AOHC Site Feed | Alliance for Healthier Communities

COVID-19 shows the vital roles primary care providers play every day for community health and wellbeing and health system cooperation in Ontario

Date:

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Primary Care Collaborative logos

Toronto – March 29, 2021 – During COVID-19, we see again and again across Ontario that communities – from people living in large urban centres to smaller cities to towns and rural areas – depend on their local family physicians, family health teams, community health centres, Indigenous primary health care teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics, and other primary care providers in a public health crisis. These providers and organizations are, quite literally, lifelines for the people they serve. The trusted relationships people have with their family doctors, nurse practitioners, healers, mental health professionals and other primary care providers are at the core of local COVID-19 responses, from testing and other direct COVID-19 care, to supports for food security and chronic disease management, to providing credible and culturally safe vaccination information, to knowing how to care for themselves and their loved ones. When the challenges have never been bigger, and the isolation unlike at any other time in our lives, your community providers are there.

Today, we are announcing we’ve formed the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC), an alliance of comprehensive primary care organizations joined together by common purpose to build on the collaborative work of COVID-19 as we move towards recovery in a time of health system transformation.

Together, our organizations represent more than 20,000 primary care providers and team members. As Ontario’s primary care providers continue to support their communities through trusted local relationships, partnerships with social services and other providers, and by working with decision makers, we’re committed to ensuring that health system policies and funding acknowledge primary care’s vital role and place in community health and wellbeing. Speaking with one voice, we will advance shared priorities in primary care such as expanded access to teams and better links to home care and mental health supports. The PCC knows that for health care integration and transformation to work for people – for those using the health system and those looking for services to stay well – primary care needs to be the foundation of Ontario’s health system. Robust and well-supported primary care is the heart of all world-class health systems, and people living in Ontario should expect no less. During COVID-19, this is a given. In recovery, when many echo effects of the pandemic will be felt for years to come, it will be of utmost importance.

Media contact for interview requests, comments or inquiries:

Paula MyersManager, Membership and CommunicationsAssociation of Family Health Teams of OntarioEmail: paula.myers@afhto.caPhone: (647) 234-8605 extension 1200

QUOTES FROM MEMBERS OF THE PRIMARY CARE COLLABORATIVE

“The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council appreciates the importance of this collaborative opportunity to strengthen and unify the voice of primary care practitioners across the province. Primary care is the foundation for a high quality, sustainable and integrated system; evidence shows that jurisdictions with high performing primary care place it at the centre of health care delivery. The IPHCC is especially thankful to our partners in the PCC for recognizing that our community-driven Indigenous-governed interprofessional primary care models include Traditional healers and Cultural Service Providers. This is an integral part of promoting a wholistic approach to health and wellbeing for Indigenous people. Great things can happen when the right people come together, and I look forward to advancing our vision for a robust health care system that addresses not just the physical wellbeing of an individual but to the social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the whole community.” Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

“The Alliance for Healthier Communities’ member centres provide community-based comprehensive primary health care across Ontario, and they are essential to addressing barriers to health and wellbeing that marginalized populations face. Health equity – that is, the idea that everyone deserves a chance to live their healthiest life, but that many people face barriers to doing so – is only achievable where trusted relationships can be built in and by the community. The Alliance is committed to working with our partners in the PCC to ensure the cornerstone of our health system – primary care – can continue to step up for the people in Ontario who face barriers. We have seen throughout the pandemic that we are stronger when we work together, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to build a better future.” Sarah Hobbs, CEO, Alliance for Healthier Communities

“The Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association is proud to be working with this strong group of primary care association leaders. Often a person’s first point of contact with the health care system, primary care is integral for the health and wellbeing of not only patients, but also the communities in which they live. NPLCs have focused on whole person care since our inception, with nurse practitioner leadership at all levels of the organization. By coming together, this collaborative will provide a united voice for primary care and will allow for us to advocate for health care initiatives across the province.” Jennifer Clement, Past-President, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association

“Across the world, cost-effective and high-performing health systems share a common characteristic – they are based on a foundation of comprehensive primary care, which is supported through a team. Primary care is the first point of contact into the health system; jurisdictions that commit to robust investments in primary care are able to move quicker into achieving the Quintuple Aim, ensuring there is a lens towards equitable and accessible care, close to home. AFHTO is pleased to be working with our comprehensive primary care partners to ensure there is a unified voice for primary care, especially as we move towards the daunting task of post-pandemic recovery. We know that this work can only be achieved if we truly work together and we look forward to our ongoing collaboration.” Kavita Mehta, CEO, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario

“Ontarians turn to primary care more often than any other part of the health system. Providing high-quality care is truly a team sport. The Ontario College of Family Physicians is pleased to be working together with our primary care partners to create a unified voice – as family physicians, nurse practitioners, interprofessional healthcare providers and team-based primary care. This collaboration will only strengthen our ability to achieve comprehensive, continuous, coordinated and equitable health care for all patients and families across Ontario as envisioned by the Patient’s Medical Home.” Leanne Clarke, CEO, Ontario College of Family Physicians

“Primary care is foundational to a high performing healthcare system, and the sector is stronger when it is united. This is why the Ontario Medical Association Section on General & Family Practice (SGFP) is so pleased to be part of this newly formed Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) with our partners that also support comprehensive primary care. SGFP represents the 15,000 family doctors in Ontario in advocacy and negotiations and is dedicated to building a united vision for a more integrated, equitable and unified sector. We know that there are many challenges ahead for the healthcare system, and this past year has underscored that incredible things can happen when strong leaders come together in shared purpose. By working collaboratively during much of this pandemic, the PCC has been successful in collectively advocating for and advancing solutions that have made a positive impact on the sector and the health and wellbeing of Ontarians. SGFP is looking forward to continuing to work with PCC to bring out the best in care for Ontarians and to support primary care to thrive in our province.” Dr. David Schieck,Ontario Medical Association, Section on General & Family Practice

Statement on anti-Asian racism and violence against Asian women

Date:

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

The murders committed in Atlanta recently demonstrate the violence and risk of murder that racialized women and migrant sex workers face everywhere, including in Canada, as political and social identities combine into unique modes of racial discrimination and hatred.

Racism and violence against Asian people and communities, and against sex workers, is not new. Anti-Asian racism is deeply rooted in the colonial history and continued colonial systems, policies and laws of Canada. Likewise, the misogyny, white supremacy and history of violence and those who tolerate it against sex workers is deeply rooted in the stigma, policies and laws that continue to marginalize people, especially racialized women, who work in these jobs. When hatred, racism, violence and stigma intersect like this, people and communities are at even higher risk of violence and death. Intersectional racism and hate are public health issues that everyone – individuals, organizations and governments – must face and reckon with. Only changes to wider attitudes, curriculums, and policies will create lasting and sustainable change.

One of the first steps in making change is for people to educate themselves, and unlearn and relearn the points in history that shape the present. History lessons range from the history of racist and colonial policies in B.C., to segregation and racial discrimination in other parts of Canada, to the bigger picture today, including the impacts of racism on mental health, to the importance of naming anti-Asian racism and microaggressions and taking action in policy, to reading about and listening to the experiences of Asian people and communities in Canada. These are all important areas for learning and unlearning the history of anti-Asian racism in Canada and its roots in colonialism.

We echo the statement released last week by Alliance member Somerset West Community Health Centre in Ottawa, in which the CHC gives a number of places that people can turn to report anti-Asian hate incidents, and ways to speak up through bystander training. For individuals wondering how to help, these are important starting points, too.

