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Health Equity Heroes: 'This is by far the most important work I do'

le Jeudi 19 Octobre 2017

What is health equity? What is the work that enables and promotes it? Why is this work so vital? During Community Health and Wellbeing Week 2017, AOHC members are demonstrating the ways that they put Health Equity at the Centre. As part of those efforts, we're going to bring you a stellar lineup of Health Equity Heroes all of this week (and beyond). Get to know the heroes among you, and the ones in neighbouring communities, and let's all celebrate and support this important work that helps everyone achieve their best possible health and wellbeing. Follow this space to read about more heroes, and check out the hashtags #CHWW2017 and #HealthEquityHeroes on social media to learn about even more.

What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

My name is David Popiez, and I’ve worked for a year as a volunteer at North Hamilton Community Health Centre’s Breakfast Program and Grub Club.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

It means providing equal access to health care and social programs, regardless of your socioeconomic status. I volunteer at the centre’s programs to try and provide proper nutrition and knowledge to help youth be more independent, so they can learn important life skills.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

It helps me to know I can make a difference. It is important that everyone has access to nutrition, and also that youth know that they are important. That way they can learn to care for and respect all people, and can develop skills and confidence to be contributors to society. This work is by far the most important work that I do, and it is the favourite part of my week.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?

Watching Scott Paige and Jenna McHugh (Community Development Workers at North Hamilton CHC) – in the approach to how they deliver their programs, and how they interact with youth – has inspired me beyond words. They are amazing.

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What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

I'm Raymond Balec, and I’ve worked for six years as a Family Physician at NorWest Community Health Centres.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

A system with health equity is a system in which measures are taken to equalize the determinants of health. I make health equity a part of my work by offering health services to people who might not otherwise receive health care.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

I have had a number of transgender patients tell me they had not previously been able to find a health care provider able to meet their needs for primary care. This has been rewarding.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?

Our centre has supported a health equity approach to providing care to transgender patients by ensuring access to primary care providers and therapists experienced in addressing gender dysphoria, providing access to support groups, and by using inclusive language on all of our forms that ask about gender identity.

#CHWW2017 : Pourquoi mettre l’équité en santé au Centre compte

le Lundi 16 Octobre 2017

Qu’est-ce qui fait d’une communauté une communauté? On évoque souvent nos espaces partagés, nos valeurs partagées, nos histoires communes. Or, le soutien aux autres, le respect de divers horizons et points de vue, ainsi que l’appropriation et la participation partagées aux institutions civiques ne sont pas moins importantes. Qu’ont en commun les communautés? Les crises nous amènent souvent à agir collectivement, sachant que nous sommes plus que la somme de nos parties quand nous unissons nos efforts. D’autres choses – une fermeture d’usine ou d’école, ou des cas de racisme – pourraient nous éloigner davantage tout en révélant des failles dans nos liens.

À bien des égards, les membres de l’ACSO représentent plusieurs des traits auxquels nous aspirons dans les endroits où nous vivons. Ils jettent les bases d’une condition préalable importante pour la communauté : la chance pour tous de vivre en bonne santé. Aborder les points sur lesquels nos liens communautaires se défont et laissent des gens pour compte est également un élément crucial du rôle que jouent les membres de l’ACSO dans plus de 100 collectivités de la province où ils prennent soin des gens au quotidien.

L’Organisation mondiale de la Santé affirmait en 1986 dans la Charte d’Ottawa pour la promotion de la santé que :

« La bonne santé est une ressource majeure pour le développement social, économique et individuel et une importante dimension de la qualité de la vie. Divers facteurs – politiques, économiques, sociaux, culturels, environnementaux, comportementaux et biologiques – peuvent tous la favoriser ou, au contraire, lui porter atteinte. La promotion de la santé a précisément pour but de créer, grâce à un effort de sensibilisation, les conditions favorables indispensables à l'épanouissement de la santé. »

La Charte de promotion de la santé de l’OMS ajoute que les conditions préalables à une bonne santé sont : « la paix, se loger, l’éducation, l’alimentation, le revenu, un écosystème stable, des ressources durables, la justice sociale et l’équité. »

