One of the issues I find myself frequently confronted by in my interactions with clients is the difficulty in finding and accessing helping services. Many of my clients come to me after having called through the yellow pages and going through numerous google searches, only to be bounced around from one agency waitlist to the next. A question I’ve been asked by many a client is “why isn’t there one place where I can find information on where I can go to get the help I need?” Today I am going to let you in on one of the best kept secrets held by health professionals in the Vancouver area. Such a place does exist!!
If you, or someone you care about is currently faced with the challenging task of finding appropriate public services, don’t go searching the yellow pages, it’s the wrong colour – instead try the Red Book. The Red Book is a resource for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that is available in print and online, and is regularly updated to include all current agencies working in various capacities in the helping field. The online version is a fantastic tool as it allows you to search based on category as well as location. For example, I might search for “Addictions” in “Burnaby”, or “Mental Health” in “Langley”, or “Housing” in “Vancouver”.
Who, you might ask, puts out this gem of a resource?? Actually, it is maintained by bc211. You can find out more about them at www.bc211.ca, but did you know that within British Columbia you can just dial 2-1-1 and speak to an Information Specialist who can help connect you to the appropriate resources? Not only that, but they provide this service in multiple languages, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. In addition, they also offer an email service if you prefer email over telephone.
I encourage you to check out bc211 and the Red Book by following this link.
May this resource help you to grow. change. live.About the Author
