L’Ombre-elle service declaration

The L’Ombre-Elle mission

L’Ombre-Elle is a shelter for women with or without children who are victims of domestic violence. We are an autonomous community organization that has existed since 1982. We serve the territory of the MRC des Laurentides and the MRC des Pays-d’en-Haut. L’Ombre-Elle has no limitations; we shelter all women fleeing from domestic violence. The organization’s primary mission is to promote and defend the rights of women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, to provide help and shelter services to them and to assist them to regain control over their lives. L’Ombre-Elle also intervenes to prevent and counteract problems that are caused by domestic violence and helps to raise community awareness of its root causes and the consequences that affect victims’ lives.

In addition to its head office located in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, L’Ombre-Elle also has external service offices located elsewhere in the region. For security reasons, addresses are kept strictly confidential and are not disclosed, except to women in situations of domestic violence.

L’Ombre-Elle services

In addition to offering safe accommodations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, L’Ombre-Elle offers a multitude of services to support them to regain their power:

Support in administrative, legal, immigration procedures, etc.
Individual and group interventions
Information and referrals to other community resources
Appropriate intervention to meet the needs of their children
Follow-ups after leaving accommodations at L’Ombre-Elle
Outpatient consultations without accommodation
Telephone support (or intervention) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Support in the development of protective scenarios
Consulting services for relatives and professionals
Information, awareness and training sessions on domestic violence
Prevention and awareness-raising activities in the community

The rights of women who use our services

L’Ombre-Elle recognizes that women who use its services have rights, and they undertake to respect these rights at all times:

the right to privacy, respect for their private lives and confidentiality
the right to equity, equality and non-discrimination
the right to autonomy through respect for one’s own decision-making capacity and the power
to act
the right to respect one’s own needs and rhythm
the right to protection and security
the right to accessible, adequate and quality services
the right to information about one’s rights
the right of having access to her file

L’OMBRE-ELLE’S commitment to women who use our services

In accordance with the rights recognized above, the house is committed to each woman using its services to:

welcome her with respect, discretion, politeness, empathy and without judgment
take into account her specific characteristics, needs and constraints
send her any information relevant to her situation so that she can consent in an informed manner to services offered
have confidence in her potential, in her ability to identify her needs and to make decisions
to establish a relationship of trust and alliance with her
respect her integrity, physical and psychological privacy
provide her with a welcoming, safe environment where she feels accompanied and supported throughout her stay or during her use of the home’s external services
ensure the application of regulations (code of life) is carried out with flexibility, tact, fairness and justice
direct her, if necessary, to other resources in the community or region
facilitate access to the procedure for dealing with dissatisfaction and how to deal with complaints

Procedure for receiving and examining complaints

Although L’Ombre-Elle makes every effort to offer adequate and quality services, it may happen that you are dissatisfied with services received.

If this situation arises, you can express your dissatisfaction with confidence, because you have rights recognized by the law. See the “YOUR RIGHTS” leaflet included in your welcome kit.

How to file a complaint?

Step 1

L’Ombre-Elle

You can express your dissatisfaction in writing, on the “YOUR RIGHTS” leaflet included in your welcome kit, and submit it to the Executive Director who is the L’Ombre-Elle representative. An acknowledgment of receipt of your complaint will be sent to you within 3 working days of your complaint. A processing time of 10 to 30 working days is expected.

As a result of your complaint, you have the right and you will be informed of the outcome of your complaint. Your complaint will be heard and the information that you expressed will remain confidential. This simple approach can provide you with solutions and help us to improve our services.

Name of the person responsible and coordinates:

Myriam Tison, Executive Director.
Phone: 819 326-2235 # 200
Email: mtison@lombrelle.qc.ca
Adress: P.O. Box 374, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Qc J8C 3C6

Step 2

The local Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with your approach to the L’Ombre-Elle representative, you can file a complaint with the local Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner. This complaint can be made by phone, email, regular mail or by going directly to the address below.

Ms. Marie-Josée Boulianne, Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner

Phone: 450 432-8708 | 1 866 822-0549 | Fax : 450 431-8446
Email: info-plaintes@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Adress: Office of the Commissioner for Complaints and Service Quality
1000, Labelle Street, Suite 210,
Saint-Jérôme (Québec) J7Z 5N6

You will be informed about the procedure to follow. Your complaint must include your name, address and telephone number, as well as a short summary of the reasons and facts surrounding the event that you have complained about. You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt for your complaint.

The Commissioner has 45 days after receiving your complaint to investigate it. All information collected will be recorded in a separate file and will be treated confidentially. She will communicate her conclusions, the reasons and solutions envisioned to meet your expectations.