May, 2011:

Last week, LSS staff made a presentation via videoconference to healthcare workers in communities across BC. The presentation covered public legal education and information resources, legal advice, and legal representation services, and told the story of an archetypal client (or “persona”), who has been called Amelia in previous workshops.

Staff delivered the presentation through the Provincial Health Services Authority’s Telehealth program, which runs a videoconferencing system with over 100 locations around the province. Presentations such as these are an important step in support of LSS priorities, which include collaborating with other service providers, like healthcare workers, to increase access to services. For some British Columbians, such as a woman caught in an abusive relationship, a person struggling with addiction, or a new Canadian without legal status in Canada, a hospital is one of the few places they may turn for help.

“This will make a real difference to helping our clients — even before they are our clients — navigate the system,” said Sherry MacLennan, director of Public Legal Information and Applications, about reaching out to healthcare workers.

The presentation was a good opportunity to inform people about accessing local services, such as the Clicklaw HelpMap and local agent offices, as attendees were located in Cranbrook, Invermere, Kamloops, Kelowna, Mission, Powell River, and Williams Lake, as well as the Lower Mainland.

Staff were impressed that the health professionals in attendance found time in their busy schedules and over their lunch hours to learn about the ways they can provide extra help to people in their communities.