Policy and systems change must be another area we need to address. This past Sunday, March 21, was International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, adopted by United Nations General Assembly Resolution in 1966. Fifty-five years later, we’re still facing the same impacts of lost and destroyed lives from racism. One of the reasons is that governments and policymakers avoid the actions needed to make real change. If you’re looking for ways to join larger movements for action against anti-Asian racism, the Chinese Canadian National Council - For Social Justice has resources and campaigns to look into. There’s also a website, covidracism.ca, dedicated to tracking incidents of COVID-19-related hate crimes and incidents of racism. The site also provides points of action under its resources section for migrant workers, sex workers, paid sick days, and mental health supports in the community. We also want to share the open letter being circulated by the Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network) calling for changes to the criminal law, for strengthening legislation to protect sex workers, and for human and labour rights for migrant sex workers. Organizations as well as individuals can sign on to these calls to action.

The stigmatization and dehumanization that comes with intersectional racism and violence is dangerous and toxic. We see this in many forms. As a health equity organization, the Alliance is committed to supporting the actions and policy changes needed at all levels of governments, and within organizational cultures, to make this happen. It’s also why the 100+ community health providers we represent are also committed to the actions needed to address the intersectionality of racism, misogyny and white supremacy. This commitment is reflected in n our recently revised Health Equity Charter, and in 2020 AGM resolutions on reallocating funds to address harms linked to policing, and addressing violence through a public health approach. Many Alliance members work directly with and for Asian people and communities, as well as women, and people who do sex work. Their work in health care is guided by their advocacy efforts to address anti-Asian racism. The Alliance’s work is to strive for and support systemic and policy changes that can sustain real change for people and communities. Racism and hate are health issues that affect us all. It’s only through concerted and organized collective action that we can write new stories and histories in Ontario and across Canada.

Déclaration sur le racisme anti-asiatique et la violence faite aux femmes d’origine asiatique

Date:

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Les meurtres commis à Atlanta récemment font preuve de la violence et du risque de meurtre auxquels les femmes racialisées et les travailleuses migrantes du sexe font face partout, y compris au Canada, alors que des identités politiques et sociales établissent de nouvelles formes de haine et de discrimination raciale.

Le racisme et la violence envers les communautés et personnes d’origine asiatique, et envers les travailleurs du sexe ne datent pas d’hier. Le racisme envers les personnes d’origine asiatique est profondément ancré dans le passé colonial et les systèmes coloniaux, les politiques et les lois toujours en vigueur au Canada. De plus, la misogynie, la suprématie blanche, les antécédents de violence et la tolérance de cette violence envers les travailleurs du sexe sont profondément ancrés dans la stigmatisation, les politiques et lois qui continuent de marginaliser des individus, particulièrement des femmes qui font ce travail. Lorsque la haine, le racisme, la violence et la stigmatisation se croisent de cette façon, le risque de violence et de mortalité pour les personnes et les communautés est encore plus élevé. La haine et le racisme intersectionnels sont des enjeux de santé publique auxquels tous (tant les individus, les organisations que les gouvernements) doivent faire face et avec lesquels ils doivent composer. Seuls des changements dans les attitudes dans l’ensemble de la population, les curriculums et les politiques pourront engendrer des changements durables.

Pour amorcer des changements, il faut que les personnes s’informent et qu’elles « désapprennent et réapprennent » les moments cruciaux de l’histoire qui façonnent le présent. Parmi les sujets historiques et actuels sur lesquels il est possible de se renseigner, on compte l’histoire des politiques racistes et coloniales en Colombie-Britannique, la ségrégation et la discrimination raciale ailleurs au Canada, et l’état de la situation aujourd’hui, y compris les répercussions du racisme sur la santé mentale, et l’importance de reconnaître et de dénoncer les microagressions et le racisme envers les personnes d’origine asiatique. Il faut aussi se renseigner sur les expériences des personnes et des communautés asiatiques au Canada en lisant sur le sujet et en écoutant leurs propos (notez que ces liens sont en anglais). Ce sont tous des sujets de l’histoire du Canada associés au racisme envers les personnes d’origine asiatique et son lien au colonialisme que nous devons mieux connaître pour clarifier notre compréhension.

Nous nous associons à la déclaration publiée la semaine dernière(en anglais) par le Centre de santé communautaire Somerset Ouest à Ottawa, membre de l’Alliance, dans laquelle est énumérée une liste d’endroits où les gens peuvent rapporter des incidents haineux anti-asiatiques et des moyens d’intervenir à l’aide de formations pour les témoins. La déclaration propose aussi des renseignements importants pour les personnes qui se demandent comment elles peuvent aider.

Nous devons promouvoir des changements aux politiques et aux systèmes. Nous avons souligné dimanche dernier, le 21 mars, la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la discrimination raciale, adoptée par une résolution de l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies en 1966. Aujourd’hui, 55 ans plus tard, nous sommes toujours confrontés aux conséquences du racisme : des vies détruites et perdues. Cette situation est due en partie aux gouvernements et aux décideurs politiques qui évitent de prendre des mesures pour engendrer des changements concrets. Si vous cherchez à vous joindre à un mouvement de plus grande envergure pour lutter contre le racisme anti-asiatique, le Conseil national des Canadiens chinois — pour la justice sociale offre des ressources et propose des campagnes à consulter. Vous pouvez aussi visiter le site Web covidracism.ca (appuyer sur FR) consacré à répertorier des incidents racistes et haineux anti-asiatiques liés à la pandémie de la COVID-19. Le site propose également des ressources (appuyer sur FR) concernant les travailleurs migrants, les travailleurs du sexe, les congés de maladie payés et des services de santé mentale dans la communauté. L’Alliance souhaite aussi disséminer la lettre ouverte publiée par le Butterfly (le réseau de soutien pour les travailleuses et travailleurs du sexe asiatiques et migrants) (en anglais) qui réclame des changements au droit pénal, visant à renforcer la législation afin de protéger les travailleurs du sexe ainsi que les droits de la personne et du travail des travailleurs migrants du sexe. Les organisations et les individus peuvent signer cette déclaration d’appels à l’action.

La stigmatisation et la déshumanisation causées par la violence et le racisme intersectionnels sont dangereuses et toxiques. Nous pouvons les observer sous plusieurs formes. En tant qu’organisation promouvant l’équité en santé, l’Alliance s’engage à appuyer les actions et les changements aux politiques nécessaires à tous les paliers gouvernementaux, et au sein des cultures organisationnelles, pour y mettre fin. C’est aussi la raison pour laquelle les plus de 100 fournisseurs de soins de santé communautaire que nous représentons se sont aussi engagés à prendre les mesures requises pour lutter contre l’intersectionnalité du racisme, de la misogynie et de la suprématie blanche. Cet engagement fait partie de notre Charte pour l’équité en santé récemment mise à jour et de nos résolutions de l’AGA de 2020 visant à réaffecter des fonds pour remédier aux torts liés aux services de police et à lutter contre la violence grâce à une approche de santé publique. Plusieurs membres de l’Alliance travaillent directement pour et avec des communautés et des personnes d’origine asiatique, ainsi qu’auprès de femmes et de personnes qui se livrent au travail du sexe. Leur travail dans les soins de santé est orienté par leurs efforts de revendication pour lutter contre le racisme envers les personnes d’origine asiatique. L’Alliance s’efforce de réclamer et d’appuyer des changements aux systèmes et aux politiques qui peuvent mener à des changements concrets et durables pour les individus et les communautés. Le racisme et la haine sont des enjeux de santé qui nous touchent tous. Ce n’est que par des actions collectives concertées et organisées que nous pourrons engendrer ces changements pour le bien de notre avenir collectif en Ontario et au Canada.

