Institution’s Users’ Committee

The CUE has the three (3) following responsibilities:

• Represent the institution’s users’ committees/comités des usagers (CU) and residents’ committees/comités des résidents (CR);
• Coordinate those committees;
• Harmonize practices across committees.

In performing the statutory functions stated below, the CUE adopts a general (regional) perspective that takes into account all the user groups, the institution’s missions, and the territory in which it operates:

With regard to users and residents (Section 185, Act respecting the Governance of the Health and Social Services System [LGSSSS], the CUE must:

• inform them of their rights and obligations;
• foster the improvement of the quality of their living conditions and participate in the assessment of their degree of satisfaction with regard to the services obtained from the institution;
• defend their common rights and interests;
• at the request of a person, defend the person’s rights and interests as a user or a resident before any competent authority;
• accompany and assist, on request, any user or resident, in any action they undertake, including when they wish to file a complaint.

To properly fulfil its role, the CUE must also:

• ensure the proper functioning of each of the users’ and residents’ committees, and see that they have the resources necessary to exercise their functions (Section 185, LGSSSS);
• advise the president and executive director of the possibility of forming a residents’ committee common to a number of facilities grouped by the president and executive director (Section 180, paragraph 2, LGSSSS);
• establish their operating rules (Section 185, LGSSSS);
• submit a yearly report of its activities to the institution board of directors/conseil d’administration d’établissement (CAE) and to the national users’ committee/comité national des usagers (CNU) (Section 186, LGSSSS);
• establish and maintain communication channels with all CU and CR;
• collaborate with the CNU, the institution, all CUE, CU, and CR, and other RSSS partners in carrying out their duties;
• represent the CU and CR by welcoming their recommendations;
• ensure the coordination of activities relating to CU and CR activities;
• see to the harmonization of CU and CR practices, in collaboration with the CNU;
• implement the recommendations, rules, policies and procedures established by the CNU and the headquarters of Santé Québec;
• manage the budget provided by the institution and validate the allocation of funds earmarked for the CU it oversees, in accordance with the established budgetary parameters;
• keep accounting records and the supporting documentation needed to prepare its financial report and annual reporting;
• implement rules for authorizing CUE, CU, and CR expenses in compliance with eligible expenditure rules, and validate budget-use priorities;
• submit, on an annual basis, a list of its key priorities and recommendations for improving the quality of care and services to the CAE and the CNU, along with copies to the comité de vigilance et de la qualité (CVQ) and the CEO;
• adhere to the institution’s civility and harassment-prevention policies;
• establish dispute resolution mechanisms, such as self-assessment, mediation, and conciliation, to resolve potential issues within the CUE, the various CU and CR, between these committees, or with the institution.

Seat : Residential care, veterans

Name : Chantale Bellerose  City/Borough:  Île-Perrot  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the Ste. Anne’s Hospital Residents’ Committee for the last year, president of the Integrated Users’ Committee for the last 6 months, supported various users’ and residents’ committees at the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest for 15 years.  Informal caregiver for her mother and aunt for 25 years.  Reason for applying: To defend and advocate for improvements in quality of life and living conditions.

Seat : Obstetrics and early childhood 

Name : Adriana Gomez   City/Borough : Montréal  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver Has been part of West Island Citizen Advocacy for 3 years..  User and informal caregiver.  Reason for applying : To defend users’ rights.

Seat : Intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and physical disability

Name : Lise Bougie  City/Borough : Vaudreuil-Dorion  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the West Montreal Readaptation Centre for the last year, member of the Integrated Users’ Committee for the last year.  User and informal caregiver for her 43-year-old son who lives with a physical and an intellectual disability.  Reason for applying : To defend users’ rights.

Seat : Mental health 

Name : Abdelkarim Elgadi  City/Borough : LaSalle  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver: President of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute Users’ Committee for the last 15 years, president of the Residents’ Committee at CHSLD des Berges-de-Lachine for the last 5 months, member of the Integrated Users’ Committee for the last 10 years.  Informal caregiver-has been caring for his son who has been receiving services at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute for 25 years.  Reason for applying: To represent users and defend their rights and interests.

Seat : Physical health

Name : Claudel St-Pierre  City/Borough : Vaudreuil-Dorion  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the Residents’ Committee at CHSLD Denis-Benjamin-Viger for the last 12 years, president of the Lakeshore General Hospital Users’ Committee for the last 12 years, member of the Integrated Users’ Committee for the last 10 years.  User and informal caregiver.  Reason for applying : Wants to be involved in ensuring the well-being of users and contribute to continuous improvement of care and services.

Seat : Residents’ Committee

Name : Jean Vidal   City/Borough : LaSalle  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the Residents’ Committee at the Centre d’hébergement de LaSalle for the last 3 years, member of the Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle Users’ Committee for the last 2 years, and member of the Integrated Users’ Committee for the last year.  Resident.  Reason for applying : To defend users’ rights.

Seat : Grouped facility – St. Mary’s Hospital Centre

Name : Bonnie Cuthbert   City/Borough : LaSalle  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the St. Mary’s Hospital Centre Users’ Committee for the last several years.  User.  MReason for applying : To represent users and defend their rights.

Seat : Grouped facility – Grace Dart Extended Care Centre 

Name : John Brkich   City/Borough : Montréal  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : President of the Users’ Committee at the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre for over 15 years.  Resident.  Reason for applying : To support residents and staff.

Seat : Grouped facility – Douglas Mental Health University Institute 

Name : Félix-Antoine Carignan   City/Borough : Montréal  Experience as a user, resident, loved one or informal caregiver : Political attaché and communications assistant for the office of the Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi-Le Fjord.  User.  Reason for applying : To provide constructive feedback from the users’ perspective.

• Processus électoral (in French only)
• Directive – Comités des usagers d’établissement (in French only)

For additional information, please contact the election chairperson:

Adriana Krasteva

Email: adriana.krasteva@ssss.gouv.qc.ca