Category: Income Security & access to the social determinants of health

Basic Income Conference – Ottawa May 23-26, 2024

The ideal and ongoing efforts to move government policy towards the principles of Basic Income to address poverty and the social determinants of health will be refocusing here in Ottawa on how to further advance what many of us believe would be a significant shift, with its focus on a whole population approach.

…A basic income is an unconditional cash transfer from government to individuals
to enable everyone to meet their basic needs, participate in society and live
with dignity, regardless of work status….

Click to access Basic_Income-_Some_Policy_Options_for_Canada-Summary.pdf

The registration and program can be found at https://forum2024.ca/program/

Homelessness Alliance aims to learn how Finland’s success can be applied to Canada

The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa,  https://www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca/ hosted by CBC’s Catherine Cullen gather’s leaders and decision makers in conversation to explore how…

“Ending Homelessness is Possible”

…Finland is a world leader in ending homelessness, having virtually eliminated chronic homelessness altogether. We’re welcoming two leaders from Finland’s Y-Foundation, CEO, Ojankoski Teija, and Juha Kahila, Head of International Affairs to speak about how they’ve gone from a homelessness crisis to an international leader in ensuring that every person has a home. …

… Following their presentation, we’ll be joined by Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities, Sean Fraser, and CEO of the National Association of Friendship Centres, Jocelyn Formsma to join a conversation on how we can make this happen in Canada too. …

Event details:

Tuesday January 16th at 8 pm at Dominion Chalmers Event Space in Ottawa.

RSVP here to attend in person (space is limited).

RSVP here to attend online. 

 

“There is no recovery without housing,” please support hospitals and mental health agencies efforts to protest the provincial government’s decision to allocate just 0.4% of the Province’s budget of $202 million dollars for housing in Ottawa

While it’s absurd that we have been reduced to have to advocate for fair provincial housing allocations to address homelessness in Ottawa, let’s join with the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa campaign and their efforts to mobilize the community.

As Dusko Miljevic, social worker with the Mood and Anxiety program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre said to a small group of us discussing the situation recently, “there is no recovery without housing.”

The reality is housing is a key Social Determent of Health, for any hope of our health care system and organizations ever gaining more efficiency, much less hope for progress for a person’s recovery pathway.

#OttawaNeedsMore Campaign

We need your help. 

“…Ottawa will be receiving a mere $845,000 increase, or just 0.4% of the Province’s budget commitment of $202 million dollars. Toronto will be receiving 60 times as much increased funding as Ottawa. Yet, we are the second largest city in Ontario. …”

Canadian health care law and efforts to connect the “social determents of health”

 

Professor Martha Jackman https://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en/people/jackman-martha outlines both her actions and perceptions of integrating the SDOH with Health law.  What I found useful to learn, as I have no real understanding of the Canadian Charter on Rights and Freedoms, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/ was the revelation that not all Canada Health ACT legal battles on rights are about doctors, patients or governments attempting to leverage to a private system.

Reflecting on 40 years of the of Rights and Freedoms, we speak with Professor Martha Jackman from the University of Ottawa about the right to health. In particular, we explore how the right has been litigated on section 7 and section 15 grounds to advance protection over social determinants of health—such as access to food, clean water, and housing—with varying degrees of success. This special episode was produced in collaboration with the McGill Journal of Law & Health.

(2 images: logo of the charter- crest of Canada and shadow image of people on both sides of the flag; SDOH components with layers of: demographics; lifestyle factors, networks and broader macro conditions of culture, economics and environmental)

Please go to the McGill Law Journal to listen to the podcast of April 12, 2022, “Social Determinants of Health and the Charter: Has the Right to Health Been Realized in Canada?” here: https://lawjournal.mcgill.ca/podcasts/ 

Resources to help us understand

This article by Jackman, One Step Forward and Two Steps Back: Poverty, the
Charter and the Legacy of Gosselin could help those of us that need more of a background on the Charter and the state of law decisions. See here: https://socialrightscura.ca/documents/publications/Legacy.pdf

 “ Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the
supremacy of God and the rule of law …”  Here is a link to a copy of the charter: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/pch/documents/services/download-order-charter-bill/canadian-charter-rights-freedoms-eng.pdf

 

An “essential” presentation on accessing the City of Ottawa- Essential Health and Social Services program

Colleen Barclay, BA, RSSW, Case Worker, outlines in nuanced detail the process of accessing this “Essential” program for client care financial supports beyond Ontario Works and ODSP. This is part of the Social Work in Aging and Gerontology, Steering Committee SWAG yearly presentation series Facebook: SWAGOttawa SWAG works with the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) to share practices.