Alliance for Healthier Communities' 2021 Ontario Budget Submission: Video and text

Date:

Thursday, February 18, 2021

This is the full text of the Alliance's 2021 Ontario Budget submission, as presented to the government earlier this year:

The Alliance for Healthier Communities is a coalition of community led primary health care organizations operating across Ontario. Our network represents 106 Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, Community Family Health Teams and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics. Our members have played a pivotal role in Ontario’s COVID 19 pandemic response, Our members have demonstrated their ability to help the province meet the complex challenge of COVID-19 -- from serving as trusted mobile testing sites to meeting the needs of isolated seniors at home – and to collaborate with others, including in Ontario Health Teams, with a focus on their critical expertise in health equity and community wellbeing.

We are thankful for the province’s investment in the COVID High Priority Communities Strategy and hope you look to this program for evidence of the strong, trusted work that our members do in community, and consider this a template for future investments in our work all across the province. To support the sustainability and growth of health equity through comprehensive primary healthcare in Ontario, we are looking for the following investments in Ontario’s 2021 Provincial Budget:

1. Fund digital equity and end the 12-year wait for base funding increases

Our most pressing need is an immediate injection of funding to help community health organizations sustain their work meeting community needs in real time. Our ability to continue this work is at risk because our members have not seen a base funding increase in more than a dozen years. This money is needed to keep the lights on, maintain critical infrastructure and pay the rent. It is also vital to support our leading work on digital equity – providing health and social services to people who face barriers both to getting online through broadband and digital devices, and to accessing safe and trusted services that meet their needs and keep them out of Ontario’s hospitals when those hospitals preoccupied with the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, privacy and security costs for this work continue to rise in our increasingly digital healthcare environment.

Our long wait for adequate funding means we’ve fallen well behind the cost of living and need $30 million, annualized, for a 5 percent base increase plus $10.3 million annualized for technology costs. This much-needed investment will support Alliance members to continue their work at the forefront of health equity and integrated care in Ontario.

2. Take a comprehensive approach to mental health

COVID-19 has negatively impacted the mental health of people across Ontario. It has contributed to increasing isolation and intensified stress on people living with addictions. Now more than ever, urgent action is needed to address mental health and addictions care. Families and caregivers are under incredible strain, with little access to community based and accessible resources. At the same time, more people are dying from drug poisoning and the opioid overdose crisis. Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics and Community Family Health Teams have long offered health promotion, community development, social services and mental health services as part of comprehensive primary healthcare. Our sector provides complex mental health and addictions care. We also need to act now to recognize comprehensive primary health care providers as mental health agencies in the right position to address the opioid overdose crisis. Community led organizations have the expertise to provide this care and link people living with addictions to wrap around care. Despite this, we are excluded from the tables where mental health decisions and investments are made. We request to be recognized for our work as mental health service providers and supported with a $5M investment in primary care approaches to mental health with a focus on harm reduction and safe supply.

3. Fund a Provincial Black Health Strategy

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the physical, mental and economic health of Black Ontarians. We need to mandate the collection of sociodemographic and race-based data across the health system, create anti-Black racism and cultural safety training for all healthcare practitioners, and listen to Black communities regarding how to use data and targeted investments to reduce this stark health gap.

Black Health leaders in community health organizations have been at the forefront of leadership on racial equity for many years, and in particular during this year of pandemic inequities and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement. They are experienced, connected experts who are well positioned to help lead this work. A $3 million investment would support the province in scaling up existing programs, investing in cultural safety training for health and social service workers, and developing updated interventions to close the gaps in healthcare to Black communities.

4. Address the social determinants of health during COVID-19, starting with paid sick days

COVID has reminded Ontarians of how important work, income, social connection and racism are as social determinants of our health (SDOH) that together contribute to over 80% of our health status. We need to link more people with community health organizations that address SDOH through a comprehensive approach to primary healthcare. We also have an urgent need for provincially mandated paid sick days to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to support workers and their families. Workplaces are a key site of COVID-19 transmission and we have yet to provide the necessary supports that help people take time off work to be tested for COVID, and stay home and self-isolate when exposed or diagnosed with the virus.

Vers la santé des Autochtones entre les mains des Autochtones: le transfert des services du CSC de Guelph au Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest met en lumière les étapes vers l'autodétermination des Autochtones en matiè

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

En novembre 2019, le Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones (Indigenous Primary Health Care Council - IPHCC) fut fondé dans le but de faire avancer la planification et la prestation des services de soins de santé primaires en Ontario. Le principe de la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones est au cœur de ses efforts. L’organisation promeut la prestation de soins de qualité fondée sur le Modèle de santé et bien-être holistique, une approche reposant sur les besoins de la population pour la planification des soins, des moyens d’évaluation adaptés à la population autochtone et la mise en œuvre des meilleures pratiques pour l’excellence en matière de santé autochtone.

La santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones est aussi une priorité des organisations membres de l’Alliance pour des communautés en santé, dont plusieurs font partie de l’IPHCC. Lors de l’assemblée générale annuelle de 2019 de l’Alliance, les membres ont adopté unanimement une résolution qui stipulait :

« Il est résolu que l’Alliance pour des communautés en santé souscrive à l’idée que des organisations de gouvernance autochtones planifient, conçoivent, développent, fournissent et évaluent les soins de santé pour les Autochtones et que l’Alliance exhorte les centres membres à travailler d’une manière qui honore et respecte la voix, le leadership et les cadres de gouvernance des Autochtones, et qui reflète des relations alliées authentiques. »

Mais concrètement, à quoi ressemble « la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones »? Comment les organisations autochtones et non autochtones peuvent-elles effectuer cette transition essentielle dans la façon dont se fait en Ontario la promotion de la santé et du bien-être des Autochtones? Quels sont les changements à apporter, et par quoi devons-nous commencer? À quoi pourraient ressembler ces nouvelles relations?

En décembre dernier, le Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest (Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre - SOAHAC) et le Centre de santé communautaire (CSC) de Guelph ont annoncé que la supervision et la direction du Programme de guérison et de bien-être autochtone de Waterloo Wellington (Waterloo Wellington Indigenous Healing and Wellness Program - IHWP) seraient transférées du CSC de Guelph au SOAHAC. Cette transition volontaire est en vigueur depuis le 15 décembre 2020. Dans une lettre ouverte publiée à l’intention de la communauté pour souligner ce transfert, le CSC de Guelph explique que celui-ci fut renseigné par un examen exhaustif d’expert-conseil mené par des Autochtones qui fut effectué par INDSight Consulting et qui a conclu qu’il vaudrait mieux que le programme soit offert au sein d’un centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones existant.

Cette transition découle d’années d’efforts pour tisser des liens et renforcer la confiance et de mesures visant à ce que les besoins des peuples et des communautés autochtones soient au cœur de la planification et des gestes posés pour se diriger vers la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones.

Nous avons parlé à certaines des personnes qui ont participé directement à la transition et à sa planification pour en savoir davantage sur son déroulement, sur sa signification pour la santé autochtone et sur les perspectives d’avenir. Voici certains de leurs commentaires.

