…”the role that health and justice partnerships can play in a strong public health care system and in improving health outcomes for community members”

A panel discussion from the Community Legal Education Ontario

“Partnerships between health care and the legal sector in Ontario: What’s next”

… Complex social factors such as precarious housing, poverty, discrimination, precarious immigration status, and intimate partner violence can often lead to legal issues that have a significant impact on health. Health and justice partnerships involve health care and legal practitioners working together to find solutions to address factors that can contribute to poor health.

In Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this interdisciplinary model has been successful at promoting individual and community health as well as at addressing health inequities.

Join our expert panelists to hear about the role that health and justice partnerships can play in a strong public health care system and in improving health outcomes for community members. Panelists include Lee Ann Chapman, Michele Leering, and Dr. Rami Shoucri. ”

When –December 7th, 2023 10:00 AM through 11:30 AM

Location –Online Webinar ON Canada

Register here: Partnerships between health care and the legal sector in Ontario: What’s next – CLEO Outreach

A focus on systemic problems of Customary Care for Indigenous Peoples in Child Welfare: The Death Report

In the early 1980’s here in Ontario child welfare legislation was developed to address the genocidal systemic racist activities of Children’s Aid Societies, “the sixties scoop,” and earlier legacy of  Residential Schools on First Nations People.  Customary Care was the core component of the Child and Family Services Act to address this and has been amended over the decades since.   These efforts to address the system level perpetuation of our everyday racism and destruction of Indigenous Peoples have not ultimately addressed the core structures needed to support First Nations.   This is after decades of struggle and scattered policy report milestones including: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women; Residential School Reconciliation and The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

The Death Report, completed by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) https://www.aptnnews.ca/investigates/  reporters: Cullen Crozier and Kenneth Jackson opens a lense on one example of child welfare care occurring now here in Ontario.   This investigative report helps us all to consider more deeply engaging with organizations and the policy structures that will strengthen First Nations Peoples and push the rest of us in the broader society to address the systemic of our racism.

It starts with a hard truth.

“Since 2013, 178 Indigenous children have died and 147 are tied to First Nation child welfare agencies in Ontario.”

Here is a trailer about the investigation

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This investigative report is extensive with articles and documentation on the story.

Please go to the story here:

Part One: https://www.aptnnews.ca/featured/death-by-neglect-sacha-raven-bob-died-alone-and-weechi-failed-to-save-her/

Part Two: https://www.aptnnews.ca/investigates/more-money-wont-fix-first-nations-child-welfare-not-repeating-the-same-mistakes-just-might/

Everyday health care practice in law, policy, research and governance: bridging to practice change

The University of Ottawa Centre for Health Care Law, Policy and Ethics is working to open the dialogue on health care and practice change, which may well help us with system level change.  One effort is to have open presentations that bridge and explain the dynamics between our laws, policy and practice, shared and recorded via virtual presentations. 

I think the law is a much more dynamic and evolving guide to practice than most of us realize.  When I say realize, I know we know, about the rule of law, but seldom do many of us on the frontlines, even directors and CEO’s have a sense we are able to enter this level of our systems of society and nudge or influence it.  The centre aims to demonstrate to us how evolving court cases, research can be bridged to our regulatory colleges, policy guidelines that land at our organizations.

… Innovation in medicine offers tremendous hope. But it requires similar innovation in governance—in law, policy, and ethics—for society to fully realize the fruits and avoid the pitfalls. For example, how can we incorporate tomorrow’s AI technology into healthcare while avoiding accidental bias and discrimination? Can we apply insights from neuroscience to improve our criminal justice system for cases where mental illness is a factor? And as long as the list of tomorrow’s challenges is, there are as many gaps and shortfalls in what we already have: Many Canadians die waiting for organ transplants each year yet most people are not registered donors. Pathogens will inevitably out-evolve our current antibiotics and we aren’t developing new ones fast enough. The list goes on…

Please check out some of their presentations here: https://www.ottawahealthlaw.ca/pastevents

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Bridging to on the ground care and organizational practice

