GTA CLINIC TRANSFORMATION PROJECT

Monthly Newsletter January 2014

Transformation Framewor A!reements

Last month, the GTA Clinic Transformation Project Working Group Co-Chairs negotiated and signed an addendum to the projects funding agreement. This month, e learned that LA! is committing to adapt and cop" this frame ork throughout the pro#ince- ide clinic s"stem. All clinics across !ntario ill no ha#e the opportunit" to engage in transformational acti#ities hile ha#ing their $udgets protected against cut-$acks. The Working Group Co-Chairs, along ith the Association of Communit" Legal Clinics of !ntario %ACLC!& and other 'egional Projects, are negotiating ith LA! to fund a position to support the coordination of these transformation projects.

"#at t#e $%alitati&e 'ata is Sa(in!

At the (anuar" meeting, the )teering Committee got a first look at the main themes that came out of the *ualitati#e data report. The *ualitati#e data collection and summar" as a result of do+ens of focus group discussions ith clinic staff, clients, and one-on-one ke" informant inter#ie s ith clinic directors and communit" partners. These discussions e,plored ke" issues including- access, $arriers, needs, priorities, opportunities, challenges, assets, risks, operations, and aspirations. The report highlighted that clients are coming into legal clinics ith multiple needs and re*uire multiple supports. Clinic staff in#est a great amount of time de#eloping trust ith their clients, sorting out hich needs the" can assist ith legall", and here to make meaningful referrals that ill address the challenges that fall outside of their scope of ser#ice. An increase in clients ith mental health issues, language $arriers and other compounding issues relating to po#ert" make this a comple, task. Clients usuall" come to the clinics through ord of mouth referral. Less fre*uentl", clients ere referred to clinics through a pu$lic institution, and occasionall" the" found the clinic on their o n #ia storefront, director", or online. Generall", their first point of contact as o#er the phone, $ut alk-in to a communit"-$ased ser#ice location is a highl" #alued component of clinic ser#ice. Partnerships ith other ser#ices tend to $e informal and $ased on personal relationships. Though there is little formal support or time to $uild and maintain partnerships, the" are #alua$le connections, hich pro,imit" helps facilitate. .n the same #ein, outreach and communit" de#elopment are highl" #alued, $ut fe clinics reported ha#ing the capacit" for a s"stemic approach to do this component of the ork. Legal Aid !ntario eligi$ilit" guidelines that lea#e out the orking poor are a major concern, as is the scope of ser#ice, hich does not co#er famil", criminal and ci#il areas of la , and sometimes lea#es out immigration and housing la . .t as also reported that poor infrastructure makes orking conditions less than optimal, ith office spaces often inade*uate and .T s"stems archaic. 'espondents sa $oth risks and opportunities in transformation. There is a deep concern a$out jo$ loss, although ne structures could address some of the issues identified and the importance of communit" connections should continue to inform an" ne model of ser#ice deli#er". To see t#e f%ll re)ort* !o to !taclinics.ca.

Ne+t Ste)s
At the ne,t )teering Committee meeting, this data discussion ill continue, as ill some discussions of staffing models. The literature ill $e presented at the follo ing )teering Committee /eeting. 0elo is the ne meeting schedule adopted $" the )teering Committee last 1ecem$erT%es,a( 'ecem-er ./* 0/.1 T%es,a( Jan%ar( .2* 0/.2 Mon,a( Jan%ar( 03* 0/.2 T%es,a( Fe-r%ar( ..* 0/.2 Mon,a( Fe-r%ar( 02* 0/.2 T%es,a( Marc# ..* 0/.2 Sat%r,a( Marc# 04* 0/.2 T%es,a( A)ril 5* 0/.2 T%es,a( A)ril 04* 0/.2 T%es,a( Ma( .1* 0/.2 'egular meeting- Wrap up *uantitati#e data discussion 'egular meeting- 2ualitati#e data report 4,tra meeting- 3urther discussion of *ualitati#e data including some discussion of staffing models 'egular meeting- Literature re#ie and models 4,tra meeting- 4,ploration of possi$le conclusions 'egular meeting- Possi$le recommendations 3ull da" retreat- Possi$le recommendations 'egular meeting- 1raft 'eport 4,tra meeting- 3urther discussion of draft report 3inal draft interim report to )teering Committee

The )upplementar" 'eport to the 2ualitati#e 1ata )ummaries ill $e coming out in the 3e$ruar" ne sletter.
GTA Clinic Transformation Project www.GTAclinics.ca