Nous commençons avec Don McDermott, président du conseil d’administration du CSC de Guelph, qui a discuté des premières mesures prises :

« En septembre 2019, le personnel de la direction et le conseil d’administration ont rencontré le cercle consultatif autochtone pour le programme de guérison et de bien-être autochtone en place au CSC de Guelph. Nous avons eu une excellente discussion sur ce qui devait être fait, mais tout autant sur la façon de le faire. Il ne faisait aucun doute que le cercle consultatif devait et souhaitait avoir son mot à dire dans toute décision concernant le transfert. Il voulait jouer un rôle important dans la décision et dans l’embauche du conseil-expert. Notre conseil d’administration régi par la communauté était d’avis que c’était une très bonne idée. Une excellente relation de travail s’est établie entre notre conseil d’administration et le cercle consultatif; s’en est suivie une bonne décision quant au transfert. Le RLISS du Sud-Ouest et le RLISS de Waterloo-Wellington ont bien coopéré pour que le tout se fasse le plus rapidement possible sans pour autant réduire le temps prévu pour les consultations. Nous avons fait appel à une entreprise autochtone de conseil-expert, INDsite Consulting, pour nous aider à déterminer l’endroit où le programme devait s’établir et les mesures à prendre pour procéder au changement. Je crois qu’ils ont fait du très bon travail. »

Brian Dokis, directeur général du SOAHAC, a parlé du travail préparatoire qui fut fait pour réaliser ce type de transition :

« Nous sommes très heureux et reconnaissants que le CSC de Guelph ait réalisé qu’il ne devrait pas être responsable de la prestation de soins de santé pour les Autochtones. L’Alliance a joué un rôle déterminant dans l’adoption de la résolution en 2017 stipulant que la santé autochtone devrait être entre les mains des Autochtones. Je ne crois pas que cela serait arrivé sans le leadership de l’ancienne directrice générale de l’Alliance, Adrianna Tetley. Elle a reconnu que les CSC ne devraient pas faire la prestation de ces services, qui devrait être assurée par des organisations dirigées par des Autochtones ou des Premières Nations. La défunte Denise Brooks (directrice générale du Centre de santé communautaire du noyau urbain de Hamilton décédée en août 2020) a aussi joué un rôle important dans la réalisation de ce projet. Elle a reconnu le racisme, la discrimination et l’oppression qui existaient. Nous sommes reconnaissants du soutien qu’elles ont apporté à notre secteur et à notre besoin d’une prestation de services pour les Autochtones par les Autochtones.

Il y avait un manque de soins de santé culturellement adaptés dans la région pour une grande population d’autochtones estimée à 50 000 personnes. Le modèle des centres d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones existe en Ontario depuis plus de 20 ans et il a fait ses preuves. Plusieurs d’entre nous sont accrédités. Les services offerts sont de grande qualité et sont adaptés à la culture autochtone. La prestation en est assurée par des Autochtones qui ont du vécu dans cette culture, et qui connaissent les services et les besoins. »

Raechelle Devereaux, directrice générale du CSC de Guelph, a parlé des raisons pour lesquelles ce transfert de la direction, de la gouvernance et de la conception est essentiel pour la santé des Autochtones et a expliqué que le statu quo n’est pas une option :

« En l’absence d’une organisation de soins de santé dirigée par des Autochtones dans la région, le CSC de Guelph a joué un rôle important initialement dans la gérance du programme de guérison et de bien-être depuis son établissement en 2016. Depuis lors, nous recevons des sommes de plus en plus importantes pour financer les soins de santé pour les Autochtones; nous les avons utilisées pour embaucher du personnel autochtone qui fait la prestation d’un programme autochtone pour les résidents de Waterloo-Wellington. Au cours de cette période, nous avons toujours travaillé afin d’établir des liens de confiance avec la communauté autochtone, notamment par des approches visant à intégrer les conseils et les orientations des Autochtones au programme. Malgré ces efforts, le fait que ce programme était chapeauté par une organisation dirigée par des personnes de race blanche, qui ont une perspective du monde teintée par leurs origines, fut inévitablement ressenti par notre personnel, le cercle consultatif autochtone et la communauté comme étant un prolongement du colonialisme. Les services de soins de santé pour les Autochtones doivent être supervisés et dirigés par des Autochtones, les soins de santé pour les Autochtones doivent être entre les mains des Autochtones. »

Caroline Lidstone-Jones, directrice générale du Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones, a expliqué pourquoi les relations sont essentielles pour réussir et pour assurer que les peuples et communautés autochtones aient accès à des services, à des programmes et à des espaces adaptés à leur culture, peu importe où ils vivent :

« Je crois qu’il est nécessaire d’établir des relations localement pour encadrer ces changements. Il s’agit d’une véritable reconnaissance de l’importance de la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones, ce qui nous permet d’avoir notre mot à dire sur l’allure que cela prendra. L’ouverture qu’offre la gouvernance par la communauté est importante pour tisser ce genre de relation. Il faut aussi établir et créer un espace où ce travail se fait respectueusement et le faire conjointement entre organisations.

Ce que nous faisons avant tout, c’est de nous assurer que les Autochtones puissent émettre une opinion sur les services offerts et l’allocation des fonds pour ceux-ci. C’est un aspect important et nous le réclamons depuis des années afin de pouvoir prendre les décisions sur la structure de ces services et ces programmes et sur leur mise en œuvre pour notre peuple.

À l’échelle provinciale, notre principal rôle est de continuer à éduquer et à partager ces pratiques exemplaires, ces réalisations, ces réussites et la signification des relations authentiques.

D’autre part, les fournisseurs de soins de santé communautaire se doivent de réaliser qu’ils peuvent toujours être d’importants partenaires, mais qu’ils n’ont pas nécessairement besoin de diriger ce service. Vous pouvez néanmoins être un bon leader en suivant ce à quoi pourrait ressembler ce service et en aidant à le façonner. Cela ne signifie pas qu’une organisation se dissocie de cette relation, mais plutôt qu’elle adopte un rôle différent dans la relation.

Nous avons été conscientisés par notre programme de sécurité culturelle autochtone à l’importance de collaborer à la conception du déploiement du curriculum. Il faut réaliser que les deux parties doivent travailler ensemble pour que cela fonctionne, que les deux parties doivent agir respectueusement. Je crois fondamentalement que tout le monde doit appuyer ce que vous faites, du point de vue communautaire et du point de vue du bien-être. »

Nous avons aussi demandé ce que l’avenir réservera à la santé autochtone à Waterloo-Wellington et ce que signifie cette transition pour la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones en général.

Brian Dokis, directeur général du SOAHAC :

« Nous utiliserons notre modèle de soins holistiques. En ce moment, nous n’offrons pas de soins primaires à Guelph, mais les soins primaires sont sans aucun doute le fondement pour l’accès aux soins de santé en Ontario. Tant que nous n’offrirons pas ces services, nous continuerons d’offrir le Programme de guérison et de bien-être autochtone au CSC de Guelph.

Il s’agit de notre cinquième site principal. Nous utilisons un modèle de soins interdisciplinaires dispensés en équipe comprenant des soins primaires, la guérison traditionnelle, des services de santé mentale et d’autres professionnels de la santé alliés. C’est le modèle que nous allons promouvoir dans la région. Il y a un grand besoin pour ce service. De nombreux rapports d’évaluation publiés ont révélé un besoin pour des services et des soins de santé primaires et de santé mentale dirigés par des Autochtones. Nous sommes surtout un fournisseur régional; nous fournissons aussi des services de santé du lac Érié à la baie Georgienne. Nous sommes nouvellement établis à Waterloo-Wellington, mais si vous venez pour recevoir nos services à Waterloo ou Guelph, notre objectif est d’offrir les mêmes services que nous offrons à Windsor. Les gens vont pouvoir venir et s’attendre à la même qualité et aux mêmes types de services qu’aux autres centres d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones. »

Caroline Lidstone-Jones, directrice générale du Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones :

« Nos organisations croient fondamentalement que nous seuls, en tant que peuples autochtones, pouvons créer un espace véritablement sécuritaire pour les Autochtones; un espace qui offre des soins holistiques, qui permet aux patients d’avoir des choix, et qui intègre des méthodes de guérison traditionnelles.

Ce que nous faisons ne s’arrête pas aux soins primaires; nous offrons des soins de santé d’une perspective holistique pour intégrer les divers aspects de la guérison : physique, mental, spirituel et émotionnel. Lorsque les services seront offerts, notre objectif est que les personnes puissent avoir accès à tous les aspects des soins de santé primaires pour assurer leur bien-être de manière globale. Il s’agit d’un des principes sur lequel notre organisation a été fondée; la santé et le bien-être holistiques sont au cœur de tout ce que nous faisons.

