Service Enhancement

  • Alignment Across Pillars: Reduce barriers for people accessing services with an equitycentred and trauma informed approach, and offer support to increase the accessibility of programs and services in both urban and rural settings (e.g, transportation, chi minding, free services, mobile outreach etc.).
  • Short Term Priorities: Enhance access to services through 24-hr drop-in centres, support clients with access to a variety of professional “Pre-treatment” services that meet them where they are at prior to entering services, and support establishing an anonymous opioid clinic.
  • Long Term Priority: Expand existing mobile outreach team models providing basic medical services and harm reduction strategies.

Building Community Capacity

  • Alignment Across Pillars: identify and prioritize annual evidence-informed training for ECDAS members and partners, and provide evidence-informed anti stigma training and promotion of respectful language and dialogue with all community partners that work across ail four pillars.
  • Short Term Priorities: Provide training to peers/volunteers on de-escalation techniques, and educate service providers and community on support programs and options such as Community Withdrawal Support Program,CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services, Clinic 217. Conduct a community needs assessment to determine the acceptance and feasibility of Consumption and Treatment Services.

Community Coordination

  • Alignment Across Pillars: Improve coordination between community partners that work across all four pillars.
  • Short Term Priority: Recruit outreach workers/peers for transitions of care who will create a roadmap for system navigation. Support Sanctuary and Support micro or small group professionally supported safe sites designed by people currently experiencing harm from substance use and homelessness thus, aiding those ineligible for supportive housing.
  • Long Term Priority: Enhance the coordination and warm transfers between agencies as well as referrals between STEGH, CMHA TVAMHS, CCHC, 217, Grace Café and other diverse service organizations.