Video: Quick tips for enhancing access to services

With Axelle Janczur (Executive Director, Access Alliance)

At Access Alliance, a couple of years ago we did a focus group with our staff to say: “Let's make a list of all our access strategies and tactics.” And they are: Providing food and programs. Acknowledging that food and security is a big issue for the communities we work with. Providing tokens for people. Acknowledging that poverty is a big issue and if they don't have a token they can't get to where they need to get to in terms of services. Our language services are available everywhere in the organization, not just primary care but in our programs. Our secretaries are encouraged to use our interpretation services because language barriers are key. Our sites are barrier-free, that's an access tactic. Culturally competent practices: Supporting our staff to understand that they have to ask about culture, learn about what are different ways of understanding health. Having focused programming: for example, youth-focused programming, women-focused programming, family-focused programming sometimes can be understood as an access strategy because you're creating a more welcoming space for specific groups who might feel less inclined to access the service otherwise. Clinics like our walk-in clinic for the non-insured is an access strategy, it's completely barrier-free. Free services is also an access strategy. So these are all ways that organizations can, right from the get-go, be more accessible.