14: Lanaudière

Project Name
English language training to serve a healthy English-speaking community

Agency
Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Lanaudière
CSSS and Partners
CHSLD Heather, CSSS du Nord de Lanaudière, CSSS du Sud de Lanaudière, CR le Bouclier, Centres jeunesse de Lanaudière

Priority Objectives
Improve user response time; route users to the right place the first time; reduce the number of user transfers to English-speaking staff; boost overall user satisfaction – Intake.
Improve the problem solving rate; respond appropriately to emergency situations; increase overall user satisfaction – Health and Social Services. Increase workers’ confidence in their ability to deliver services in English; increase motivation and the pleasure of using English; improve understanding of English; improve level of verbal communication in English; improve efficiency of English communication; improve relations between staff and English-speaking users.

Target Personnel
Intake (2), Health (36), Social Services (5)

Training Organization
Les Mots-Dits anglais

Description of Planned Activities
Needs analysis; placement testing; individualized learning; training evaluation; training certification; learning support outside of course times. We plan to organize themed lunches during which trained volunteers from the English-speaking community will moderate discussion of topics selected by the group. The hour-long encounters will take place in the participants’ workplaces. The meal will be free of charge, and a door prize will be drawn. We also plan to recognize the volunteers’ commitment.
We will focus on mobilizing learners, recruiting and training volunteers, and coordinating well-planned activities, including follow up and evaluation.
We plan to hold 20 themed lunches between October 2006 and March 2007 at a total cost of $6,000. If the outcome is positive, we plan to pursue this initiative during Year 3 of the Language Training Program, and possibly beyond March 31, 2008.

Budget Allocation
$59,732