8. Access to services in English • Barriers encountered by Anglophones • Information provided by public health and social service institutions in English • Sources of information in English about public health promotion and prevention programs (see handout)

9. Focus Groups June – October, 2005 • Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau • Wakefield/Chelsea • Buckingham • Low, Kazabazua, Maniwaki • Quyon, Campbell’s Bay • Total 14 groups / 130 participants • 64 rural / 66 urban • Average age of 53.7 years

10. Focus Groups — results • Participants’ view of health • Participants’ view of service provision challenges according to: • Social problems • Access-to-service issues • Language barriers • Bio-medical issues (see handout)

11. Focus Groups — highlights • Reasons for identified problems • Specific needs of the English-speaking population in the Outaouais • Priority of health issues • Priority of service issues (see handout)

12. Action > next steps… OHSSN Strategy, 2006-07Develop a networking organization that addresses the needs of the English-speaking community by collaborating with the structure and priorities of the Québec health and social services system

13. OHSSN’s Commitment • OHSSN will provide leadership and support in promoting access to health and social services in English • OHSSN can help build healthy community links between the health, education, and community sectors

14. Merci / Thank you! www.OHSSN.org