Since January 2026, Portage has held a series of five clinical ethics workshops, bringing together 142 participants from its teams and leadership across all centres.
These sessions aimed to highlight the role of the Clinical Ethics Committee (CEC) and to provide practical support to staff facing challenges in the field.
The role of the Clinical Ethics Committee
The CEC plays a key role within Portage. Its composition reflects the diversity of professional backgrounds, client populations and, whenever possible, the organization’s service settings.
It draws in particular on the expertise of Élodie Petit, ethics consultant and Chair of the CEC, as well as Louise Bernier, law professor at the Université de Sherbrooke and legal member of the Committee.
The CEC’s mandate is to:
- provide consultations to support teams in complex situations;
- assist with decision-making in clinical impasse contexts;
- contribute to organizational reflection and the development of guidelines;
- play an educational role with staff.
Collectively reflecting on complex situations
In their day-to-day work, teams may face situations that raise questions, doubts or discomfort about the best course of action. Clinical ethics is grounded in this reflection, seeking to answer a fundamental question: how do we do the right thing?
The workshops enabled participants to work through a real-life case scenario and engage in an ethical deliberation exercise, similar to that conducted by a committee. This approach supports a deeper understanding of the issues while valuing diverse perspectives.
A commitment to thoughtful and fair practices
This series of workshops reflects Portage’s commitment to supporting its teams in delivering rigorous, compassionate and value-driven clinical care.
By fostering structured, collective reflection, the Clinical Ethics Committee helps strengthen the quality of services and supports informed decision-making, for the benefit of clients and the therapeutic community.
Ethical reflection continues on a daily basis. Portage staff and managers are encouraged to consult the Clinical Ethics Committee when situations raise questions or dilemmas.
Accessible to all teams, the CEC offers a structured space to analyze situations, clarify options and support decisions aligned with the organization’s values.
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