The City of Ottawa’s Response to Vulnerable Seniors The Essential Health and Social Supports presentation, provided by the City of Ottawa (Employment and Social Services), will review the benefits and services available for low-income seniors that are essential to their general health and well-being. The presentation will also discuss the City of Ottawa’s Home Support Services program and Emergency Assistance. Colleen Barclay, BA, RSSW, Case Worker with the Home Support Services Program, will be conducting the presentation and will discuss eligibility requirements that social workers will want to know to help serve their clients.

See the talk here:  https://youtu.be/qqMEqfVS4ps

Essential Health and Social Supports (EHSS) program

  • Urgent dental care and dentures
  • Eye exams and glasses
  • Fuel/gas/hydro arrears, deposits and reconnection fees
  • Rent arrears and deposits
  • Assistive Devices Program (ADP) 25% consumer contribution
  • Bathroom aids
  • Surgical and diabetic supplies
  • Cremations and burials 

https://ottawa.ca/en/family-and-social-services/employment-and-financial-assistance/help-people-not-receiving-financial-assistance

Federal budget benchmarks from CCPA … ” health and socioeconomic circumstances are always connected”

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, lays out an general overview of the budget including analysis of the social determinants of health in Public Health.

… A test for this historic budget is whether it recognizes that health and socioeconomic circumstances are always connected—not just in pandemic circumstances—by planting the seeds for a public-led recovery, including a plan to pay for it in the long term.

Does it achieve?

Focusing on the public health arm of the health care system, there are no significant changes in the budget. In fact, the budget largely conflates public health and the broader health care system, which dilutes public health’s unique concerns such as the health of populations, prevention and root causes of poor health. There are no strong signals in this budget of efforts to shift provincial/territorial health spending more towards prevention, versus downstream treatment.

In terms of strengthening the social determinants of health, the budget contains some very important new commitments, such as the robust plan for high quality, affordable child care. This initiative signals a significant commitment to strengthening conditions for health and social equity, especially for women and families. …

CCPA image of masked people and components of society -housing, civic institutions, statistical charts, $.

See the post here: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/2021-federal-budget-analysis

“… hints of promising changes to long term care policies..” – the speech from the throne

Pat Armstrong’s analysis with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives explains how we can focus on cracks of opportunity to advance care.

(Image from report: Champlain LHIN report: Planning for Long-Term Care: When care at home is no longer possible)

If not now, when? The throne speech and long term care

… The throne speech also promised “further targeted measures for personal support workers” to “better value their work and their contribution to society.” That could simultaneously address some aspects of systemic discrimination, given that racialized and/or immigrant women disproportionately staff these jobs. It could also help address the shortage of people willing to do the work, as well as help prevent a further she-cession.

Similarly, the throne speech’s promise to implement “a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system” could also support these workers, given that women still bear the primary responsibility for this care. …

See the blog post here: https://behindthenumbers.ca/2020/09/24/if-not-now-when-the-throne-speech-and-long-term-care/

Learn more about Ottawa Local Resources from the Council on Aging of Ottawa : https://coaottawa.ca/committees/health/long-term-care-in-ottawa/

City of Ottawa “Human Task Force” … COVID 19 initiated and our neighborhood responses are key

We now have neighborhood based approaches emerging along with broader system planning and coordination to address the health and social realities of COVID 19.

How our formal services will bridge and cooperate with the local neighborhoods and organizations/people requires us to take the time to value the local context the people we work with have surrounding them. I’m looking forward to us all moving between our sectors, organizations to cooperation in everyday practice.

