CSL Final Project Proposal

I finally completed my final CSL project and wanted to share my proposal with everyone.
Here it is...

Introduction

As I reflect on my Community Service Learning (CSL) placement at the Boyle McCauley Health Center (BMHC), I have come to appreciate the true value and importance of the comprehensive health care model that this organization has adopted. By providing a single location where clients can come to access a range of services enables individuals to look after various needs they may not have been able to if they had to travel to different locations for each service. It is this all inclusive model that has inspired me to create a community guidebook for the clients of the BMHC. This guidebook compliments the efforts of the BMHC and the comprehensive health care model in the sense that it would provide a single reference source for information on various organizations, services, and facilities in Edmonton that may be of value to transients, homeless, or low income individuals.

            The theme of accessibility to information is something which I have identified as being a challenge to many of the clients that frequent the BMHC. While information on services and organizations in Edmonton can easily be found online, not everyone has access to a computer or the internet. Alternative methods for accessing information are through the use of pamphlets available in social workers and councillors offices, and more commonly by word of mouth. According to Baive Sara, volunteer coordinator at the BMHC, the only print guidebook currently offered in Edmonton geared towards vulnerable populations is called the “Tough Times Handbook” and is produced by 211 Edmonton. This guide however, is only distributed in print form through social workers and is often in short supply. This lack of access can create barriers to information. Because of this, people may be unaware of what services are available and exist and where to find them.  I believe that by providing individuals with small but comprehensive guidebooks which they are able to carry in their bags or take home, we can help bridge that information gap. The guidebook, because of its print format (as opposed to an online document) and proposed availability at the BMHC, will allow clients to easily access information. This will hopefully result in clients being able to educate and empower themselves and lead to making well-informed choices for them and their families. 

If you would like to see the rest of the proposal , please do not hesitate to leave me a message and I can forward it to you.