1 Joël Denis, Norah Lynn Paddock, Louise Saulnier, Leslie Wong

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3  Philosophy:  Realization of Full Potential Ability without bias to participate in all aspects of Canadian life – political, social, economic, cultural Ability to act and contribute as normal Canadians  History:  Religious origins  1976: Catholic Immigration Services – Ottawa is set up.  : Southeast Asian refugee crises, services number of staff expand.  1984: Agency is incorporated as an autonomous organization - The Catholic Immigration Centre.  Today, CIC continues to expand its programs and services to meet the needs of newcomers and the Ottawa community.

4 Settlement Services Language Maison Thérèse Dallaire (residential facility for newcomers with urgent needs ) Completing Documents Education Employment Health Housing Immigration Issues Money and Finances Programs Host Program International Medical Doctors International Legal Professionals Youth Centre Pastoral Help Community Projects

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6 Over 55% are Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) Slightly more women than men (51% versus 49%) Majority are between 25 and 44 years of age, often with large families Small, but growing, number of seniors Language Training Employment Support Housing Support Primary NeedsClient Profile

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8  Funding levels do not reflect growing demand for settlement services  Funding restrictions limit the types of services that can be provided  Reporting requirements are onerous

9 Income and Social Status Social Support Networks Education and Literacy Employment and Working Conditions Social Environments Physical Environments Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills Biology and Genetic Endowment Health Child Development Health Services Gender Culture Language Skills Migration Health Status Immigration

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 Social isolation and impact on health  CIC as a Social Support Network:  Services to expand individuals networks (e.g. language classes)  Knowledge sharing (e.g. Federal Skills Workers Program, federal credential recognition, and social assistance application process)  Helping themselves by helping others 11

12  Obstacles:  Social Networks and vulnerable populations: A problem compounded  Hip bone connected to the knee bone?  Opportunities:  One part of a wider social support network: Summerset Community Health Center, Family Services Ottawa, Ottawa legal clinics  Promising results of host program

13  Go right to the source – family reunification  Increased support for community based initiatives – e.g. neighborhood watch programs and food co-operatives  Increased support for social development activities, including intergenerational projects and cross-cultural gatherings.  Research recommendation: develop and test models to demonstrate a stronger link between social support networks and health benefits – e.g. gender analysis????

14  [NL: Proposed new background slide for each social determinant of health – What does it mean? Why is it particularly relevant for newcomers?]

15  Language is a key barrier to accessing basic support services (particularly for refugees)  Access to health services – especially mental health support - is significantly impacted by language ability  Privacy concerns (e.g. children as interpreters, volunteer interpreters part of small diaspora community)  Challenges with providing counselling through an interpreter  Language training is the most highly utilized service offered by CIC

16  Limited availability of translation and interpretation services through CIC  Lack of multicultural/multilingual health service providers in Ottawa  Mainstream health service providers need to become more culturally-sensitive

17  Increase government funding for translation/interpretation services through settlement service providers  Extend eligibility of government- funded language training to temporary residents  Develop guidelines and training to help mainstream service providers become culturally-sensitive

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 Obstacles Labour market barriers The Nature of Ottawa’s economy and labour market The demographic and family structure of immigrant communities Racialization of economic exclusion in Ottawa  Opportunities Replace the aging workforce Cultural and linguistic diversity Economic growth Address workforce gaps? 19

 One Percent Solution to end the housing crisis (TDRC, 1999)  National Housing Strategy – involving all three levels of governments Rental housing Ownership housing Social housing with mixed incomes Support for people with special needs (Layton, 2000)  Flexible capital grant program  Private rental program  Investment pools of money to create affordable housing  Provincial income supplement programs 20