One example – Sandy Hill community:

Sandy Hill Community Response Team / L’équipe d’aide de la communauté de la Côte de Sable

 posted in: Uncategorized |

I’m sure many of you are feeling anxious about coronavirus. The Sandy Hill Community Response Team is here to help. Our team can introduce you to a neighbour who can help you get groceries, medication, or other basic necessities. We can also connect you with a friend if you need someone to talk to.
To request help or volunteer, please call us at 613-454-5633 or email sandyhillcovid19@gmail.com . A member of our team will get
back to you within 24 hours.

We will get through this together as a community.

See their website: https://www.ash-acs.ca/sandy-hill-community-response-team-lequipe-daide-de-la-communaute-de-la-cote-de-sable/

  Here is an update from the City’s social services department.

…  o Plan for future scenarios, with considerations related to food security and vulnerable population needs, including housing, shelter and psychosocial supports.

o Coordinate service sector information related to services being provided, changes to services and emerging issues and needs.

o Raise issues, service gaps and community concerns to staff within Community and Social Services, other City departments and community partners for resolution. Partner and Stakeholder Initiatives staff are reaching out to the City’s 81 funded community agencies to obtain service delivery updates, assess needs and identify concerns for escalation to the Human Needs Tasks Force.

… A Human Needs Task Force has been struck as part of the City’s Emergency Management Plan and emergency response to COVID-19, ensuring we are responsive to the emerging needs of the community. This task force consolidates partners from all sectors, including United Way Eastern Ontario, Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa, Ottawa Community Housing, Ottawa Food Bank, The Good Companions, Canadian Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Ottawa Inner City Health, in addition to representatives from City departments, including Ottawa Public Health.

The scope of the task force is to: …

Please follow the rest of the post here: https://www.catherinemckenney.ca/blog/2020/3/20/update-from-the-citys-social-services-department

Here is link to City of Ottawa page that is attempting to centralize information: https://ottawa.ca/en/health-and-public-safety/covid-19-ottawa/support-and-assistance

 

 

The Dynamics of Disability: Progressive, Recurrent or Fluctuating Limitations

I think this report from Statistic’s Canada framing the dynamics of disability is a pivotal foundation in our efforts to: frame plan, understand and approach how we ensure continuity of care and transitions with systems, care planning, along with our welfare policies.

…“Continuous” is the conventional definition of disability, and is the most commonly considered definition in government social assistance programs, but the report shows that three in five people with disabilities don’t fit that conventional view. Mental health disorders, for instance, may be episodic in nature and wouldn’t fall into the traditional “continuous” definition, but could often be considered progressive, recurrent or fluctuating. …

Thanks to CMHA Ontario for advancing this, see their post here: http://ontario.cmha.ca/news/st…ics-of-disabilities/

Discussion on basic guaranteed income @ City Hall: how would it work? Learning from the Dauphin experience

Ontario Association of Social Workers – Eastern branch discussion and sharing the experience of the Dauphin Manitoba Guaranteed Income Experiment via: screening of the documentary, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts.

“A Town Without Poverty; Canada’s Experiment in Guaranteed Income”

Wednesday March 4 at noon, Ottawa City Hall in the Councillors Lounge.

Ron Hikel:  Former Executive Director, Dauphin Manitoba income Experiment

Hugh Shewell: MSW, PhD Associate Professor, School of Social Work Carleton University

Linda Lalonde:  Chair of  the Ottawa Poverty Reduction Network

Our Objective:  

  • Provide information about Basic Guaranteed Income
  • Share ideas 
  • Encourage discussion about strategies for implementation of basic income

FREE SOUP KITCHEN –  bring your own mug

This event is part of our celebration of Social Work Week.

The Ottawa Basic Income Network will have an information table.

For further information contact: OASW.East@gmail.com

 Ontario Association of Social Workers – Eastern Branch /

L’association des travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux de l’Ontario – Section de l’Est 

Heartwood House 404 McArthur Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1K 1G8

Here is the poster for the event, please share widely: OASW Poster March 4 final (1)