1. 1 Joël Denis, Norah Lynn Paddock, Louise Saulnier, Leslie Wong

2. 2  Mission:  facilitates the reception of newcomers to Canada; and  assists newcomers in realizing their full potential in Canadian society.  History:  Religious origins  1976: Catholic Immigration Services – Ottawa is set up.  1978-1981: Southeast Asian refugee crises, services number of staff expand.  1984: Agency is incorporated as an autonomous organization - The Catholic Immigration Centre.  Today, CIC continues to expand its programs and services to meet the needs of newcomers and the Ottawa community.

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9. 9 Social isolation and impact on health  CIC as a Social Support Network:  Services to expand individuals networks (e.g. language classes).  Knowledge sharing (e.g. Federal Skills Workers Program, federal credential recognition, and social assistance application process).  Helping themselves by helping others

10. 10  Obstacles:  Social Networks and vulnerable populations: A problem compounded  Hip bone connected to the knee bone?  Opportunities:  One part of a wider social support network: Summerset Community Health Center, Family Services Ottawa, Ottawa legal clinics  Promising results of host program

11. 11  1. Go right to the source – family reunification  2. Increased support for community based initiatives – e.g. neighborhood watch programs and food co-operatives  3. Increased support for social development activities, including intergenerational projects and cross-cultural gatherings.  4. Research recommendation: develop and test models to demonstrate a stronger link between social support networks and health benefits – e.g. gender analysis????