This is a 3 part series of webinars produced as part of YWCA St. Thomas Elgin Connecting Communities Project "Before You Sign", funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario.
About the Project
Rural populations of immigrants, especially individuals who are not native English speakers, experience significant obstacles in obtaining accurate legal information due to factors of isolation, distance, and language proficiency. Leaders of ethnic communities, and frontline workers in community and social service agencies, may be the only contacts and sources of information that rural newcomers encounter. By helping newcomers and immigrants better understand legal systems and supports in Canada, there is an opportunity to avoid more costly and complicated legal interventions for them later. The intention of this training is to bring together these key players in our communities with the existing legal information and resources to better support newcomers.
Part One: Before you Sign – Part 1, Context and Resources
Recorded on December 11, 2019 - (32 minutes) - This webinar module helps set up the remainder of the training. Delve into the Immigrants perspective, legal information versus legal advice, and available resources. This module will provide the base information for service providers offering support to clients, specifically newcomers.
Before you Sign – Part 2, Client Led Support
Recorded on December 11, 2019 - (24 minutes) - With an understanding of providing legal advice and a knowledge of available resource this module will look at how to offer support based on six areas of law through the lens of life events that may lead to legal questions. The focus is on client led support, the situations when a client asks a question or brings you a legal document.
Before you Sign – Part 3, Service Provider Led Support
Recorded on December 11, 2019 - (29 minutes) -With an understanding of providing legal advice and a knowledge of available resource this module will look at how to offer support based on six areas of law through the lens of life events that may lead to legal questions. The focus is on how to check-in and ensure your client is making informed decisions.
About the Presenter
Petrusia Hontar is the Manager of the St. Thomas Elgin Local Immigration Partnership. She has been a member of the STELIP team since it started in 2011 working to build supports for a welcoming, caring and inclusive community. She holds an M.Sc. in Economic History: Demography with a specialization in Immigration and Integration, and an M.Sc. in Society, Science, and Technology. She has also supported the Pathways to Prosperity project to help increase Economic Security for Women in St. Thomas and Elgin, was the researcher for the local Living Wage calculation since 2014 and instructs children between the ages of 9 and 12 in the YWCA Kids Creative Cuisine Classes.