The Centre for Innovation in Peer Support (embedded in Support House) broke new ground in 2021 with the introduction of several new programs and opportunities for both our community and provincial partners.

In a recent article in Frontiers in Psychiatry, a group of researchers from Poland and the UK suggest that there are three groups at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the current COVID-19 pandemic:

How can organizations ensure their harm reduction programs are based on the best evidence?

Since 2013, Canadian harm reduction programs have relied on the Best Practice Recommendations compiled by a national working group led by Dr. Carol Strike in collaboration with researchers, direct service providers and people who use drugs. The landscape of drug use and harm reduction has shifted dramatically since then. To incorporate new evidence and the current realities of drug use and overdose in Canada, the working group has published a new version of the Best Practices.

The climate crisis is expected to have negative effects on the mental health of people around the world as climate change awareness, extreme weather and large-scale climatic events increase. In this study, researchers examined how negative climate-related emotions (such as psychological distress, anxiety and worry) relate to sleep and mental health using samples of people living in 25 countries as well as a Norwegian nationally representative sample.

This consultation by Health Standards Organization (HSO) https://healthstandards.org/ on standards for mental health and addiction services seems, rather important if the weaving of: care system change, organizational accreditation and practice change are in play, NOW.

2SLGBTQ+ youth experience significantly higher rates of mental health issues compared to heterosexual and cisgender youth, due to stigma, discrimination and identity-based rejection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 2SLGBTQ+ youth are experiencing these stressors in increased and new ways, which are seeming to have devastating effects for this population. For example, due to a lack of alternative housing options heightened by the pandemic, some youth have been forced to isolate at home with unsupportive and abusive family members.

The Gay Men's Sexual Health Alliance recently wrapped up its first virtual conference 'GMSH 2021: queer sex after HIV'. Over four great weeks, nearly two dozen sessions, and over 50 speakers, facilitators, and artists, participants connected on the priorities and issues affecting gay men’s sexual health across Ontario. If you weren't able to join or couldn't enjoy each session- GMSH has you covered. Session recordings are now available so head over to YouTube and get caught up.

The Challenge

To provide a pathway to acute Schedule 1 beds that is clear, consistent, and equitable across Northwestern Ontario.

The Goals:

The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard on marginalized groups, such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) like Down syndrome or autism.

For people with IDDs, stressors include the abrupt stop to daily routines and regular contact with friends and family, restricted availability of health services and paid support, and financial difficulties. These stressors are compounded by the challenges people with IDDs face in understanding infection risks and public health restrictions.

In early spring 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a worldwide pandemic. The social and work-related restrictions that governments put in place to reduce transmission of the virus were unlike any in recent history. Researchers have shown that worldwide mental health has been seriously impacted by the pandemic and government measures.