I as many of you, struggle each day with how we communicate within and between organizational systems.  These researchers take an important step to address this in the context of homelessness services in this article: Legal, geographic and organizational contexts that shape knowledge sharing in the hospital discharge process for people experiencing homelessness in Toronto, Canada Jesse I. R. Jenkinson Carol Strike Stephen W. Hwang Erica Di Ruggiero https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13206

…  We find that within the legal context of health information protection, the concept of “circle of care” has created barriers to knowledge sharing between hospitals and shelters by excluding shelter workers from discharge planning. We note, however, that the degree to which hospital workers have navigated these barriers and brought shelter workers into the discharge process varies across hospitals. …

I’m going to pitch this to the Centre and the article researchers and see what might evolve as it would be useful to bring in more of a law interpretation and at least get a greater sense of the evolving law on circle of care.  I say evolve because for sure law and care is in “process.” I also realize I may well be simply wishing or dreaming that this ongoing struggle of communications in health care can be effectively addressed, given the… mixed success track record. 

“Emancipation Day” join this panel discussion on the current work to legislate it in Canada

This webinar event panel on BILL S-255, An Act proclaiming Emancipation Day is organized by Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard and MP Majid Jowhari.

Preamble to the legislation:

Preamble

Whereas the British Parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire as of August 1, 1834, by enacting An Act for the Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves, 3 & 4 Will. IV, c. 73 (U.‍K.‍), on August 28, 1833;

Whereas that Act resulted from the work of abolitionists who struggled against slavery, including Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, who promoted the passage of an Act restricting slavery in Upper Canada, An Act to Prevent the further Introduction of Slaves and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude within this Province, 33 Geo. III, c. 7 (U.‍C.‍), enacted on July 9, 1793;

Whereas Upper Canada was the predecessor of the Province of Ontario;

Whereas abolitionists and others who struggled against slavery, including those who arrived in Ontario by the underground railroad, have celebrated August 1 as Emancipation Day in the past;

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed by resolution 68/237, on December 23, 2013, the International Decade for People of African Descent, commencing on January 1, 2015, and ending on December 31, 2024;

Whereas the Government of Canada announced on January 30, 2018, that it would officially recognize the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Whereas the International Decade for People of African Descent provides a unique opportunity to highlight the important contributions that people of African descent have made to Canadian society, and also provides a platform for engaging in the fight against anti-Black racism, discrimination and the inequalities that Canadians of African descent continue to face;

Whereas it is important to recognize the heritage of Canada’s Black communities and the contributions they have made and continue to make to Canada;

Whereas it is also important to recall the ongoing international struggle for human rights as personified by Martin Luther King Jr.‍, Viola Desmond, Rosemary Brown, Marie-Joseph Angélique and Dudley Laws;

And whereas, in consequence, it is appropriate to recognize August 1 formally as Emancipation Day and to observe it as a poignant reminder of an abhorrent period in Canada’s history in order to allow Canadians to reflect upon the imperative to continue to commit to eliminate discrimination in all its forms;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: …

Short Title

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Emancipation Day Act.

Emancipation Day

2 Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the first day of August shall be known as “Emancipation Day”.

Not a legal holiday

3 For greater certainty, Emancipation Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.

Published under authority of the Senate of Canada

See the legislation in process here: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/S-255/first-reading

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Webinar Summary:

During this panel presentation, viewers will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with prominent historians, leaders, and community members about the importance of federal recognition of Emancipation Day. 2020 will be a unique year for Emancipation celebrations, as the 186th anniversary events will be taking place online, offering an opportunity for a wider audience to engage in this conversation about freedom and the on-going movement for racial justice.

Natasha Henry will moderate this panel featuring The Honourable Jean Augustine, Dr. Afua Cooper, Blaine Courtney, Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost, Irene Moore Davis.