Les membres de l’ACSO croient fermement que c’est ce que signifie la santé et le bien-être, et ce sont là des principes directeurs qui guident leur travail. C’est pourquoi ils s’engagent non seulement à offrir des services accessibles et adaptés à la culture de la part de médecins et d’infirmières lorsque vous êtes malade, mais aussi à mettre l’accent sur la promotion de la santé et à garder les gens en bonne santé au départ. Les agents de développement communautaire, de promotion de la santé, les diététistes, les conseillers en santé mentale, les pairs animateurs, les travailleurs de proximité, les gestionnaires de programmes pour aînés, animateurs jeunesse et bien d’autres ne sont que quelques-unes des personnes qui contribuent à créer un système de santé qui va au-delà du traitement des maladies et à soutenir des communautés où chacun peut atteindre le meilleur état de bien-être physique, mental et social possible.

Cette année, la Semaine de la santé communautaire et du bien-être se concentre sur l’un des principaux préalables de la liste de l’OMS : Mettre l’équité en santé au centre et les gens qui la rendent possible.

Certaines personnes ne peuvent pas atteindre le meilleur état de santé et de bien-être possible en raison de nombreux facteurs, notamment le racisme, le sexisme, l’homophobie et la transphobie, et des conditions économiques ou sociales comme le logement ou l’insécurité alimentaire. C’est là que commence le travail des membres de l’ACSO sur l’équité en santé. Pour mettre l’équité en santé en action, les Héros de l’équité en santé cernent les obstacles qui empêchent les gens d’atteindre leurs objectifs en matière de santé et de bien-être et trouvent des façons de briser ces obstacles avec ces personnes elles-mêmes. Ils préconisent également la mise en place de meilleurs systèmes grâce à des changements politiques.

Alors, cette Semaine de la santé communautaire et du bien-être, nous vous invitons à participer à la conversation sur ce que signifie mettre l’équité en santé au centre de votre communauté. Nous vous invitons également à célébrer les héros de l’équité en santé dans votre communauté et à en apprendre davantage sur d’autres d’entre eux en Ontario. En travaillant ensemble pour soutenir ce travail essentiel, nous pouvons tous créer des communautés où tout le monde a la chance d’atteindre le meilleur état de santé et de bien-être possible.

Health Equity Heroes: 'Staff understand the whole person and family'

le Mercredi 18 Octobre 2017

What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

My name is Lori Kleinsmith, and I’ve been a Health Promoter at Bridges Community Health Centre in Niagara Region for eight years.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

To me, health equity means the elimination of all barriers to accessing health care services, as well as addressing the broader social determinants of health, such as access to housing, adequate income, decent work, transportation, child care, and more.

Health equity is a part of my everyday work. As a smoke cessation counsellor, I ensure clients can access no-cost nicotine replacement and support services if they wish to quit smoking. In the community, I am an active advocate on issues related to poverty, living wage, precarious employment, housing, and access to dental care.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

Through my work with the Niagara Dental Health Coalition, we recently conducted a community survey examining barriers to accessing dental care, which will be used to support our on-going advocacy efforts. The Coalition has also created a tool outlining all publicly-funded, lower cost, and charitable dental care services available for Niagara region residents, which is used regularly by our many community partners.

Advocacy work is challenging, but I know that it is vital to improving the health and quality of life of our clients and our communities.

In what ways is the centre able to support your health equity approach?

Our management team recognizes the importance of health equity work and supports our Health Promoters to take leadership positions to address the social determinants of health. For example, the City of Port Colborne formed a Social Determinants of Health Committee of Council that I currently co-chair.

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What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

My name is Aaron Burry, and I am a contract dentist providing dental care at a Eastern Ontario Public Health unit dental clinic within Seaway Valley Community Health Centre.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

We see many patients from the community who are also clients of Seaway Valley Community Health Centre. These individuals have limited to no access to very basic dental care and are often in pain and have had significant dental problems. I find they are embarrassed by the condition of their mouths and have avoided seeking care due for a number of reasons that go beyond just an inability to afford care. What has been an amazing experience for me is working with the clinical team at Seaway Valley CHC to address many urgent conditions and create a welcoming a positive environment. As a public health practitioner, my main focus is helping to develop skills and knowledge in the clients we see, so they are in a better position to care for themselves. We help them by eliminating pain and infection, but also importantly to develop the tools and skills to improve their own oral health.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

Over the past six months or so, the oral health team has seen several hundred patients. For me, they all stand out in one common way: they need professional help so that they can be in a better position to look after themselves. The clients we see have often not had dental care for 10 years or more, and in some instances have never had dental care. It has been heartbreaking for me to see very young people who because of their life circumstances -- low income, poverty and complex medical situations -- face terrible levels of infection and pain. The goal is to offer as much help as we can to each person who comes to see us.

