ImmigrantLegal.ca

The PLEI Consortium Project is a collaborative pilot project with the goal of enhancing the delivery of public legal education and information (PLEI) for immigrants in Metro Vancouver.  By providing improved access to PLEI, newcomers to Canada will be better able to identify and address their legal needs and have an increased awareness of core Canadian legal values.  During this previous year, the focus of the project has been on Residential Tenancy Law and Employment Standards Law; this coming year will concentrate on Family Law.

A key strategy in achieving our goal is holding workshops throughout the course of the year. There are 3 main types:

1. Cross-sectoral workshops which bring together Settlement Agencies, PLEI Providers, and legal service providers and allow these organizations to clarify their roles through facilitating discussion on community resources, community plans, and referral systems.
2. Training workshops for Settlement Workers, bilingual/bicultural counselors, and other people working with immigrants.
3. Community workshops for target linguistic communities in the Project's geographic areas.

Through these initiatives, the IPC Project aims to bring together Settlement Agencies, PLEI providers, legal service providers and immigrants in an effort to identify the most current, relevant and appropriate PLEI, expand the network of resources used by organizations working with immigrants, and foster cooperative initiatives that result in the development of new materials.  In the pursuit of our goal, we emphasize the use of multilingual publications and ethnic media as ways of implementing PLEI strategies.

The IPC Project is a collaborative effort and below is a full list of the Settlement Agencies, PLEI Providers, and funders who have made it all possible:

PLEI Providers

The Justice Education Society is the lead agency for the IPC Project. Established in 1989 as the Law Courts Education Society, JES is dedicated to improving access to the justice system through hands-on, targeted, two-way education between the public and those working in the system. This commitment is embodied in their tagline, “Justice through Knowledge.”  As a non-profit organization with ongoing public and private sector financial and volunteer support, we offer a unique and comprehensive collection of justice-related educational services and effectively work towards creating a justice system that is accessible to all.  Their programs and resources serve the general public, youth, persons with disabilities, Aboriginals and immigrants in British Columbia, throughout Canada and around the world.  These services are designed to help communities better understand how our justice system works and their role in the system.

Every year the Legal Services Society (LSS) helps tens of thousands of British Columbians with serious family, child protection, immigration, and criminal law issues. They do this by providing a range of legal information, advice, and representation services that help people resolve their legal problems. These services encompass booklets about the law, referrals to other agencies, lawyers for representation in court, or a paralegal to explain over the phone what to do next. While priority is generally given to people with low incomes, many of our services are available to all British Columbians. LSS is also committed to working with its many partners in the justice system, sharing knowledge and improving access to justice for the disadvantaged.

The People's Law School is an independent, non-profit, non-political Society committed to helping people throughout BC gain a better understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the law. By means of speakers, training workshops, publications, theatre, and special events they provide British Columbians – especially those with particular legal needs – with reliable and impartial information on a range of legal matters. Through the Legal Speakers Bureau, you can locate a qualified volunteer speaker for a wide range of topics related to legal issues. Speakers include social workers, settlement workers, police officers, lawyers and community members. There is also an ESL Instructor who teaches new immigrants the English language and the basics of Canadian and BC law.

TRAC (Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre) is an educational charity that provides information about residential tenancy law in BC. They deliver this legal information through a website, multilingual publications, a Tenant Infoline, and public legal education workshops.  In addition, they work with other tenant associations, landlord groups, and all levels of government in the pursuit of strengthening legal protections for tenants and identifying potential solutions to the problems of homelessness and unaffordable rental housing.

This registered non-profit agency offers a wide range of services and programs aimed at assisting immigrants and new Canadians in their integration into their new community. DIVERSEcity offers counseling, employment, outreach and other services through six main departments: (1) Family Services, (2) Community Development, (3) Language Programs, (4) Career Services, (5) Interpretation and Translation Services, and (6) Fee-for-Service Programs.

Since 1972 Immigrant Services Society of BC has been helping immigrants build a future by respecting co-workers, clients and the community, striving for excellence and innovation in programs and services, and valuing community and organizational diversity and teamwork.  This goal has been achieved through delivering educational, settlement and employment services, developing partnerships with local communities, and promoting an integrated and equitable community.

MOSAIC is a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society. MOSAIC's mandate is to support and empower immigrant and refugee communities, helping them to address critical issues in their neighborhoods and workplaces. Using advocacy, public education, community development, coalition building, and community bridging, MOSAIC fulfills a vision of equality, social justice, equal access, and democracy.

North Shore Multicultural Society (NSMS) is dedicated to building a harmonious and inclusive North Shore community that assists immigrants and refugees to integrate successfully into life in Canada.  Through their settlement work, they hope to allow immigrants to be able to participate fully in and contribute to the economic, social, cultural, and political aspects of Canadian life.

OPTIONS is a non-profit Society and registered Charity dedicated to empowering individuals, supporting families and promoting community health. OSCSS provides information and support primarily to immigrant newcomers on issues such as employment, social services, schools, healthcare, housing and recreational facilities. They assist in completing forms, arranging for interpreters and translators, information about English as a second language, etc.

Since 1987, PICS Society has built a positive and respectful reputation with clients, funders, and the community as a multifaceted agency that develops innovative programs and creates strong partnerships with other organizations. They continue to deliver effective programs and services, strengthen Board involvement, and broaden their areas of service outside senior's housing, health, immigration, counseling programs, English Language services, employment programs and agricultural programs.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is a multi-service agency whose mandate is to promote the wellbeing of all Canadians and immigrants.  They encourage their participation in the community through delivering services in five major areas: social services, employment services, business and economic development services, training and education services, and health services. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. provides individual counseling involving identifying employment barriers, career goals, referrals to training, job searches, skill development and general information on Employment Standards.

Vancouver & Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS) provides free, confidential, culturally sensitive, and linguistically appropriate services in over twenty languages to immigrant, visible minority, and refugee women and their children who are experiencing family violence. The organization’s goal is to empower women in dealing with their issues, help them to develop coping skills, assist them in self-exploration, and to support them while they go through the different stages of rebuilding their lives at their own pace. As part of this vision, VLMFSS offers several programs including Multicultural Outreach and Stopping The Violence Program, which offers crisis intervention, individual and group counselling, advocacy, referrals to appropriate resources, and support by bilingual/bicultural workers. Other programs offered include Community-Based Victim Services Program, which offers information and assistance to women in accessing the justice system; Children’s Program offering individual and group counselling for children who witness abuse (CWWA), support for child-parent conflict, bi-cultural parenting; and Volunteers Program, which provides leadership training to women. Support is offered to women from South Asia, South East Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, and the African sub-continent.

This project has been made possible through funding from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.