Le rôle de soutien que d’autres organisations peuvent jouer dans cette démarche est tout aussi important. L’amélioration des résultats dépend de la qualité des soins et des relations que nous avons établies localement pour pouvoir satisfaire aux besoins. Les fournisseurs autochtones ne font pas la prestation de tous les services par eux-mêmes; c’est pour cette raison que nous avons dû établir de bonnes relations. Il faut le souligner et les gens doivent comprendre que c’est la clé d’une véritable réussite. Nous espérons pouvoir montrer d’autres réalisations de ce genre pour que les gens puissent commencer à comprendre la façon de procéder, les étapes à suivre et les raisons pour lesquelles c’est important.

Ce qui est bien de ce changement à Guelph, c’est qu’il n’a pas à être fait dans la confrontation, qu’il n’est pas question de gagnants ou de perdants, et qu’en bout de compte nous favorisons les meilleurs résultats pour les clients et les patients que nous servons conjointement. Ce n’est pas une question d’un ou de l’autre. »

Don McDermott, président du conseil d’administration du CSC de Guelph :

« Nous allons collaborer avec le Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest pour l’aider à ce qu’il ait tout ce dont il a besoin. Nous savons qu’il y aura une croissance. Nous savons qu’il y aura de nouveaux programmes. Nous sommes prêts à faire notre part dans cette nouvelle relation qui continuera à évoluer. »

Raechelle Devereaux, directrice générale du CSC de Guelph :

« Nous croyons fermement que le transfert du Programme de guérison et de bien-être autochtone au Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest va améliorer la santé et le bien-être des communautés autochtones. Nous ne pourrions pas être plus emballés pour l’avenir de ce dynamique programme sous la direction renommée du Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest. »

Sarah Hobbs, directrice générale de l’Alliance pour des communautés en santé :

« Alors que l’Alliance consolide sa relation en évolution avec le Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones et les organisations de santé dirigées par des Autochtones de la province, nous savons que nous serons guidés par les principes fondamentaux de la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones et de la progression vers des espaces et des services culturellement adaptés pour tous les peuples et les communautés autochtones. C’est pourquoi la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones et l’autodétermination en santé qui sont imbriquées occupent une grande place dans la Charte pour l’équité en santé nouvellement révisée et mise à jour. Le leadership démontré par le Cercle consultatif autochtone au CSC de Guelph, le Centre d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones du Sud-Ouest et le Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones, ainsi que par le conseil d’administration dirigé par la communauté du CSC de Guelph doit être souligné, car il s’agit d’un formidable exemple d’une réalisation de laquelle il sera possible de tirer parti au cours des mois et des années à venir. Nous espérons continuer à collaborer avec les dirigeants de la santé autochtone et leurs alliés afin de poursuivre ce travail essentiel. »

Steps Taken Towards Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands: Transfer of services from Guelph CHC to Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre shines light on the path to Indigenous self-determination in health care

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

[The shift of the Waterloo Wellington Indigenous Healing and Wellness Program (IHWP) to the governance and direction of Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) will enable a full provision of Indigenous health care services in Indigenous hands, guided by the Model of Wholistic Health and Wellbeing, pictured above.]

In November 2019, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) was founded with a mandate to support the advancement and evolution of Indigenous primary health care services provision and planning throughout Ontario. At the core of this work is the belief in Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands. The organization promotes high quality care provision through the Model of Wholistic Health and Wellbeing, population needs based approach to health care planning, and Indigenous informed evaluation approaches and scaling leading practices for excellence in Indigenous health.

Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands is also a core priority of the member organizations of the Alliance for Healthier Communities, who include many members of the IPHCC. At the Alliance’s annual general meeting in 2019, members unanimously passed a resolution that stated:

“The Alliance for Healthier Communities supports the position that Indigenous health care be planned, designed, developed, delivered and evaluated by Indigenous governed organizations, and urges member centres to work in a manner that honours and respects Indigenous voices, leadership and governance frameworks, and that exemplifies authentic allied relationships.”

But what does “Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands” look like in practice? How can Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations live up to this critical shift in how Indigenous health and well-being are supported in Ontario? What changes need to be made, and how can we begin to make them? What could the new relationships look like?

Last December, the Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) and Guelph Community Health Centre (Guelph CHC) announced that oversight and leadership for the Waterloo Wellington Indigenous Healing and Wellness Program (IHWP) is transitioning from Guelph CHC to SOAHAC. The voluntary transition was effective December 15, 2020, and “is informed by a comprehensive Indigenous-led consultant review completed by INDSight, which recommended that the program would be best served within an existing Aboriginal Health Access Centre,” Guelph CHC said in its open letter to the community to mark the milestone.

This transition resulted from years of relationship and trust-building, and careful steps to ensure that the needs of Indigenous people and communities are at the heart of the planning and actions to move towards Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands.

We spoke to some of the people involved directly in the transition and its planning for more insights into how the work progressed, what it means for Indigenous health, and the path forward. Here are some of their comments.

We begin with Don McDermott, Chair of the Board, Guelph CHC, talking about some of the initial steps taken:

“I would go back to September 2019, when our full leadership staff and board met with the Indigenous Advisory Circle (for the existing IHWP at Guelph CHC). We had a really great conversation. It was all about what needs to be done, but as much how it needs to be done. It was very clear that the Advisory Circle needed and wanted to have significant input into any final decision and the choice of transfer. They wanted to be the major player in the decision and the consultant hiring. Our community-governed board thought that was perfect, and it has resulted in a pretty good working relationship between our board and the Advisory Circle, and a great decision for the transfer. The Southwest LHIN and the Waterloo-Wellington LHIN were really cooperative in helping us to move this through as expeditiously as possible without compromising on time needed for consultations. We used a consultant to help us identify where the program needed to go, and what steps needed to be taken to get there. The consultant was an Indigenous consulting firm called INDsite Consulting. I thought they did a super job.”

Brian Dokis, CEO, Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre, recalled some of the groundwork laid for this type of transition to happen:

“We are very happy and thankful that Guelph CHC realized that they shouldn’t be in the business of delivering Indigenous health care. The Alliance was instrumental in passing the motion in 2017 that Indigenous health should be in Indigenous hands. I think it wouldn’t have happened without the leadership of former Alliance CEO Adrianna Tetley. She recognized that the CHCs shouldn’t be delivering these services, and it should be done by Indigenous-led organizations or First Nations. Another strong and helpful voice in getting this done was the late Denise Brooks (Executive Director of Hamilton Urban Core CHC who passed away in August 2020). She recognized the racism, discrimination and oppression that was happening. For that, we’re grateful that it was recognized and that they were fully supportive of our sector and our need to deliver our own services by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people.

There has been a real lack of any type of culturally appropriate health care in the area for a large Indigenous population in the area – it’s estimated at 50,000 people. The AHAC model has been in existence in Ontario for over 20 years. It’s a successful model. Many of us are accredited. It’s high quality, culturally appropriate services. It’s delivered by Indigenous people that have lived the life, walked the walk, know the services, and who know what’s needed.”

Raechelle Devereaux, CEO, Guelph CHC talked about why the transition of leadership, governance and design is vital to Indigenous health and why the status quo was untenable:

“In the absence of an Indigenous-governed health organization in our region, Guelph CHC played an important role in the initial stewardship of the Indigenous Healing and Wellness Program (IHWP) since its inception in 2016. Since that time, we have been receiving increasing investments of Indigenous health funding, which we have used to hire Indigenous staff members to deliver Indigenous programming for the residents of Waterloo Wellington. Over this time, we have continually worked to build trust of with the Indigenous community, including approaches to infuse Indigenous guidance and direction to the program. Despite this, the program’s placement in our white-governed organization, with our inherent white worldviews, was inevitably experienced by our staff team, the IHWP Advisory Circle, and community as an extension of colonialism. Indigenous health services rightfully deserve Indigenous oversight and guidance -- Indigenous health services belong in Indigenous hands.”

Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council explained why relationships are the key to success and ensuring that Indigenous people and communities have access to culturally safe services, programs, and spaces for health and well-being, no matter where they live:

“I think it is vital to have relationships at the local level to support these shifts. This is a true recognition of the importance of Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands and allows us to have our say in what that looks like. The openness provided by community governance is important to enabling this kind of relationship building. It is also about establishing and creating a space where this work is done respectfully and doing that jointly between organizations.

“The central part of what we do is ensuring Indigenous people have a say over their services and how the funds for their services are allocated. That is a huge piece and something that all of us have advocated for years to make sure that it is our voice leading how these services and programs are structured and rolled out to our people.

“When you look at it from the provincial level, our critical role is to continue to educate, and to share those wiser practices, success stories, and what authentic relationships mean.

“On the other side, community health providers need to realize that they can still be strong fundamental partners, but you don’t necessarily need to lead that service. You can follow and still be a good leader in following what that service might look like and shaping what that might be. It does not mean that an organization segregates itself from that relationship; it just becomes a different role in supporting that relationship.

“We’ve been learning through our Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Program the importance of co-designing the curriculum rollout. It is about realizing that both parties must come to the table to make it work, that both parties need to be respectful. I think fundamentally that everyone has to come together and support what you’re doing – from a community perspective, but also from a wellness perspective.”

We also asked what the future looks like for Indigenous health in Waterloo-Wellington, and what this milestone and work means for the movement towards Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands more broadly.

Brian Dokis, CEO, SOAHAC:

“We will use our holistic model of care. Right now, we’re not offering primary care directly in Guelph, but primary care is the foundation for accessing health care in Ontario, without a doubt. Until we get those services up and running, we will continue to offer the existing Indigenous Health and Wellness Program (IHWP) at Guelph CHC.

“This will be our fifth main site. We have an interdisciplinary model of team-based care that we use. It involves primary care, traditional healing, mental health services, other allied health professionals. That is the model that we are going to promote and push for in the area. It’s a much-needed service. There have been many reports – evaluation reports and assessments – that indicate the need for Indigenous-led primary care and mental health supports. We’re more of a regional provider; we already provide health services from Lake Erie to Georgian Bay. Waterloo-Wellington is new for us, but if you come into our services in the Waterloo or Guelph region, our goal is that it will be the same services that we offer in Windsor. People will be able to come in and expect the same quality, the same type of services as at other SOAHAC locations.”

Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO, IPHCC:

“It is fundamentally the belief of our organizations that it truly is only us as Indigenous people who can create a fully safe space for Indigenous people. That means a space that encapsulates holistic care and ensuring that there is a rightful place for people to have patient-centered choice and the integration of traditional healing methods.

“A lot of the things we do are not just isolated to looking at primary care, but primary health care, and looking at that from a holistic perspective: so that’s your physical, spiritual, mental, emotional aspects of healing. We are aiming to make sure that when services are in place, people can access all aspects of primary health care in a way that address the entire wellness of that person. That is one of the primary things that our organization was founded upon, to make sure holistic health and well-being is at the center of everything that we do.”

“The supportive role that other organizations can play in this process is equally as important. Being able to improve outcomes depends on the quality of care, and the relationships that we have locally to be able to meet needs. Indigenous providers do not deliver everything independently on our own, so we have needed to create good relationships. That needs to be celebrated, and people need to know that is why this is a true success story. We look forward to showing more stories like this, so people can begin to see how it is done, the steps involved, and why it matters.

“The nice part of this shift in Guelph, is that it does not have to be adversarial, it does not have to be a have and have-not, and then at the end of the day, hopefully we’re supporting the best outcomes for the patients and clients who we jointly serve. It’s an “and and” not an “and or” outcome.”

Don McDermott, Chair of the Board, Guelph CHC:

“We will be working with SOAHAC to ensure that anything they need, we will try to accommodate. We know there will be growth. We know there will be new programs. We’re ready to do our part in this new and evolving relationship.”

Raechelle Devereaux, CEO, Guelph CHC:

“We wholeheartedly believe that the transfer of the IHWP to the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) will enable improved health and well-being for the Indigenous community. We could not be more excited for the future of this vibrant program under SOAHAC’s highly-reputed leadership.”

Sarah Hobbs, CEO, Alliance for Healthier Communities:

“As the Alliance moves forward in its relationship with the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council and Indigenous-led health organizations in the province, we know that the core principles of Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands and moving towards culturally safe and appropriate spaces and services for all Indigenous people and communities are what will guide us. It’s why Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands and the self-determination in health that is entailed in that principle is prominent in the Alliance’s newly revised and updated Health Equity Charter. And it’s why the leadership shown by the Indigenous Advisory Circle at Guelph CHC, SOAHAC and IPHCC, as well as by Guelph CHC’s community-governed board are not only a milestone to celebrate, but a shining example of success to build on in the months and years ahead. We look forward to continuing to work with Indigenous health leaders and their allies to continue this vital work.”

Celebrating Black History Month: Learning From the Past, Action in the Present and Looking to the Future

Friday, February 5, 2021

Black History Month is here. It’s an important opportunity for all of us to celebrate and acknowledge Black histories and truths, to hear and find new ways of listening to Black voices and Black leaders, and in the case of the Alliance for Healthier Communities and its comprehensive primary health care members, to highlight work to improve Black health and wellbeing, which also means how to improve Black mental health. That means we’ll also be talking about anti-Black racism, and its impacts on Black people and communities. It also means discussing the steps needed to address systemic racism in health and social systems in our province and country. And while these are important conversations we’ll highlight throughout this month, they’re important conversations that must continue in the months and years ahead.

This week, we’re highlighting and sharing some of the stories and events shared this week on social media by Alliance members and other leaders. Next week, we’ll share more about the Alliance’s activities for the month.

Black Lives Matter is a movement to end white supremacy and envision Black futures. We’re sharing their thread first to give a bit the history of Black History Month. Alliance members were also sharing the collaboration this month between CBC and Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, and her championing of the unanimous vote in 1995 to designate February as Black History Month in Canada as the first Black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada.

This month will also continue to be a month of learning and unlearning for people in Canada who aren’t Black, especially white people, on the inequities created by a legacy of slavery and oppression in this country. It’s why attention to and conversations about articles like this one on the history of slavery shared by LAMP CHC are important, as well as events such as this one, “The Colour of Covid”, being held by ACB (African, Caribbean Black) Network of Waterloo Region. As TAIBU CHC points out, one of out every four new cases of COVID-19 in Toronto continue to affect Black families, despite Black people making up approximately 9% of the population. Reckoning with these facts of inequity and the history of systemic racism and oppression that at their core is work that goes beyond the bounds of Black History Month. In rural Canada, too, the recognition and acknowledgement of the erasure of Black histories and identities, and the impacts of hidden racism outside of cities, can be a key starting point for imagining and working towards a future of Black health and wellbeing in every community across the country.