In what ways is the centre able to support your health equity approach?

The one aspect that has moved me greatly is the commitment of the staff at Seaway Valley CHC. The public health team comes one day per week. The staff at Seaway know their clients as members of the community, and they go to great lengths to make sure they understand the whole person and family. They are readily available to consult on medical issues that many of our clients face. That means we are able to provide care to individuals in a holistic and effective manner. Through collaboration, we have been able to address urgent dental needs and provide care in a way that is truly patient-centric.

Health Equity Heroes: ‘We provide compassionate person-centred collaborative care’

le Mardi 17 Octobre 2017

What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

We are Sarah Flowers, Lise Callahan and Mickey Gurbin. We’ve worked at Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre for, respectively, 4 years, 10 years, and 14 years. Together we are Social Work team.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

Health Equity means removing economic and social obstacles to health such as poverty and discrimination.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

Our team works together to carefully triage and serve people of all ages facing diverse social determinant of health circumstances that require compassion and innovation to address. Care means working evenings to ensure that our services are available to people after their work day is done, when child care is available for them to attend appointments and when families can come together for family sessions. Care involves careful listening and resourcefulness to ensure that arrangements can be made for supports such as: transportation to get to needed services, securing food for an isolated house bound senior, psychiatric consultations using OTN for a person facing challenging undiagnosed mental health issues or funds to secure food or medication. We also partner with a cross-section of mental health and addiction services within two LHINs’ jurisdictions where our clients reside. We act as the patient-centred hub for a vast array of supports who work together to support an individual’s health including Canadian Mental Health Team, Addiction Treatment Services, Situation Tables, Memory Clinic, Child and Youth services, Children’s Aid, Geriatric and Psychogeriatric Outreach Services, and Children and Youth Mental Health Services. While the journey may be complicated, we provide compassionate person-centred collaborative care to ensure that people eventually get what they need to ensure their health and wellbeing.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?

Our team organized a mental health and addiction workshop with partner agencies to consider how to strengthen partnerships and service delivery with other agencies, which resulted in concrete changes that strengthen the access to services, such as referring children and youth directly to St. Clair Child and Youth services for an assessment and brief counselling, and then providing the follow-up services or utilizing our OTN to ensure children and families can attend “Talk-In” services offered if transportation is a barrier to attending in person.

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What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?

My name is Cristian Medina. I have been working at Kingston Community Health Centres Immigrant Services Program as a Youth Settlement Worker for the last four years and as a Project Coordinator for the Kingston Immigration Partnership for the last six months.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?

In my work, health equity means empowering newcomer youth to have every opportunity to succeed in our community and beyond. We promote healthy lifestyles in our Youth Program. We provide lots of opportunities for physical activity. We also teach our immigrant youth about healthy eating during our weekly program by giving them the opportunity to learn how to cook healthy food on a budget. Due to the economic barriers some of their families experience, some youth do not pay attention to the food they are eating, and they think eating well is expensive. They come, cook along their peers while engaging in healthy conversations.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?

Some of our youth, especially the newly arrived, have been smoking. They are aware of the negative impact smoking has on their lives, but haven’t been able to quit due to peer pressure, culture, lack of resources and not having the proper information. Some of them have been referred to and joined the smoking cessation programs at KCHC, which has educated them on this issue and provided them with the information and support they need. I see happiness in their faces when they share with me their progress, when they told me that they haven’t smoked in weeks or months.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?

Our community health centre offers a great variety of programs that have been very beneficial for our youth, since all the programs work in close collaboration. For example: KCHC’s dietitian comes regularly to our youth program to talk about healthy eating; and we have referred some of our youth to the smoking cessation program so that they learn about the negative impacts smoking have in their lives and to get support and access to services so that they feel motivated to quit.

