Appendices to complaint:
Appendix A – Information Requests to MSDSI on Wait times and Office Closures
FOI request and response regarding wait times on ATI phone line – p.1
Email and response from MSDSI regarding office closures, reduction of hours,
and office openings – p. 7
Appendix B – Affidavits of Poverty Law Advocates
Amber Prince, Atira Women’s Resource Society (Vancouver)
Danielle Dufresne, First United Church (Vancouver)
Stephen Portman, Together Against Poverty Society (Victoria)
Kris Sutherland, The Kettle Society (Vancouver)
Angela Sketchly, Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre (Smithers)
David Dickinson, Upper Skeena Counselling and Legal Assistance Society
(Hazelton)
Amy Taylor, The Advocacy Centre (Nelson)
Appendix C – BCGEU Component 6 MSDSI Members Survey Summary Report
Appendix D – Advocates’ posts on the Povnet Listserv re service delivery
problems at MSDSI
Appendix E – Social Worker Complaint to MSDSI
Appendix F – Complainant Organizations
APPENDIX A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
APPENDIX B
APPENDIX C
1
2
3
4
5
6
APPENDIX D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
APPENDIX E
APPENDIX F
Complainant Organizations
Complainant Organizations
Abbotsford Community Services (Abbotsford) provides a wide variety of programs for
the multicultural community, seniors, families, unemployed, people with low incomes,
youth and those with special needs. ACS’s Community Legal Advocacy program serves
residents of Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission, and provides information, advice,
referrals, and representation on a variety of issues including employment, housing,
income assistance, and disability assistance.
Atira Women’s Resource Centre (Vancouver) is a community-based organization that
supports all women, and their children, who are experiencing the impact of violence
committed against them and/or their children. Advocacy services include legal
information and court support, as well as representing women in tribunal matters
concerning residential tenancy, human rights and income assistance and disability
assistance appeals. Atira’s services are located in the downtown eastside (DTES) of
Vancouver, prioritizing service to marginalized women in the DTES.
Dze L K'ant Friendship Centre (Smithers) is a community-based organization founded
in 1974 by a devoted group of Aboriginal people in Smithers, and is one of 24
Friendship Centres located across the province committed to building a stronger
Aboriginal community. The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre offers a wide range of
services, with its advocacy services focused on offering one-to-one support, workshops
and seminars to educate the community about the legal system, providing legal
information to help clients understand their legal rights and how the court system works,
and assisting clients with advocating for their rights.
Disability Alliance is a provincial cross-disability voice in British Columbia. Its mission
is to to support people, with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as
equal and full participants in the community. Disability Alliance champions issues
impacting the lives of people with disabilities through direct services, community
partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.
First United Church (Vancouver) provides crisis intervention, housing referrals,
advocacy, and community programs to low income and vulnerable people in
Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. First United has been engaged in legal advocacy
work since the 1970s, providing much needed legal assistance, advice, representation,
and referrals to its clients on issues including income assistance and disability benefits,
tenancy, employment insurance, workers compensation, pensions, immigration, debt,
employment, and human rights.
Kettle Friendship Society (Vancouver) provides much needed referrals, information,
support and representation to mental health consumers to resolve issues concerning
income security, housing and family law. The advocacy program assists clients with
accessing welfare benefits and resolving debt issues, tenancy disputes and child
protection concerns. The Society also runs a drop-in centre and social lounge offering
recreational, social, and life skills community integration programs.
The Advocacy Centre (Nelson) is a non-profit, community-based organization which
provides legal information, education, advocacy and problem solving for low-income
residents of the Central Kootenays. The Advocacy Centre provides specialized victim
assistance to victims of relationship violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Its work
and the materials it produces focus on topics such as welfare, family law, tenancy,
women’s safety and poverty survival.
Together Against Poverty Society (Victoria) is the largest anti-poverty organization on
Vancouver Island. TAPS was incorporated in 1989, and provides free legal advocacy
and educational services in the areas of disability benefits, income assistance,
employment standards, landlord/tenant disputes, and income tax for low-income
earners. TAPS assists over 5,000 people in Victoria each year.
Upper Skeena Counselling and Legal Assistance Society (USCLAS) (Hazelton)
assists people in the Upper Skeena who cannot otherwise obtain legal assistance for
financial or other reasons. USCLAS has a special focus on meeting the needs of
Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en people. Its services include legal aid, advocacy and poverty
law services, education, research and community development, and private services
such as wills and divorce agreements. USCLAS primarily provides advocacy and
poverty law services in the areas of housing, employment standards, human rights,
ICBC, and income assistance and disability benefits.