While Black History Month is an important time to look back, it’s also a time to have an eye on the future. This week’s announcement by the city of Toronto that it is supporting a community leaders-led Black Community COVID-19 Response Plan is an important piece of work to celebrate, given the disproportionate impacts that continue to be felt by Black people due inequities, system racism and injustices exacerbated by the tragedy of the pandemic. Black Creek CHC, Rexdale CHC, TAIBU CHC, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, and the leaders of the Black Health Alliance helped to develop the strategy. We will be talking about theirs and other Alliance members’ COVID-19 efforts during the month, including the voices of Black leaders on vaccination strategies and addressing trust and vaccine confidence. And we’re also listening and celebrating the work of Black health leaders in other sectors, such as this excellent story on Canada’s first Black female interventional cardiologist, who talks about forging a path forward for other Black women in medicine, and the barriers she’s faced to break ground as a “double minority.” We also want to highlight this statement and call to action from NPAO’s Board and Chair of the Black Nurse Practitioners’ Community of Practice.

Pinecrest-Queensway CHC in Ottawa, serving a diverse community that includes many newcomers to Canada, shared the message of “The Future is Now” for Black History Month, encouraging people to look around at the transformative work that’s happened in years gone by, and the legacy of that work being built on today. That message is part of a larger campaign launched by the federal government this month, and we encourage you to have a look at the resources and materials on their page.

Carea CHC in Oshawa-Durham, South Riverdale CHC and Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities in Toronto shared welcoming and celebratory messages for the month. In Ottawa, Southeast Ottawa CHC began the month by amplifying the launch of a new Pathway to Excellence series to support Black, African and Caribbean students in the Ottawa region, by the Sankofa Centre of Excellence Graduation Coach Program. Bramalea/Wellfort CHC will be holding a virtual event during Black History Month on Feb. 25, to talk about mental health and racism, among other topics. Centre de santé communautaire de l'Estrie shared its program for the month, too.

This month we also celebrate the many different ways that Black leadership is driving a more just, equitable and humane world focused on human rights. Alongside our members, we celebrate the work on homelessness, on LGBTQ2S issues, and the Black History of harm reduction.

It’s also a month to celebrate Black artists, as Planned Parenthood Toronto will be doing, and to look to organizations who are promoting, supporting and encouraging the next generation of Black artists in Canada.

Last November, the Alliance awarded its highest honour for career commitment and impacts made to health equity to Dr. Notisha Massaquoi, the former executive director of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands. If you don’t already, we highly encourage you to follow Notisha on Twitter, for the humour, insights, and celebration of Black leadership in health she shares with us. As she points out there while sharing some great starting points for people, this work goes well beyond a month of awareness and celebration.

This Black History Month, we encourage you to accept invitations to make deeper commitments to learning about Black histories and considering actions on how to support Black futures, as we at the Alliance do the same.

Letter to Premier Ford regarding paid sick leave

Date:

Monday, January 18, 2021

January 14, 2021

Sent via email

Premier of OntarioLegislative BuildingQueen's ParkToronto ON M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Ford,

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the evidence has become clear: paid sick leave is essential to protecting our province from the catastrophic impacts of unchecked virus transmission, and its toll on marginalized populations.

We are a coalition of healthcare and social service providers writing to express our urgent appeal for the immediate implementation of paid sick days for Ontario workers, including temporary and precariously employed workers, as a central measure to improve population health and stop the spread of COVID-19. Our request is in addition to the benefit provided by the federal government through The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

We request that the Government of Ontario require all employers to provide a minimum of five annual paid sick days, and that the 2021 provincial budget fund and support employers to increase this to ten annual sick days during a declared infectious disease emergency like COVID-19.

This week’s modelling shows the situation is dire and requires a swift and immediate response to prevent our health systems from becoming further overwhelmed. Employers, workers, and their communities cannot wait any longer. Due to the urgency of this matter, we are requesting your immediate response.

Signed,

Allan O’DetteChief Executive OfficerOntario Medical Association

Sarah HobbsChief Executive OfficerAlliance for Healthier Communities

Dr. Doris Grinspun, RN, MSN, PhD, LLD(hon), Dr(hc), FAAN, FCAN, O.ONTChief Executive Officer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO)

Kavita MehtaChief Executive OfficerAssociation of Family Health Teams of Ontario

Leanne ClarkeChief Executive OfficerOntario College of Family Physicians

Dana Cooper MBA, CAEChief Executive OfficerNurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario

Jennifer ClementPast ChairNurse Practitioner Led Clinics Association

Deborah SimonChief Executive OfficerOntario Community Support Association

Caroline Lidstone-JonesChief Executive OfficerIndigenous Primary Health Care Council

Cc:Hon. Christine Elliott, Minister of HealthHon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of LabourDr. David Williams, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health

Community health providers across Ontario continue to offer steadfast supports to marginalized people

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

All for Public Health campaign led by Seaway Valley CHC

[Using posters like this and sharing messages with partners in the Cornwall region, Seaway Valley CHC staff are supporting their Public Health Unit colleagues who've led the COVID-19 response in the region. Details are below.]

In the last several weeks, as Alliance members across the province have continued and stepped up their efforts to support marginalized people facing the impacts of the pandemic and the effects of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, we've also seen a lot of centres join Black Creek CHC, Rexdale CHC, Somerset West CHC and other organizations who've led the way on community-led testing and response. We've also seen Alliance members across Ontario jumping in to support the messages and the efforts of their local public health units, and still others taking steps to support increased harm reduction and overdose prevention services to help address the sharp increase in overdose deaths. All over, Alliance members are still working hard every day to support isolated people, deliver food and supplies, as well as checking in people, especially isolated seniors. Here's a review of the some of the stories from different areas:

In the Greater Toronto Area, which has seen some of the fastest rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, Alliance members have stepped up their efforts, with South Riverdale CHC, Unison Health and Community Services joining early leaders on testing and direct COVID-19 outreach and supports at Rexdale CHC, Black Creek CHC, TAIBU CHC, Unison Health and Community Services, and Flemingdon and South Riverdale CHCs. Acting on the knowledge that 1 out of every 4 new COVID-19 cases in Toronto affects a Black family, TAIBU has also partnered with the Scarborough Health Network to launch a COVID-19 helpline to support Black community members with information, guidance and directions to support. In Bramalea, WellFort Community Health Services continues to offer free, community-based testing on site, three times per week in the month of December. All across the GTA, the Anishnawbe Health Toronto's Mobile Healing Team continues to offer accessible testing and other supports to urban Indigenous people in the region, several times per week in different areas. The team was also profiled recently in the Globe and Mail, in an essay by Anishinaabekwe physician Lisa Richardson.

And testing efforts driven by Alliance members and their community partners continue to grow across the province, while adapting to the shifts in the pandemic. In southwestern Ontario, where Windsor-Essex recently entered lockdown, North Lambton CHC continues to offer testing with its partners, including testing for secondary school students in the region. In the Ottawa region, Somerset West, Sandy Hill and Centretown CHCs have all been actively involved in COVID-19 testing, specfically to help reach people not being served by other assessment centres, such as people facing transportation barriers. South-East Ottawa CHC is the lead agency for the Ontario COVID-19 "Supporting High Priority Communities" strategy for Central Ottawa (see image below).

These efforts were highlighted in a big way in late December when the Ontario government released the earlier mentioneded strategy or plan for "Supporting Priority Communities." Alliance members, who in many areas led early efforts (since March) in testing and isolation supports, make up a large proportion of the leadership in these areas, on the chart below. All of these community health organizations have staff who are working directly with their local partners, including public health and hospitals, to ensure:

-Tailored community outreach and engagement, including translation/interpreation, transportion help, and addressing barriers related to health and social inequities-Increased access to testing, including through on-site testing in congregate living spaces, pop-up testing to reach people facing barriers, and mobile testing-Wraparound supports using a case management approach-Increased capacity/locations for isolation facilities, support for short-term case management on site, etc.

[Alliance members are among those organizations leading the efforts to "support priority communities" -- work they've led for decades, but that has taken on additional importance during the pandemic.]