#CHWW2017: Why putting Health Equity at the Centre matters

le Lundi 16 Octobre 2017

What makes a community, a community? Our shared spaces, shared values, common histories – those are often mentioned. Support for others, a respect for diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, and shared ownership of and participation in civic institutions – those are no less important. What’s common among communities? Crises will often bring us together to act collectively, knowing that we are more than the sum of our parts when we act as one. Other things – a factory or school closing, or instances of racism – might drive us further apart while also revealing fault lines in our bonds.

Events Happening Across Ontario During Community Health and Wellbeing Week 2017

In many ways, AOHC members encapsulate many of the traits we aspire to for the places where we live. They lay the foundation for an important precondition to community: the chance for everyone to live a healthy life. Addressing the points at which our community bonds break down and leave people behind is also a crucial role that AOHC members play in more than 100 communities across the province where they care for people every day.

The World Health Organization’s 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion says:

“Good health is a major resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension of quality of life. Political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioural and biological factors can all favour health or be harmful to it. Health promotion action aims at making these conditions favourable through advocacy for health.”

The WHO Health Promotion Charter adds that the prerequisites for good health are: “peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity.”

AOHC members firmly believe that this is what health and wellbeing means, and these are among the guiding principles that inform their work. It’s why they’re committed not only to accessible and culturally appropriate services from doctors and nurses when you’re sick, but also why they place such a large emphasis on health promotion and keeping people well to begin with. Community development workers, health promoters, dietitians, mental health counsellors, peer facilitators, outreach workers, seniors’ program managers, youth workers, and others – these are some of the many people who help create a health system that goes beyond treating illnesses, and aims to support communities where everyone can achieve their best possible physical, mental and social wellbeing.

This year, Community Health and Wellbeing Week is focused on one of the key prerequisites in the WHO’s list: Putting Health Equity at the Centre and the people who make it happen.

Some people cannot attain their best possible health and wellbeing because of an array of factors, including racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, and economic or social conditions like housing or food insecurity. That’s where AOHC members’ work on health equity begins. To put health equity into action, Health Equity Heroes identify the barriers that keep people from achieving their health and wellbeing goals, and find ways to break down those barriers alongside the people themselves. They also advocate to enable better systems through policy change.

This Community Health and Wellbeing Week, we invite you to join the conversation about what it means to put health equity at the centre where you live. For a list of events happening across the province, click here. We also invite you to celebrate the Health Equity Heroes in your home town, and to learn about some of the others across Ontario (follow the hashtags #CHWW2017 and #HealthEquityattheCentre on social media). By working together to support this vital work, we can all help create communities where everyone has the chance to achieve their best possible health and wellbeing.

Health Equity Heroes: 'It’s important that people be able to speak for themselves'

le Lundi 16 Octobre 2017

What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?My name is Geraldine Toms, and I’ve worked at the Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres since 2012. I am a Nurse Practitioner.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?I search for ways to provide full access to as many people that I can. I offer primary care services for adult patients in our CHC and try to eliminate health disparities by ensuring that my clients are connected with the expertise of the collaborative team at our centre. There are instances where I’ve supported people by calling their ODSP worker to ensure they have a special diet allowance, coverage of transportation costs and support with accessing psychological services. In addition to primary care for my roster of clients, I deliver episodic care for people at Westover Treatment Addiction Treatment Centre on a weekly basis as well as for migrant workers at Truly Green Greenhouse on a monthly basis.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?Health care to me includes wellness promotion as well as sickness care. There was an international student who was newly arrived to Canada. He and his wife had suffered the loss of several pregnancies. This situation caused this lovely couple severe stress and grief. In spite of language barriers, insurance difficulties, transportation complications due to living in a rural area, and cultural differences in health education, we managed to establish a working relationship and did the basic groundwork and an appropriate referral. I saw this couple in the community recently and they were happy to inform me that they were imminently anticipating the arrival of a healthy child.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?My direct manager has been flexible and supportive of our innovative ideas to provide care to those who do not have access to care. It is my hope that we can continue to expand further in non-traditional ways to meet people where they are.__________________________________________________________________________

What’s your name, how long have you worked at the centre, and what role(s) do you fill there?My name is Peggy Nickels. I’ve worked as a Health Promoter at Guelph Community Health Centre since July 2010.

