Victoria Peer-led Community Innovators - Homelessness, Youth, Harm Reduction, Supporting Sex Workers and Transitional Discharge

A Mentor/Mentee Canada Presentation of lived experience leadership and Peer-led initiatives, alongside clinical services, creating recovery-focused systems.  Join us to learn from Victoria, British Columbia's holistic Peer Support programs helping to end high rates of overdose, isolation, stigmatization, criminalization and violence.
 

SOLID - 3:30 (ET)

SOLID Outreach Society provides community and peer-based health education and support services to reduce the harms associated with drug use in Victoria providing accessible pathways to health and treatment for individuals who are street-involved. SOLID's immediate goal is to help members stay alive during their most difficult times so that they will have the opportunity to improve their lives with the proper supports in place. All services, including their board of directors, is governed by individuals with current or former experience of drug use and the stigmatization and criminalization that often accompanies drug use.

Their innovative programs include these onsite services:

• Health Education, Support and Arts Therapy Groups – support meetings and courses include HIV/HEPC prevention, facilitation and presentation skills, creative writing, indigenous women’s support, and music therapy.
• Street outreach – distribution and recovery of harm reduction supplies, naloxone training and safer use health education.
• Peer Systems Navigation – supporting individuals in accessing medical care and treatment, assisting with identification paperwork, accessing social assistance and persons with disability supports, and navigating court and legal systems.
• Drug Checking – working with Dr. Bruce Wallace (UVic/CISUR) in research aimed at providing accurate and reliable drug testing to locate and identify fentanyl in drug supply.
• Cannabis Substitution Project – cannabis is a safe and effective alternative to opiate use for many people, and we promote diverse options for drug maintenance and improved health by providing cannabis substitution on a daily basis to program participants.  
• Palliative Care – working with Dr. Kelly Stajuhar (UVic/CISUR) in research to increase accessibility of palliative care supports to individuals who are street-involved and living in poverty.
• Cultural safety – working with Dr. Bernie Pauly (UVic/CISUR) in educating health service providers in best practices for ensuring accessibility of hospitals and primary care to people who use drugs and who are street-involved.

Peers Victoria Resources Society - 2:45 (ET)

Peers are an innovative, multi-service grassroots agency established by, with, and for sex workers. They provide a wide array of outreach and drop in harm reduction and support services alongside opportunities in education and employment training for current and former sex workers in Victoria and on Vancouver Island. For the past 25 years, the lived expertise organization has been providing extensive services which include their Drop-In Centre/Wellness Clinic; Counselling; Health Support and Outreach; Night Outreach; Housing and Community Support; Violence Prevention & Response; Victoria’s “Bad Date & Aggressor” Sheet; Men’s Program; Trans Workers Monthly Dinner Group; Indoor Workers Dinner and Education Group; Small Business Training Program; The Jannit Rabinovitch Memorial Scholarship and Public Education.

Mental Health Recovery Partners (MHRP)

Victoria's Mental Health Recovery Partners as a Peer-led organization has advanced the Transitional Discharge Model since its origins in Ontario to better transition phychiatric patient's return to Community. Providing both in-ward and in-house community Peer Support services, Zoe Newson's focus is on mental health advocacy and de-stigmatization as a Peer leader.

Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness - 2:00 PM (ET)

As a Peer Support leader and program innovator, this young organization and amazing team works and thrives supporting the rights of Victoria's large street homeless population - despite City bylaws. Their unique program is set in Canada's highest homeless rate per capita city with less than 1% housing vacancy, and no market rent available. The current program began as a response to COVID-19 when street homeless were ordered, within a two week period, to seek housing or face arrest. Serving a population of 1500 homeless in Victoria with a high rate of overdose and isolation, their program includes a Youth Special Outreach due to population need. The Greater Victoria Coalition of Homelessness is run entirely by Lived Experience Staff along with a Working Group of Lived Experience People who oversee all operations.

Thank you for Registering Today to learn from these exeptional Peer-led Innovators, Supporters, Team leads and grassroot Lived Experience organizations in Victoria!

Please contact Mentor/Mentee Canada (elizabeth@MentorMenteeCanada.com) to Register or at

Eventbrite:  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/pe...aff=ebdssbdestsearch