Our Casey House Countdown looks back at 12 accomplishments we’re proud to have achieved this year before we spring into 2025. Casey House was delighted to make a splash with our HIV stigma campaign, Stigmavir.
With these 12 little pills and an ‘HIV stigma-free’ toolkit, we provided a glimpse of what it’s like to be a person living with HIV experiencing stigma in medical settings. This PSA was truly a feat only achievable through community, including people with lived experience, the creatives, and of course, and the brilliant minds that brought this idea from paper to reality.
If you haven’t already, visit smashstigma.ca to learn more about Stigmavir.
11 items included in the smudge kits
There are eleven components in the smudge kits found across multiple client spaces at Casey House: matches, an eagle feather, an abalone shell, paper towels, liquid smudge, prairie sage, tobacco, cedar, sweet grass, and a copy of instructions with several scenarios on how to facilitate smudging, all enclosed in an attractive cloth drawstring bag.
Providing smudging kits is one step to creating a more culturally affirming setting for health care in partnership with our Indigenous advisory committee. In addition to the instructions with each kit, staff were trained in the personal and cultural significance of smudging and the importance of making it available to everyone in the space. And for any sceptics, we can happily report that there have been no fire alarms set off since launching this initiative.
10 decades of June Callwood
Our intrepid lead founder June Callwood would have celebrated her 100th birthday this past June. Casey House began as a dream shared between a group of big-hearted volunteers; a place where everyone would receive the warmth and care that they deserved, no matter what circumstances they lived with. This spirit of love emanated throughout Casey House back then, and still does today through our incredible team of staff, volunteers, peers, and community. We are honoured to carry June Callwood’s torch, and continue her mission to fight against social injustice.
9 outpatient programs on a Wednesday
We’re pleased to offer eight outpatient groups, in addition to our midday lunch, that make Wednesdays a bit brighter! This past fall season, we had tai chi, open art drop-in, ecotherapy, circuit exercise class, then after lunch there was falls prevention, meth and me support group, bingo, and gardening. Our outpatient group programs are full of variety, from physical activities, social support groups, self-care and relaxation groups, life skills workshops, and creative activities. Our dedicated team of interdisciplinary facilitators support growth and connection for our clients every step of the way. Stay tuned for our 2025 winter programs calendar, coming soon!
8 digital signs:
We’ve blasted into the 21st century with eight new digital signs located across the hospital. We make use of these revitalized displays to showcase programs, infection, prevention and control messaging, service disruptions, lovely images of the building as well as Casey House throwback photos. Waiting areas have never been so entertaining! We are always proud to share the amazing programs and services offered by our outpatient department, and encourage clients to get involved and drop in.
7 days left to get a tax receipt
Don’t miss out – your generosity can make a difference and provide you with a 2024 tax receipt.
This winter, many people living with HIV will go without necessities. At Casey House, we have set up a special Care and Comfort Fund to provide essentials like warm meals, groceries, winter clothes, toiletries, and assistive devices. We call these gifts Healing Hugs, because they bring true comfort to people in need. Make this year count. Give a Healing Hug today, before the year runs out…
6 spokes on the core values
In the sixth spot, are the six principles in Casey House’s strategic model that guide our approach as a health care provider for people who have been systemically excluded from receiving care. Embrace how we work together Nurture our people Optimize resources
Continuously Refine our services Partner and collaborate with aligned organizations Demonstrate the value we bring to the world
Each of these aspects are crucial to propelling us forward towards our core purpose, to transform lives and health care through compassion and social justice. To do this, we build relationships that enable people living with and at risk of HIV to access and engage in stigma-free health care.
5 Casey House Award Winners
The Casey Awards annually celebrate individuals and organizations across Canada that demonstrate leadership in social justice and commitment to HIV/AIDS. The inaugural recipient, and inspiration, for the awards was June Callwood, one of the founders of Casey House.
In 2023, we honoured five recipients – Elder Wanda Whitebird, Blue Door Clinic. Positive Pregnancy Program (P3 Clinic), Gord Hamilton and TD Bank Group.
We admire and thank each of these recipients for their contribution to social justice for our community. To learn more about their impact, read about it through the link in our bio or on our website The Casey Awards.
4 Purposes of food in the Food Philosophy
For our fourth spot in the Casey House countdown, is the four principles of our food philosophy.
These tenets expand upon the thought that food—not just nutrition– is part of holistic health. That’s why we’re proud to offer a hot midday lunch as part of our outpatient care. . In outpatient, we offer seasonal cooking workshops, which sometimes use foods grown from our very own rooftop garden, and we are working to add more food-related programs. Our kitchen crew is an essential part of our team here at Casey House. They work around the clock to plan meals for hundreds of clients, including a full day’s menu for our inpatient clients. As an essential vessel for connection, you cannot understate the importance of food. We’re excited to present our new approaches to food for clients in the new year.