What does health equity mean to you, and how do make a health equity approach part of your work?Health equity is about ensuring that everyone has access to the supports and resources they need to meet their potential for health and wellbeing. It’s different from equality in that it’s not about people getting equal access, since different people need different things to be well and have different starting points in their lives. It also means that we need to listen to what people tell us they need, and work with them to overcome barriers, such as limited income, education, or language, to enable them to meet their needs. For me, it also includes valuing each person for who they are, recognizing and building on their unique capacities, and respecting their right to make their own choices.

Why is taking a health equity approach so important to your work?It’s important that people be able to speak for themselves when working for changes that affect them and their communities. They have strong ideas and important lived experiences to share but limited opportunities to put them forward. They may also need encouragement to speak publicly and help with preparing their stories. When I see them stand up in front of a group of politicians and agency reps for the first time and clearly speak truth to power, I feel privileged to be part of this work.

In what ways is your centre able to support your health equity approach?My CHC is a community leader in equity work, and is well-represented by our executive director and others at tables related to equity issues. My supervisor supports my advocacy work and takes issues forward through the appropriate channels. Requests don’t get bogged down in extra bureaucracy and resources are found for unplanned advocacy expenses. Our Anti-Oppression Working Group continuously challenges our organization to reflect on and change practices to be more inclusive.

Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety Program launches new brand and logo in push to educate providers across the province

le Jeudi 27 Juillet 2017

L to R: Jocelyn Raikes, Provincial Registration and Data Coordinator; Cheryl Ward, Interim Director of Indigenous Health at PHSA and San’yas ICS curriculum developer; Jessa Bear, ICS Online Facilitator; Diane Smylie, ICS Provincial Director; Leila Monib, ICS Provincial Practice Lead; Gertie Mai Muise, Provincial Director of Aboriginal Health Access Centre Transformation at the AOHC and former Associate Director of SOAHAC; Vanessa Ambtman-Smith, Indigenous Health Lead at the South West LHIN; Michèle Parent-Bergeron, Provincial ICS Practice Lead

It’s been an exciting summer for the Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Program, which celebrated the launch of its new brand in June and July, complete with a new logo designed by Lisa Boivin, a member of the Deninu Kue First Nation, interdisciplinary artist, and a MSc candidate at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.

The ICS program is also marking the launch of its online training for health providers across the province. The program, which began in 2014, was developed for Ontario in partnership with San’yas ICS training – a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia. It is led and administered through the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) and was originally funded through the South West LHIN. The ICS program now works across LHINs and all health/public health sectors to build collaborative partnerships that accelerate organizational and systemic changes to improve Indigenous patient experiences. Focused on eliminating systemic colonial narratives and stereotypes held by health and social service providers (usually unconscious), the ICS program aims to surface and address any and all biases that can cause harm and maintain barriers to equitable access for Indigenous people, families and communities.

Using an innovative and hands-on approach of facilitated online learning, the ultimate goal of the ICS program is to ensure that Indigenous people can trust they will be treated with empathy, dignity and respect when seeking health and social services.

On June 15 in London, local Traditional Knowledge Keeper Liz Akiwenzie led a celebration and traditional ceremony to honour number of people who helped guide the development of the ICS program and ensure its success. Honourees included: Brian Dokis, Executive Director, SOAHAC; Kelly Gillis, VP of Strategy, System Design and Integration, South West LHIN; Lindsay Blackwell of the MOHLTC; Gertie Mai Muise, Director of Indigenous Strategy and Relations, AHACs, AOHC; Cheryl Ward, Director of Indigenous Health at PHSA and San’yas ICS curriculum developer; Guy Hagar, formally of SOAHAC; Jessa Bear, ICS Facilitator, SOAHAC; Vanessa Ambtman-Smith, Indigenous Health Lead, South West LHIN; Dr. Chris Mackie, London-Middlesex Medical Officer and CEO.