In Kingston, staff at Kingston CHCs have also been busy helping people get tested for COVID-19 right at their centre, like so many Alliance members across the province, particularly in red and lockdown regions. The centre also pulled together a list of local supports in one spot on their website, to make it easier for people to find the support they need right now. Of course, in other areas of the province, community-based responses have played a key role since last spring, such as with migrant workers being supported by the Delhi Community Family Health Team.

Down the highway in Cornwall, Seaway Valley CHC worked with their community partners to lead a campaign in support of their local public health unit and their efforts to slow spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe. Centre staff felt the health unit deserved support and acknowledgment of their months of hard work so they launched a five-week #AllforPublicHealth campaign. Each Monday a new message goes out on Twitter and Facebook to all of Seaway Valley CHC's partners with a request that they spread the messaging. Here's an example of the campaign's posts, in English and French, passionate calls by Primary Care providers and their partners for us all to support public health, our hospitals, and to help protect marginalized people and those at higher risk due to COVID-19. The centre also helped to lead a flu vaccine campaign that saw some 400 shots per day delivered via a drive-through model, which was a model used in plenty of other places in Ontario, such as this drive led by Niagara Falls CHC.

Advocacy efforts in Toronto paid off as it was announced earlier this week that overdose prevention services would open within shelters, to help reduce the risk of a fatal overdose. Parkdale Queen West CHC's Angela Robertson and South Riverdale CHC's Jason Altenberg led the call, alongside their community partners, to have these services installed. Thanks to both of them and their colleagues for working to making this vital shift a reality that can help save lives this winter and beyond.

Elsewhere, Alliance members continued their ongoing efforts on food security, with examples at Georgian Bay CHC, where an emergency grant from Community Food Centres Canada will help the CHC to reach more people; in Etobicoke, LAMP CHC continues to see increased need, and has stepped up its food security efforts alongside community partners; Carea CHC in Oshawa has teamed with local businesses on a food and toy drive; Access Alliance continued its string of take-away meals for people in need of support; at Centretown CHC in Ottawa, a donation of warm clothing for children is helping out parents in the CHC's Early Years program; in Scarborough, the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities is helping to distribute a donation of homemade masks to help keep people safe.

There are literally hundreds of other stories like this, efforts by community health organizations to meet the evolving needs of the people they serve, and across their communities.

If you're reading this and you're from a centre and have a story to share, please email me directly, so I can include yours in my next update: jason.rehel@allianceon.org.

Déclaration du conseil d’administration de l’Alliance sur les mesures urgentes requises pour garantir l’accès à l’eau potable à toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits

Les communautés autochtones doivent avoir accès à de l’eau potable MAINTENANT. Joignez-vous à l’appel urgent lancé au gouvernement fédéral pour qu’il tienne sa promesse de garantir l’accès à l’eau potable à toutes les communautés autochtones en 2021. Des vies en dépendent

Date:

Friday, December 4, 2020

L’Alliance pour des communautés en santé est solidaire avec les peuples autochtones du Canada et exhorte le gouvernement fédéral à prendre des mesures urgentes pour assurer l’accès à de l’eau potable à toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits. Elle demande les mesures suivantes :

Que le gouvernement fédéral fasse les investissements nécessaires et agisse rapidement afin de lever tous les avis d’ébullition d’eau au pays;
Que les dirigeants fédéraux établissent des politiques pour donner un plus grand contrôle concernant l’eau aux Premières Nations afin de promouvoir les droits des peuples autochtones à l’autonomie gouvernementale et à l’autodétermination et d’assurer un approvisionnement durable en eau potable dans leurs communautés.

Il doit donc s’en suivre un accès continu à de l’eau potable maintenant et à l’avenir pour toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits.

Le mois dernier, la Première Nation de Neskantaga fut l’objet de nombreux reportages dans les médias lorsque tous les résidents de la communauté ont été obligés d’évacuer leur domicile à cause d’une contamination de leur réservoir d’eau. Ce récit est un des nombreux exemples des effets dévastateurs de la colonisation qui sont encore ressentis par les communautés autochtones au Canada. La situation d’urgence dans la Première Nation de Neskantaga ne date pas d’hier. Cette communauté du nord-ouest de l’Ontario est soumise à un avis d’ébullition de l’eau depuis 25 ans. Il s’agit d’une des nombreuses communautés autochtones de l’Île de la Tortue sans accès à un élément de première nécessité que de nombreuses personnes tiennent pour acquis. Selon le Conseil des Canadiens, en tout temps, plus de 100 avis d’ébullition touchent les Premières Nations au Canada.

En tant que réseau exhaustif de fournisseurs de soins de santé primaires, nous savons que l’eau potable est essentielle au maintien de la santé et du bien-être. Cela est d’autant plus vrai pendant la crise de la COVID-19 puisque l’eau potable et l’assainissement sont indispensables à la prévention de la propagation du virus. Le manque d’accès à l’eau potable dans les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits enfreint aux droits de la personne reconnus par les Nations Unies et aux droits des peuples autochtones. Il s’agit également d’une crise de santé publique. Le nombre de cas de COVID-19 est à la hausse et l’accès à de l’eau potable dans toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits est primordial pour composer avec la pandémie et assurer un rétablissement dynamique dans chaque communauté.

En 2015, le premier ministre Trudeau, alors nouvellement élu, avait promis d’éliminer les avis à long terme d’ébullition de l’eau d’ici mars 2021. Selon le site Web du gouvernement du Canada, 97 avis ont été levés depuis 2015 et 59 avis demeurent en vigueur. Ce nombre n’inclut pas les avis à court et à moyen terme d’ébullition de l’eau.

L’énoncé économique de l’automne 2020 publié le 30 novembre comprend des investissements additionnels pour le financement de l’infrastructure pour l’eau et les eaux usées dans les communautés des Premières Nations. Ces investissements représentent un pas dans la bonne direction, mais ils ne sont pas suffisants, surtout après un autre engagement rompu. Nous sommes déçus par l’annonce du gouvernement fédéral qu’il ne pourra respecter son engagement et nous sommes préoccupés qu’aucun échéancier ne soit établi pour la levée de tous les avis concernant l’eau potable. Le manque d’empressement pour le respect d’un droit humain fondamental serait inacceptable dans les autres communautés du Canada et serait considéré comme un échec du leadership fédéral.

L’Alliance exhorte le gouvernement fédéral à respecter sa promesse aux peuples autochtones du Canada et à accélérer les travaux pour garantir un accès à de l’eau potable à toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits. Il est impératif que le premier ministre et le gouvernement assument leurs responsabilités pour remplir cette promesse incontournable à la réconciliation, et que le gouvernement publie un plan et un échéancier définissant clairement les travaux qui seront mis en œuvre pour assurer que toutes les communautés des Premières Nations et des Inuits aient accès à un approvisionnement durable en eau potable en 2021. Il est tout simplement inacceptable de retarder ces travaux.

Le gouvernement fédéral et le premier ministre ont déclaré à maintes reprises que l’accès à l’eau potable est essentiel à la réconciliation et à la lutte contre les séquelles du colonialisme au Canada, ainsi qu’au respect de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones. C’est le moment de tenir parole. Des vies en dépendent.

Cette déclaration est publiée par le conseil d’administration de l’Alliance pour des communautés en santé, qui représente un réseau dynamique d’organismes de soins primaires régis par la communauté et qui comprend des centres d’accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones, des centres autochtones de santé communautaire et des équipes interprofessionnelles de soins primaires pour les Autochtones régis par les Autochtones. Nous collaborons également avec le Conseil des services de santé de première ligne aux Autochtones afin d’établir une relation d’alliés et d’appuyer leur vision de la santé autochtone entre les mains des Autochtones.