Three organizations in Edmonton, Bissell Centre, e4c and the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, are long-standing partners in providing services to families living on low incomes and developed the Super Clinic model to enable families to complete most of the steps in one place. [...] The Helpline is a wonderful example of a community of people with lived experience coming together to fill a vacuum in the supports available to the community, rather than relying upon often limited and costly external agencies/institutions and non-disability centered professional support to fill the gap. [...] The origins of the Helpline, and of Plan Institute itself, came from families and individuals with lived experience experiencing the struggles of navigating many aspects of disability planning, and then choosing to share the experience and knowledge they gained with others.7 Notably, the focus of the Helpline has evolved over time through the commitment of advisors and supporting Plan Institute te. [...] Momentum collaborates with community partners, oversees the data collection process, communicates the importance of tax filing clinics to the community, and shares the impact of these services to local, municipal, provincial and federal stakeholders. [...] DABC demonstrates that an organization created and staffed with people with the experiences of those they serve can build long-term relationships to effectively navigate the access to benefits process, expand services as they see the need arise, partner with organizations to deliver complementary services and ensure their work champions the spirit of “Nothing About Us, Without Us”.
- Pages
- 23
- Published in
- Canada