The new ICS logo, which features Boivin’s deer painting, was developed in consultation with the program’s partners, and the design is meant to be a meaningful representation of what the program aims to achieve, as reflected in ICS’s statement that accompanied the logo release: “The deer embodies generosity by giving us his flesh for nourishment, hide for clothing, bones for tools, and antlers for Sweatlodge. Deer’s generosity helps us to survive. Similarly, cultural safety training provides for us by offering intellectual nourishment for learners and the tools to interact with one another in a good way. Like the Deer, cultural safety provides for many needs. It is a versatile knowledge that is linked to all areas of life -- not just in the clinic or the office. Cultural safety must be practiced everywhere.”

Refugee symposium brings together health and resettlement providers to learn from Syria response

le Jeudi 13 Juillet 2017

Even though there were challenges to providing Primary Care to newly arrived Syrian refugees with pressing medical needs, providers were still able to deliver a level of care that inspired grateful testimonials that were part of the June 28 symposium presentation.

Since it was first announced in fall 2015 that Canada would accept an increased number of Syrian refugees to help alleviate a growing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and Europe, AOHC members across the province stepped up to help fill the gap in Primary Care and welcome newcomers with open arms (and a wide array of programs).

But staff from any centre touched by the influx of refugees will tell you: the work was not without its challenges and late nights. From forging new partnerships with organizations also struggling with the sudden volume of work, to finding ways to manage new resources, whether they were donations, volunteers or funds, the last 18-24 months have presented a nearly unprecedented chance to learn from these challenges and successes.

“We had a sincere desire to learn from the experience of a collaborative response to the Syrian refugee influx,” said Axelle Janczur, Executive Director of Access Alliance CHC, which hosted the June 28 Best Practices Symposium in Toronto. Other partners on hand to share learnings during a panel discussion included Toronto Public Health, COSTI Immigrant Services, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, and the Syrian Canadian Foundation.

Some key findings:

Intersectoral collaboration was key for meeting Primary Care needs in a timely fashion
Transportation and medical interpretation/translation need to be part of early planning conversations, since they can each become pain points when trying to organize care
Having dedicated staff and large numbers of volunteers is good, but organizations need capacity to train both staff and volunteers on what they’re doing (since it’s often different from day-to-day routines), but also in self-care and recognizing fatigue
Media attention must be carefully managed to ensure a reduced burden of requests for access/interviews, and to use media outlets as a way to publicize areas of need

Overall, Access Alliance's research lead for the project, Fatima Mussa, said she hopes that providers can take Best Practice learnings from the work and implement them to collaborate better in the future.

“This research highlights the need for providers to consider how we allocate resources and support in advance during planning phases with partners, to make sure that services are equitable for all newcomers,” Mussa said. “It also highlights that there are significant advocacy points that providers can collaborate together on, in order to address policy and funding gaps in resettlement services.”

A cross-sector report, which included contributions from peer researchers, health providers, and resettlement groups, was presented alongside video testimonials from newcomers themselves.

Read the summary report: Refugee Resettlement: Lessons Learned From the Syrian Response.

Les récits sur le sentiment d’appartenance incarnent les raisons pour lesquelles nous nous efforçons de placer l’#équitéensanté au cœur de chaque conversation

le Mercredi 28 Juin 2017

Le groupe de musiciens RISE du CSC de Riverdale-Sud se produit au congrès Changer la conversation : Santé communautaire et bien-être. Ce groupe est un exemple de la manière dont les membres de l’ACSO consolident le sentiment d’appartenance pour promouvoir la santé et le bien-être.

Par Kate Mulligan, Directrice, politiques et communications

Les priorités de notre société sont inscrites sur notre corps. Notre état de santé – en tant qu’individus et entre populations et groupes – raconte des histoires importantes sur nos conditions de vie. Ce sont parfois des histoires que nous n’avons pas les mots pour exprimer. Parfois, nos corps nous disent que nous sommes solitaires, exclus, marginalisés ou oubliés. Plus que de cesser de fumer ou de perdre du poids, c’est le sentiment d’appartenance – d’inclusion sociale, de liens chaleureux et d’amitié – qui change tout pour la durée et la qualité de notre vie. C’est le message que Susan Pinker, psychologue en développement, chercheuse, auteure et chroniqueuse au Wall Street Journal, a présenté au récent congrès annuel de l’ACSO.

