The organization and its commitments

The MSSS is an organization that cares about the public’s concerns and is therefore committed to offering:

• reliable and courteous services;
• personalized and quality information services;
• simplified processes and clear information, in a timely manner;
• fair and professional handling of the requests it receives;
• the assurance that personal information shared with the MSSS will remain confidential, within the limits of the law.

When you call the MSSS, we will direct you to a person or organization best able to answer your question.

If you consult the MSSS websites, we ensure reasonable accommodation measures will be taken to allow persons with disabilities access to the information and documents available (Action plan for disabled individuals (in French only) ).

Services Québec is your gateway to obtain general information about the programs and services offered by the MSSS.

When Services Québec cannot give you an answer, the Health and social services general information office of the MSSS will answer your information request received by e-mail or telephone regarding the various programs, measures and services offered.

The MSSS is committed to:

• handle your requests within 10 working days of receipt (written and telephone requests in 100% of cases).

If your request is more complex and needs research that must be done by the administrative unit in question or if it requires approval by that unit, the MSSS is committed to giving you a response as soon as possible for a telephone call or to contacting you to provide follow-up for a written request.

The MSSS is responsible for applying many health and social services laws and regulations. Seven of these laws are subject to inspections and investigations. The MSSS Direction des inspections et enquêtes (inspections and investigations branch) will answer your questions about the following laws and regulations:

• Act limiting the use of personnel placement agency and independent labour services in the health and social services sector;
• Act respecting medical laboratories and organ and tissue conservation (CQLR, chapter L-0.2);
• Act to prevent skin cancer caused by artificial tanning (CQLR, chapter C-5.2);
• Cannabis Regulation Act (CQLR, chapter C-5.3);
• Funeral Operations Act (CQLR, chapter A-5.02);
• Regulation on the use of personnel placement agency and independent labour services in the health and social services sector;
• Regulation respecting the certification of community or private resources offering addiction lodging (CQLR, chapter S-4.2, r.01);
• Regulation respecting the certification of private seniors’ residence (CQLR, chapter S-4.2, r.0.01);
• Tobacco Control Act (CQLR, chapter L-6.2).

The MSSS is committed to:

• handle your request within 10 working days of receipt for 100% of requests.

The Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale (SAI) acts on behalf of the MSSS as the central authority in Québec for international adoption and research into family and medical history and international reunions. It works closely with accredited adoption agencies by answering their requests to obtain or renew certification and it supports them in their activities.

The Secretariat is also responsible for responding to requests for sociobiological background research and international and intergovernmental reunions.  It offers services in the following areas:

• international adoption;
• socio-biological and reunion research for persons domiciled in Québec at the time of their adoption and adopted by parents domiciled outside Québec;
• socio-biological and reunion research for persons domiciled outside Québec at the time of their adoption and adopted by parents domiciled in Québec.

SASIE offers the following services for sociobiological research and international and intergovernmental reunions:

• disclose the surnames and given names of the persons sought, as well as the original name in the case of an adopted person (identity disclosure);
• generate an adoption history containing information extracted from various administrative or judicial files relating to the adoption, which the law authorizes to be disclosed at the time of its drafting (summary of socio-biological history);
• transmit information allowing contact to be made with the persons sought (reunions);
• register or withdraw a refusal to disclose identity or contact.

Regarding international adoption, the following services are provided:

• advising, accompanying and supporting people who plan to adopt a child residing outside Québec;
• intervening in all procedures to adopt a child residing outside Québec;
• ensuring that the planned adoption complies with applicable laws and regulations;
• communicating the decision regarding the admissibility of the planned adoption.

Respond to your information request within 30 business days of receipt (by phone, e-mail or online contact form).

For international and intergovernmental reunions and socio-biological research Respond to your request for information within 30 business days of receipt (by phone, e-mail or online contact form).

For us to meet our commitments, your cooperation remains essential. Therefore, it is important to:

• provide us with complete, accurate and up-to-date information;
• send us the information and documents requested within the required timeframe;
• inform us of any changes that might affect your request or file as soon as possible;

Despite our efforts to fulfill the commitments in this statement, you may be dissatisfied with the service obtained. If you would like to make any comments or recommendations to make or express your dissatisfaction to improve the quality of the programs and services offered by the MSSS, please Contact us.

To file a complaint or report a situation of mistreatment in the health and social services network, you need to contact a service quality and complaints commissioner. It is responsible for handling complaints from users of public and private institutions. Please visit the The Health and Social Services Network Complaint Examination Sytem page.

To submit a request for the application of penal sanctions in connection with the Act to combat maltreatment of seniors and other persons of full age in vulnerable situations, please consult the Additional Contact Information page of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.

Regarding inspection and investigations in relation to the laws ^{Read the content of note no.1} mentioned in this statement ^{Read the content of note no. 2}

• Respond to your complaint in 30 working days or less after receipt for 80% of complaints.

In the case of inter-country adoption, socio-biological research and international and inter-governmental reunions, if a complaint is to be made by a person or his or her representative concerning the services offered directly to adopters by the staff of accredited bodies operating in the field of inter-country adoption:

Content of note no. 1

The following laws and regulations : Tobacco Control Act (CQLR, chapter L-6.2), Act to prevent skin cancer caused by artificial tanning (CQLR, chapter C-5.2), Cannabis Regulation Act (CQLR, chapter C-5.3), Funeral Operations Act (CQLR, chapter A-5.02), Act respecting medical laboratories and organ and tissue conservation (CQLR, chapter L-0.2), Regulation respecting the certification of private seniors’ residence (CQLR, chapter S-4.2, r.0.01), Regulation respecting the certification of community or private resources offering addiction lodging (CQLR, chapter S-4.2, r.01).

Return to the reference of note no. 1

Content of note no. 2

To file a complaint, you must have the contact information for the location that was the subject of the complaint, as well as the allegations. Note that the complaints are confidential and that there will be no follow-ups with the complainants.

Return to the reference of note no. 2

Regarding international adoption, if a complaint must be filed by a person or the person’s representative regarding services offered directly to the adopters by accredited agency staff performing their activities related to international adoption:

• Acknowledge receipt of your complaint by indicating that a written response is received within 10 working days after receipt of the request for 100% of complaints.
• Respond to your complaint in 30 working days or less after receipt for 80% of complaints.

Déclaration de services aux citoyennes et aux citoyens – Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (in French only)