Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have connections from New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

New Brunswick:

Newcomers understandably have many questions when they are settling in their new communities. 211 Service Navigators are there 24 hours to answer the questions that newcomers have about Canadian services and organizations.

A 211 Service Navigator took a call from a woman who had arrived in Canada with her husband and their children about a month before her call. She was worried about getting herself a job – fortunately, her husband already had found employment. She said they found an apartment, but it had a very high rent that would be difficult to afford. She was also worried about how they would be able to pay for daycare. She said that she did not understand how to find help in New Brunswick and was requesting some guidance.

The Service Navigator listened actively to her situation and clarified by probing a little further on services she would like to have for her family. She said her husband was already employed, but she was looking for assistance with her job search. She was referred to the program Working NB for their resource centre and to have access to a job coach and career counsellor.

As the caller had said that she was worried about not being able to pay the rent, she was referred to the Canada Housing Benefit for their rent assistance program; how to apply online was explained to her. She was also very concerned about daycare once they were both employed. The Service Navigator let her know about the daycare subsidy and exactly how to apply for it. The caller said that she was very happy to have explanations of the different services, and that she felt she understood the programs better, and she knew how to apply and to request the assistance she needed. She was encouraged to call again if she needed further help.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

When people do not know how to navigate the human service system, 211 is a great first call. 211 Service Navigators will listen, assess needs and then discuss different options for getting those needs met.

The caller and his family did not have a family doctor due to the shortage of family doctors in the Atlantic Provinces. The caller said that he was concerned about his young son, and felt that he needed to be referred for a hearing test, but he did not know where to contact or how to start the process. He told the Service Navigator: “It’s so hard to get a family doctor in Newfoundland right now.”

The caller was informed by the Service Navigator about the provincial waiting list for a family doctor and was provided with the contact information to place his family on the list. The caller was also told about other ways to connect with a doctor for an appointment (virtually) and perhaps get a referral for his child. The other options for a hearing test would be connecting with an audiologist in the area and with the regional health authority. All of these options were explained in depth, so that the caller knew exactly how to contact each one. By the end of the call, he had a plan for how to get his family the health care that they needed.