Au congrès, j’ai appris de première main comment les centres membres de l’ACSO jouent le rôle de ce que Pinker appelle les « troisièmes espaces » – des lieux dans le monde qui nous ancrent dans nos communautés et créent un sentiment d’appartenance, qui est, pour l’être humain, un impératif biologique. Tout au long du congrès, et lors du sommet sur l’appartenance avant le congrès, j’ai pu constater le travail émotif des membres du personnel – le soin et l’aménagement des lieux nécessaires à la création d’espaces d’appartenance si essentiels à la promotion d’une bonne santé. J’ai entendu le leadership, l’empathie, le courage, la vision et la persévérance. Pendant les séances de discussion et les conversations de couloir, et grâce à des questions réfléchies et des présentations d’affiches, j’ai été témoin du leadership transformateur dans les soins de santé primaires complets présentés de tant de façons créatives par le personnel des membres de l’ACSO. J’ai pensé aux mots de Mary MacNutt, la directrice des communications de l’ACSO qui prend sa retraite, pour qui le congrès représente la tâche de « réfléchir le travail des membres de l’AOHC vers les personnes qui le rendent possible. »

J’ai observé votre leadership pour ce qui est de rappeler aux dirigeants politiques et à nous-mêmes l’importance d’accueillir des conversations importantes, comme celle sur le racisme anti-Noir et la santé. J’ai entendu parler des engagements à long terme concernant la santé des Autochtones et le travail de réconciliation avec les nations autochtones. J’ai vu le travail accompli pour favoriser les Maillons santé pour les personnes qui ont le plus besoin d’appartenance et de soins. J’ai ressenti le dévouement émotionnel envers un pair chef de file dans la réduction des méfaits des toxicomanies et de la maladie mentale. Et j’ai ressenti le sentiment d’appartenance et de reconnaissance que de nombreux délégués ressentent année après année – attirés par les champions de la santé communautaire qui n’ont ménagé aucun effort pour s’assurer que je me sente bien accueillie à mon tout premier congrès de l’ACSO.

En tant que géographe de la santé, je vois la santé humaine comme une authentique incarnation de nos milieux de vie – le dialogue permanent entre notre univers matériel et notre univers social. En tant que nouvelle directrice des politiques et des communications de l’ACSO, je souhaite faire évoluer ce dialogue – en partageant les histoires sur la santé des membres avec les personnes qui doivent les entendre, en nous nous-mêmes et nos communautés représentés équitablement dans notre monde social et politique et en façonnant nos milieux grâce au travail acharné de plaidoyer, d’analyse politique et de changement de politique.

Lors du congrès, j’ai vu comment nos membres travaillent dur pour « changer la conversation » au quotidien. Leurs histoires sont souvent celles que vous n’entendez pas représentées dans les médias. Mais elles sont au cœur des problèmes les plus pressants de notre époque : l’équité en matière de santé et le bien-être de la communauté.

Au cours des dernières années, nous avons réussi à transmettre des conversations sur l’équité en matière de santé et la promotion de la santé, et à faire inscrire ces points au programme du gouvernement. L’équité en matière de santé et la promotion de la santé sont mentionnées explicitement dans les lettres de mandat du RLISS et dans la loi accordant la priorité aux patients. On en parle dans les médias et elles sont dans la mire pour les prochaines élections, grâce aux engagements sur l’assurance médicaments déjà pris par les libéraux et le NPD – les premières promesses électorales touchant l’équité à sortir des blocs de départ. Bientôt, nous allons pousser la conversation un peu plus loin en mettant l’équité en matière de santé non seulement sur la table, mais au centre : du travail que nous faisons, des conversations publiques sur l’avenir de l’Ontario, des politiques de soins de santé primaires et du travail visant à bâtir des collectivités plus saines.

Individuellement, nous ne sommes pas infatigables. Comme Desmond Cole l’a souligné dans son discours d’acceptation du Prix des médias au congrès de l’ACSO, notre travail peut hypothéquer notre organisme, nos relations personnelles et notre santé. Mais ensemble, nous sommes implacables dans notre travail pour l’équité en matière de santé et le bien-être de la communauté.

Nous avons tant d’histoires à raconter. Pour apporter de réels changements, nous devons les raconter maintenant. Quelle est la vôtre?

