The Parkdale community deals with a broad range of issues that significantly impact the well-being, health and income security of our community. Often, these challenges can result in difficulties accessing health and support services. PCLS caseworkers may be able to support you.
SAVAH supports a range of issues, including those relating to:
- your income security
- any past or present experiences of violence you may have had and;
- your access to and receipt of health-care services
Income Security
If you are applying for, or if you receive provincial or federal income benefits and your cheque has been reduced, suspended or cancelled for any reason, the SAVAH division can help. For example, we can give you advice and may be able to represent you in relation to decisions about:
- your initial or ongoing medical eligibility for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ie whether you are a “person with a disability” within the meaning of the program);
- your initial or ongoing eligibility for Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, such as:
- your financial eligibility (ie. assessment and treatment of income and assets)
the people on whose behalf assistance is paid (ie. who is a member of your benefit unit) - your immigration sponsorship debt
- your obligations, including your participation requirements and your obligation to provide information
- your eligibility for or receipt of allowances and of mandatory and discretionary benefits (work-related or health-related), including:
- special diet allowance
- health benefits, including mandatory special (medical) necessities such as transportation allowance
- employment related benefits
- Housing Stabilization Fund
- overpayments – their assessment and collection from your cheque, and their repayment after you leave the program
- eligibility of your child(ren) for support from the “Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities” program
Wherever possible, we will negotiate directly with the relevant local office to resolve your issue. Where that doesn’t work, we may assist you with filing an appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal (or the Decision Review Committee in the case of a denial of discretionary benefits). In some cases, we may also be able to assist you with making a complaint to the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman or an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Violence
If you are in, thinking of leaving, or leaving an abusive relationship or violent domestic situation, we will support you. We can advise you about your options, such as what support services are available to help you:
- attend to any immediate health care needs
- obtain crisis support and ongoing supports
- access a violence against women shelter
- receive emergency income support
- apply for portable housing allowance and/or priority access to RGI housing
- access victims’ services
- connect you with workers in any of PCLS’s other divisions to obtain advice about your rights as a tenant, about your rights as a worker and/or about any immigration concerns you may have
- provide 2-hour legal aid certificates to facilitate family law advice
- if you have experienced sexual violence, we can help you apply for a 4-hour legal advice certificate to obtain guidance about reporting to the police and the criminal process
Health
If you are having difficulties accessing health-care services we may be able to help you by negotiating directly with the service provider and/or by filing a complaint with the relevant regulatory body. If your experience includes being discriminated against in the delivery of a health care service, we may be able to assist you with filing an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.