Your Voice Matters!
People With Lived Experience (PWLE)
It is the intent of the Brantford Brant Norfolk Ontario Health Team (BBNOHT) to build trust with the people it serves, and to include them as equal partners in decision-making. In order to meaningfully do that, authentic relationships, with opportunities for people with lived experience to express their views, stories, and ideas freely must be created. The People With Lived Experience committee was formed with these ideals in mind to inform the work of the OHT.
A mutually beneficial relationship:
People with Lived Experience (PWLE):
- Increases knowledge and understanding of health services
- Provides an opportunity to become an effective advocate and build skills in a variety of areas (e.g. communication, quality improvement)
- Allows members to build personal relationships with other members of their community, thereby decreasing isolation
- Increases knowledge of clinical interventions and treatment
- Ensures patients are active decision makers and equal partners in system planning
BBNOHT/Community Partners:
- Provides an effective mechanism for receiving patient/caregiver input
- Contributes to effective planning so services meet the needs of the community
- Leads to stronger relationships and cooperation system-wide
- Keeps systems and procedures grounded and focused on the user experience
- Contributes to the identification of cost-effective solutions to challenges
We Want To Hear From You!
The People with Lived Experience (PWLE) volunteer network wants to ensure the OHT is focused on redesign based on the needs of not only those using services, but also those whom services are not reaching. This redesign should be centered on real patient/client/family/caregiver experiences.
This means The People with Lived Experience (PWLE) volunteer network is looking for you! This group provides a safe forum to express your views, stories, and ideas freely & contribute to real change in our health care system. The People with Lived Experience work to achieve the goal of improving communication within health care organizations and ensure a coordinated pathway of care.
You can contact us by emailing yourvoicematters@bbnoht.ca or completing the form below!
What People are Saying
Joy Casarin
PWLE member
I would like to help everyone who accesses health care to have a better patient outcome. Health, to me, is living in a community where care is accessible to everyone and should be easy to navigate.
Brook Gardner
Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services
Participating in PWLE has been rewarding & educational. As a service provider, gaining valuable insight and collaboration with our youth & families is critical to effective service delivery. This group provides guidance & leadership to maintain high levels of engagement with our service users.
Janice K
PWLE member
I have been a caregiver as well as a patient myself. I have seen gaps and silos and a disjointed system and I have had to advocate many times. I became a member of PWLE so that I can put my experience to good use by influencing positive change from a patient and family perspective. I truly believe that My Voice Matters and I am making a difference
Lucy M.
PWLE member
At 84 and a lifetime user of the local health care system, I very much enjoy discussing opportunities for communication enhancements with both practitioners and other people with lived experience. It is very rewarding to have the sharing of my experience encouraged and recognized.
Carol F.
PWLE member
The PWLE working group has allowed me to put forward my views and opinions in a way that can be heard, influence and promote change. I have been able to take my lived experience and share with others that have common goals to see positive growth within my community
