User committees (UC) and resident committees (RC) are in place at all CISSS Outaouais facilities. These committees protect users’ rights and act as spokespersons when dealing with institutional authorities.

Their actions are guided mainly by respect for users’ rights, service quality and customer satisfaction. They are particularly concerned with their most vulnerable clients, and work to promote better living conditions for people in care. Committee members are open to any suggestions that can improve the quality of the services provided to users and to people in care.

What the committees can do for you:

• Inform you of your rights and responsibilities.
• Listen to you and provide you with information regarding the services offered.
• Assess your level of satisfaction with services received.
• Support you in your dealings, especially if you are not satisfied or if you wish to file a complaint.
• Defend your individual and collective rights.
• Ensure that quality of living conditions at residential centres are up to par by making sure that resident committees are operating properly.
• Take steps to ensure that the CISSS Outaouais management and board members are aware of how their decisions impact the services you receive.
• Represent you on various committees in the institution in order to improve the quality of services.

Organization of committees

A user committee (UC) or resident committee (RC) is made up of volunteers elected for a 3-year term by and from among users (or their representatives) receiving services within a given territory or for a specific clientele.

Members must:

• reside in the Outaouais region
• be of full age
• not work for the institution or practice his profession there
• not be under guardianship
• never have been removed from their position as a member of an UC or an RC of a facility under the LSSSS

The Integrated Centre Users’ Committee (ICUC) coordinates the actions of all user committees and resident committees. It is made up of one representative from each of the facilities’ UCs and of an RC representative for each of the 5 territories of the Outaouais:

• Gatineau
• Collines-de-l’Outaouais
• Pontiac
• Vallée-de-la-Lièvre/Petite-Nation
• Vallée-de-la-Gatineau

The ICUC represents the CUs and RCs, namely on the board of directors of the CISSS Outaouais. It acts as a coordinator. It submits an annual report that includes all the annual and financial reports for the different UCs and RCs to the board of directors.

User committees are supported by a provincial group – the Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers (RPCU). Visit the RPCU web site, where you will find a host of useful information, as well as a newsletter, the Journal du RPCU, which is published several times per year for all health and social services users.