Research identified projects where front line workers help meet clients' legal needs
The Law Foundation of Ontario recently distributed close to $680,000 in grants for nine projects that aim to improve how front line community workers help clients with legal problems.
The grants were made through the foundation’s strategic granting program, and are a direct result of research the foundation commissioned in this area.
A 2018 report by the Law Foundation, titled “Trusted Help: The role of community workers as trusted intermediaries who help people with legal problems,” describes how front line community workers, which the foundation considers as “trusted intermediaries,” are providing support for clients’ legal needs. These include identifying possible legal issues, providing legal information, making referrals to legal professionals, helping clients to complete legal forms and accompanying clients to meetings or hearings.
“There should be no wrong door for getting legal help” said Tanya Lee, CEO of the Law Foundation of Ontario. “We are excited to support work that reaches people where they are in the community and gets them the legal information and referrals they need.”
The nine recipients of the ‘Trusted Help’ grants are: ACORN Canada ($28,033), Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes ($85,000), Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation ($98,776), Community Advocacy & Legal Centre ($100,000), two projects of the Community Legal Education Ontario ($95,000 and $46,260), Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre ($91,728), Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres ($100,000) and Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging ($34,762).