 

START DATE:7/23/2020

START TIME:7:00 PM EDT

DURATION:90 MINUTES

Register here: https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI%3A4%3BF%3AQS%2110100&ShowUUID=B43F9D94-28E8-4B64-9EFE-547ADE0FBDFD

Contact: https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/bernard-wanda-thomas/

New British framework for community mental health reform takes a localized population health approach to build towards a national approach – helping our aspirations here in Ontario

This pithy quote from the new British framework for community mental health reform sets out similar outcomes being sought with health teams, hospitals; and perhaps ACT teams and Intensive Case Management … without walls.

… “Maximise continuity of care and ensure no “cliff-edge” of lost care and support by moving away from a system based on referrals, arbitrary thresholds, in supported transitions and discharge to little or no support. Instead, move towards a flexible system that proactively responds to ongoing care needs…”

The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-…and-older-adults.pdf

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“The new NHS England Framework marks the end of the Care Programme Approach, a system which has been in use for almost 30 years.”

Image from article below – markus-spiske-vrbZVyX2k4I-unsplash.jpg

See a detailed explanation and analysis of the framework by Andy Bell of the Centre for Mental Health here:

NHS England’s new framework for community mental health services

A pep talk to develop the “will” to shift policy from shelters, to housing people

While not news for anyone working in the homelessness sector of support and care, Mitchell Katz bolsters at least my own courage and better still multi level community, government policy focus to shift the shelter focus of homelessness.

the intersection of housing and health

Please see the interview here: https://www.tvo.org/video/an-urban-homelessness-crusader

The health minister lays out, the plan

See the interview here: https://www.tvo.org/video/programs/the-agenda-with-steve-paikin/a-historic-health-care-restructuring#disqus_thread

What struck me in the discussion, which was quite straight forward on the big aims front, was that the health ministry continues to frame care without taking into account the need for inter-ministry collaboration if we are ever to actually address the downstream from the hospital issues – Social deterrents of health – access to transpo, housing (beyond a nursing home) etc.

The mental health commission’s “Out of the Shadow’s” made it clear that this is critical to successful integration and addressing: rehabilitation, recovery, wellness and effectively managing success in acute care situations.  https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/391/soci/rep/pdf/rep02may06part1-e.pdf

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Here is the legislation being planned, with thanks to CMHA Ontario.  

Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act, 2019

https://www.ola.org/en/legisla…42/session-1/bill-74

 

Former Deputy Minister, Dr. Bob Bell talks about the relevance and role of LHIN’s, in the context of potential axing as a cost saving measure.

From District Health Councils to the LHIN’s our decades struggles on how to manage health governance continues.  The 10 minute discussion on CBC is worth a listen.

 

Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan

 In defense of the LHIN

Jan 18, 2019

The CBC has learned province is putting Ontario’s fourteen regional health agencies on the chopping block. Bob Bell, former deputy minister of health and long-term care, is with us.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/ottawa-morning/segment/15664571

Politics and Care Practices, “How the Salvation Army shelter could change this election”

This story about the Ottawa municipal election was retweeted by Tim Aubry  (University of Ottawa) https://twitter.com/TimAubry who has been an international leader on research with the Mental Health Commission on At Home/Chez Soi  (housing first). https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/document/24376/national-homechez-soi-final-report  

While the article itself is about nitty gritty politics, Tim’s point about the critical need to integrate housing into actual care, and what I would suggest  thinking of: “patient flow,” community integration and recovery, continuity of care; is useful for us to at least pause as front line mental health workers and consider how evidence informed practice, our organizational policies and practices mix with … politics. 

“Thankfully, a decision that will set the course on how we address #homelessness among men in Ottawa for years to come will get some attention in the upcoming municipal election #HousingFirst #RighttoHousing #Endhomelessness”

Adam: How the Salvation Army shelter could change this election

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/adam-how-the-salvation-army-shelter-could-change-this-election

Photograph is from the Ottawa Citizen article.

Pat Armstrong helps us think about Canadian delivery of health care

Pat Armstrong’s 15 minute talk encourages us to consider the structure and process’ of long term care (nursing homes).  It shines a light to help us think about the role of “profit” in health care, and perhaps find our own ways to participate in decision making where ever each of us fits in our system of care.

From: https://socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/