Si vous avez des histoires à partager, envoyez-les à Jason Rehel, producteur de contenu et rédacteur en chef à l’ACSO, à jason.rehel@aohc.org. Pour les points saillants du congrès, consultez ce résumé dans Storify.

Guelph CHC is leading a Collective Impact approach to improve children's and families' health and wellbeing

le Mercredi 5 Juillet 2017

Dr. Jean Clinton, a child psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, outlines the connection between the stress response to an adverse childhood experience and poorer health later in life for a Collective Impact audience brought together by Guelph CHC.

If you want to go upstream to make a difference to factors that could affect a child’s health and wellbeing for the rest of their lives, it doesn’t make sense to paddle alone. That’s why Guelph Community Health Centre is using a Collective Impact approach to address a complex social issue that has direct impacts on children’s and families’ health.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (or ACEs, for short) is a term given to all types of abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences that occur when individuals are under the age of 18. Although research in this area is relatively new, a groundbreaking study – conducted between 1995 and 1997 with 17,000 people – discovered profound and strong connections between having ACEs and poorer mental and physical health. The study tied a person’s ACE “score” – or the number of ACEs they had – to the likelihood of a range of chronic diseases and illnesses later in life, such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, COPD, and depression.

On June 23, Guelph CHC, in partnership with other local service providers, hosted an event focused on ACEs, where Dr. Jean Clinton, a child psychiatrist and professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster, spelled out the connection between ACEs and poor health explicitly, focusing on the developing brain’s reactions and adaptations to stressful stimuli. Dr. Clinton’s talk was part of a call to action in Guelph to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent and mitigate the effects of ACEs. Dr. Clinton also drove home to her audience that ACEs are not our destiny. Her message? Yes, there is hope. But you will need to take action in many different ways. Resilience can be built – in communities, in neighbourhoods, in families, in individuals – but it takes love, building connections, and giving people different tools and strategies to cope with stress, Clinton noted.

The rest of the day was focused on building a Collective Impact approach to ACEs in Guelph and Wellington County, by developing and strengthening the partnerships of the Toward Common Ground coalition. Stakeholders – including Guelph CHC, the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, the local Public Health Unit, Family and Children Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association, municipal and provincial politicians, the local police department, and other local leaders and change-makers – put their heads together to develop new ideas for how to best support families and individuals at risk for ACEs, and each other as service providers.

One great idea that’s already making a difference is Guelph CHC’s Parent Outreach Worker Program (POW). The POW program supports families and children in many different ways to reduce the risk of ACEs, while trying to mitigate and build resilience around the effects of adverse experiences that people have already had.

“My work could involve providing one-on-one support to a mom who is isolated,” says Katie Davis, one of three Parent Outreach Workers embedded in three different neighbourhood groups in Guelph. “Once a relationship is developed, I could refer the mom to a local group coffee hour program where she has a chance to meet and chat with other parents in the neighbourhood, which can often lead to friendships and support for parents from other parents as well as their children.”

(Click on the image above for the full POW Evaluation Report.)

The POW program aims to: increase social connection; improve access to basic needs such as food, clothing, and school supplies; create greater awareness of and access to formal services and supports, such as mental health counselling, legal aid, and Ontario Works; and increase community safety and connections overall.

As Davis points out, though, it’s the local, neighbourhood-based approach that has allowed for trust to be built between isolated parents and the providers reaching out to help them.

“Parents feel comfortable accessing services where they feel a sense of familiarity,” Davis says. “Being embedded in the neighbourhood group, I can connect and offer a warm hand off to parents to the programs offered by the group. An example would be connecting a mom with Guelph CHC’s Garden Fresh Box program.”

Davis says she knows it’s the relationships she’s been able to foster that have led to the great early results yielded by the POW program.

“It takes time to build relationships. Parents come from a variety of backgrounds with trauma and high ACE scores, and they are often distrusting,” Davis notes. “But once a relationship has developed parents are more willing to engage in services and programs in the neighbourhood as well in the city with support from myself.”

Here's a preliminary Evaluation Report of the Parent Outreach Worker program for more background. The POW program is part of the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Initiative in Guelph.