MAKE YOURSELF HEARD

Want to get involved? Submit your application now for the Consultation Forum.

Application
Citizen Members

Submit your application by March 16th.

Find out more

Application
Expert Members

Submit your application through your affiliate organization by April 11th, 2025.

Find out more

Health and Welfare Commissioner

The Health and Welfare Commissioner (CSBE or Commissaire à la santé et au bien-être) is an advisory body whose mission is to assess the performance of Quebec’s health and social services system. It advises the government on ways to improve the system. It also informs the public about major health and welfare issues.

Be part of the 2025-2028 Consultation Forum

The Health and Welfare Commissioner invites you to become a member of the Consultation Forum to take part in a unique deliberative process. The Consultation Forum is a group of 27 people: 18 citizens and 9 experts in health and welfare.

It provides the Commissioner with its perspective on various issues regarding the health and social services system, as well as the health and welfare of the population.

Read more here

Submit your application starting February 10th, 2025

Does this challenge spark your interest? To become a member of the Consultation Forum for the next 3 years (2025–2028), first check whether you are eligible to be a Citizen Member or an Expert Member. You can apply in 3 ways:

  • Through this website, no later than March 16th, 2025, for Citizen Member applications
  • By mail, no later than March 16th, 2025, for Citizen Member applications
  • Through your affiliate organization, no later than April 11th, 2025, for Expert Member applications

Selection procedure

To accurately reflect the diversity of Quebec’s population, the Forum’s composition and selection process will take into account gender parity, as well as regional, generational, sociocultural, ethnocultural and linguistic representation. The Forum will also include individuals with specific expertise in health and social services who want to take part in this interdisciplinary process.

Citizen Members

Submit your application by March 16th.

Learn more and apply

Expert Members

Submit your application through your affiliate organization by April 11th, 2025.

Learn more and apply

Past achievements

Services at the right time and place!

The Forum’s deliberations influenced the CSBE’s insights for its report Aging Well at Home – Tome 4: A Much-Needed Transformation. The Forum even published its own report on the subject: Quel avenir pour le soutien à domicile ? Du soutien à domicile vers le maintien de l’autonomie : pour un écosystème visant le mieux-être des personnes (What does the future hold for home care? Home care in support of maintaining independence: for an ecosystem designed to improve people’s well-being).

In this report, members consider independence to be the core value of home care and support services. They believe that people should not only be supported so they can remain at home. They must also be supported in maintaining their independence, in their own community. To achieve this, a number of stakeholders in both home care and civil society need to be involved.

Members also expressed their views on the social acceptability of making greater use of community organizations or private-sector companies. The aim would be to improve the range of home care services available.

Is the basket of services complete?

Not really, concluded the Consultation Forum, which examined the state of the basket of health and social services. The Forum’s views informed the CSBE’s insights in its report Entendre la voix citoyenne pour améliorer l’offre de soins et services (Listening to the public’s experiences to improve care and services), published in 2016. This report outlines the Forum’s concerns about the difficulty of accessing services outside hospitals, low investment in prevention efforts and regional disparities in access to covered services.

Testimonials

« I especially appreciated the diversity of Forum members in terms of age and experience. That contributed to the quality of our discussions during the sessions. Each time, I came away with a better understanding of the issues facing Quebec’s various regions. I’d also like to highlight the vital contribution of the CSBE team, who helped us deepen our reflections. »

Denis Lemoyne

Citizen Member, Nord du Québec

« I had the opportunity to meet people from all over Quebec. We became a very tight-knit group. I appreciated the other members’ ability to listen. Even though our opinions sometimes differed, we were able to reach a kind of consensus. Being on the Forum is a really unique experience! »

Yvette Gagnon

Citizen Member, Laval

« While participating in the Forum, I really enjoyed talking with Citizen Members and Expert Members about the everyday realities of health and welfare, possible solutions and ongoing improvement. It was gratifying to see our work take shape from session to session as well as the final results of our discussions. »

Médo Touré

Citizen Member, Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec

« The Forum enabled me to make really meaningful connections, and it was a great opportunity to broaden my perspectives on health and welfare. The people who took part value everyone’s expertise. They believe that each person’s contribution can make a difference. One thing that stood out for me was the application of the ethical deliberation framework, which focuses on pragmatism and civic values. »

Julie Fréchette

Expert Member in nursing

« The Forum is the perfect opportunity to open your mind to people’s everyday realities and better understand societal values about well-being, even if you’re not a healthcare specialist! I really felt like everyone could express themselves with respect, without being afraid of negative comments. »

Hélène Laperrière

Citizen Member, Lanaudière

« I especially enjoyed getting involved in Quebec society and feeling like I was having a real impact. The highlight for me of being on the Forum was the discussion about the “Grands repères en santé” project. It presents a much broader view of the current health system relative to society’s expectations of it. It was fascinating to see how much my expectations, and those of other members, were aligned with the expectations of Quebec society! »

Mélissa Beaudin

Citizen Member, Montérégie

« The Forum is the perfect opportunity to contribute to the community and work as a group with people from diverse backgrounds who won’t always agree with your opinion. It’s the ideal space for someone who is not afraid to defend their point of view in a mutually respectful and constructive way. »

Magalie Véro René-Gérald

Citizen Member, Montréal

« What struck me in the Forum was the diversity of members’ perspectives and the impact that could have on the debate. Members had a wide variety of experiences, which really fuelled our discussions. The sessions are spaces that give everyone the opportunity to share a point of view that will make a difference! »

Daniel La Roche

Expert Member with expertise in health and social services management

« Overall, participating in the Forum is a fantastic experience, from the deliberations to the intellectual or informal discussions with members, and more! Personally, I’d tell people that if they’re looking for a great experience that really makes you think and that’s rewarding on an intellectual, personal and professional level, the Consultation Forum is a rare opportunity. It serves up a wonderful challenge. »

Hazar Haidar

Expert Member in ethics

« I especially enjoyed having small-group discussions with the other members. There were lots of different opinions, but everyone respected each other, even if they didn’t agree. It was also rewarding to have discussions between people from different generations. »

Denis Lapointe

Citizen Member, Montérégie Ouest

« First of all, selecting a variety of members from both specialized and non-specialized sectors really enriched the discussions. The meetings were always well organized, and the deliberation questions were designed to encourage us to think more deeply and examine the various aspects of an issue. »

Yanni Vlachos

Citizen Member from Outaouais

« Thanks to the Forum’s well-established open-minded atmosphere, a number of members shared their stories, some touching, some upsetting and some funny, which sparked discussions and contributed to developing innovative ideas. We got along so well that we continued our discussions at meals or even after the sessions. It’s a unique experience that few people will get the chance to have! »

Élizabeth Parenteau

Expert Member in medicine