The Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is pleased to announce that Phase 2 of the three year Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions Program contribution is ready to launch. This three year project aims to improve the overall quality of life of people who use substances through improved access to harm reduction services and improved meaningful engagement with local service providers. Phase 1 saw the hiring of two Harm Reduction Community Support Navigators (CSNs) with current and/or past substance use experience. The CSNs connect with individuals to promote the use of harm reduction strategies, make connections to health care and community agencies and engage with community partners to move harm reduction strategies forward in the community.

Phase 2 of this project aims to explore the experiences of accessing services in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark by people with current and/or past substance use experience as well as their friends and family.  This project will explore the relationships between social determinants of health (e.g., gender, income etc.), types of substances used and the overall experience (e.g. positive experiences, barriers and challenges) with services in LGL. Interested individuals will be able to participate in this study in one of two ways; in person interviews with our Harm Reduction Community Support Navigators (located at Change Health Care) or by completing the online survey.

Research participants will remain anonymous and general themes from the research will be summarized in a report that will be shared with the community.  The information shared by study participants will inform the development of Phase 3 of the project, which is to work with local service providers to increase access to and regular use of local services by people who use substances. 

You can access the survey here: https://chkmkt.com/SUAPLived2021

For more information about Phase 2 of the project, or if you are a community partner interested in assisting with the data collection please contact Jennifer Adams RN, Harm Reduction Coordinator. If you have current and/or past substance use experience and would like to participate in an in-person interview please contact Jes Besharah (Leeds and Grenville) jessica.besharah@healthunit.org or Amanda Watson (Lanark) amanda.watson@healthunit.org. For more information, call 1-800-660-5853 or email contact@healthunit.org.

We are promoting a new Facebook Group called Smart Works Mobile Outreach. This group offers private online ordering and discreet delivery of harm reduction supplies (safe injection, safe inhalation and Naloxone) to people who use substances in the Perth and surrounding areas. This service is a provided by peer support workers through the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. We are committed to maintaining the privacy of the people we serve through all stages of service so those wanting to join will have to send a request. If you know of anyone who might benefit by joining this group, please share this link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/259671612359260

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