Harm Reduction including Access to Supervised Injection
CACHC is committed to harm reduction programming as key to improving health and wellbeing, public health and safety, and health system effectiveness.
In the context of substance use, harm reduction refers to programs and services that reduce the harm associated with substance use for individuals and communities. It is part of a comprehensive approach to substance use along with other pillars such as prevention, treatment and enforcement.
In early 2015, as part of this commitments, CACHC took action by formally opposing the federal government’s Bill C2, which placed discriminatory pressures on community service providers working to open/operate supervised injection services (SIS).
The association also recognized federal leadership on harm reduction advocacy by awarding a 2015 Agent of Change Award to Toronto Public Health for its formal recommendation of supervised injection services in Toronto.
In 2016, CACHC and its members took further collective action by adopting a Members Resolution calling for municipal, provincial and federal governments across Canada to support supervised injection services wherever needed.
In Toronto, CACHC deputized before the Toronto Board of Health in 2016 bringing with it the support of Community Health Centres from across country and helping to bring about final approval for the city’s three new SIS.
Then, in December 2016, CACHC released a public statement on Bill C-37 applauding the federal government for introducing new legislation that re-frames problematic substance use as a public health issue and affirms the importance of harm reduction. CACHC noted that: “The federal government’s shift from a strict criminal justice approach to an evidence-based, public health approach is essential to saving lives and stemming the tides of Canada’s current overdose crisis.”
In 2017 and 2018, new SIS services will open in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa. These are the first new SIS to open in Canada since 2003, when North America’s very first SIS — Insite — was established in Vancouver. Insite is co-managed by a Vancouver-based Community Health Centre called PHS Community Services.
Several of the new SIS announced recently will actually be embedded within Community Health Centres. These include:
- Boyle McCauley Health Centre (Edmonton)
- Parkdale Queen West Health Centre (Toronto)
- Sandy Hill Community Health Centre (Ottawa)
- Somerset West Community Health Centre (Ottawa)
- South Riverdale Community Health Centre (Toronto)
On September 27, 2017 as part of the 2017 CACHC Conference in Calgary, Alberta, leaders from across Canada participated in a dedicated plenary session entitled Supervised injection services and overdose prevention – progress to date and advancing action. The session helped CHCs and other community partners from across Canada to learn vital lessons about the different steps, challenges and successes in advocating for SIS in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.
UPDATE: On November 27, 2017 South Riverdale Community Health Centre officially opened its SIS, known as keepSIX.
#keepSIX Canada’s first community health centre-embedded #SIS has now opened its doors at @SRiverdaleCHC pic.twitter.com/VRHtNQ6xvT
— South Riverdale CHC (@SRiverdaleCHC) November 28, 2017
Just part of the amazing, passionate, tireless team who spent years making #keepSIX #SupervisedInjectionService happen. #lifewontwait #nomoredrugwar #raffibalian pic.twitter.com/re8dbUFd9c
— South Riverdale CHC (@SRiverdaleCHC) November 17, 2017
Canada’s first #supervisedinjection site embedded in a Community Health Centre will soon open @SRiverdaleCHC in Toronto. Called #keepSIX it is years in the making and part of the CHC’s overall #harmreduction services. #cdnhealth #SIS #CHCs pic.twitter.com/VZCrNsI8BT
— CACHC | ACCSC (@CACHC_ACCSC) November 18, 2017
Non-TTC thing: City’s second supervised injection service in South Riverdale to open soon after passing final federal inspection. Harm reduction workers have named it for a mentor & advocate who died of an overdose earlier this year pic.twitter.com/A0oSNzNfzb
— Jennifer Pagliaro (@jpags) November 17, 2017
For CACHC Members
On April 26, 2017 representatives from South Riverdale Community Health Centre in Toronto and Sandy Hill Community Health Centre in Ottawa presented a national CHC webinar providing updates on next steps for local implementation of supervised injection services and collective efforts to expand SIS across Canada. The archived webinar is available to CACHC members via the KNhub.
PRESENTERS:
Jason Altenberg – Director of Programs and Services, South Riverdale CHC (Toronto, ON)
Rob Boyd – Director of Oasis Clinic, Sandy Hill CHC (Ottawa, ON)