3 days a week for Blue Door Clinic
Blue Door Clinic is a program hosted at Casey House provides interim health care and social supports for uninsured/ precariously insured people living with HIV in the greater Toronto area. Care is provided collaboratively by community partners contributing their time and expertise in-kind. Our care team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, case managers and peer support workers. Blue Door Clinic services can be accessed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
2 new doors
We’re walking 2024 right out the door… two doors actually! We debuted our newly renovated front reception area at our main entrance earlier this year. In addition to providing a more accessible and inviting space for passage, we also included a new land acknowledgement right at the entrance. This message was created in collaboration with our Indigenous advisory committee, and we later celebrated its reveal in a ceremony together with community. We hope that all community members feel welcomed when they set foot through our door(s)!
1 new event, David’s Disco
In March 2024, we kicked off our very first David’s Disco fundraising event, and what a night it was! With your incredible support, we raised over $335,000 to ensure that people living and at risk of HIV receive the care, dignity, and support they deserve.
This event was inspired by the life of David Shannon, a passionate activist, journalist who passed away at Casey House in 2018.He was a fierce advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and used his powerful voice for change – speaking out against discrimination of those living with HIV.
Every year on December 1st, our community takes time to reflect on the ongoing global efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS, honour the lives that have been impacted, and remind ourselves that the need for action is not over.
This World AIDS Day, Casey House is encouraging others to take a moment to reflect on the barriers that still exist in HIV care, prevention and treatment. HIV is still here, but so is Casey House, and our collective work is far from over.
HIV is Still Here
Despite incredible advancements in prevention and treatment, HIV continues to be acquired and the needs of people living with and at risk of HIV have evolved and grown more complex. Many Casey House clients have experienced trauma, requiring not just health care, but acceptance, dignity, support and a judgment-free environment where they can begin to heal.
At Casey House, we see that HIV is not purely medical, challenges are social and political and touch on who “deserves” health care in our communities. Our hospital thinks the answer is everyone, and we are working to redesign health care that reaches people often thought to be unreachable – those without documentation or immigration status, those without addresses, and those who have lost faith in health care providers and institutions.
HIV Is Not Just a Sexually Transmitted Infection
Yes, HIV can be transmitted via intercourse, however it can also be acquired through other methods, such as sharing unsterile injection equipment. This risk can be lowered substantially by providing new needles and syringes and safe places to dispose of used sharps.
At Casey House, we are bold advocates for harm reduction. We have on-site supervised consumption services for both inpatient and outpatient clients and have been distributing safer drug-use equipment and sexual health supplies for more than a decade. Learn about our recent additions- two outdoor harm reduction vending machines, here.
HIV testing is for everyone
There are many false ideologies about HIV, such as “only gay men contract it.” The human immunodeficiency virus can infect any human. It transcends borders, cultures, genders, socioeconomic status, ages and social spheres. HIV can impact anyone – which is why it is also important that everyone be tested for HIV. Casey House offers free and confidential testing for all, with connections to counselling, and support to start treatment.
HIV Care Is More Than a Viral Load
What does life after an HIV diagnosis look like? A viral load is the amount of HIV copies detectable in someone’s blood. This biomedical indicator is used by health care providers to determine a treatment plan.
But, while it’s easy to focus on physical health, HIV is more than one’s viral load. HIV is a lived experience that touches every aspect of someone’s existence. It is an ongoing journey with social and political challenges that shape intersectional identity, health, relationships and so much more.
Casey House has a broad view of health care and believes quality care treats the whole person. Our carefully designed services include access to food, mental wellness, social community ties, and dignified medical care.
HIV is a virus. Stigma is a disease.
Stigma and discrimination faced by those living with HIV can be as debilitating as the virus itself, and the health care sector is not immune; 1 in 5 people living with HIV are denied health care because of stigma. It only takes subtle action to make someone with HIV feel unwelcome and unsettled. A strange look, a step back, doubling up on gloves, isolating them in a separate room.
That stigma can negatively affect someone’s health. Studies show that these actions can make people living with HIV internalize this stigma, leading to depression, treatment, avoidance and negative health care outcomes. Earlier this year, Casey House launched Stigmavir – a campaign to smash the stigma that surrounds HIV in health care. Check it out here: Stigmavir.ca
We can only end HIV if we put people first
People know what they need and respecting their choices is an inclusive approach to providing health care. At Casey House, we offer client-directed care, meeting people where they are at in their journeys to health and well-being.
With our client care and comfort fund, we also provide Casey House clients in need with everyday essentials many people take for granted, such as warm meals, winter clothing, toiletries, blankets and more. These small comforts help offer a sense of dignity, ensuring our clients not only receive the medical care they need, but also enhance their quality of life and sense of security.
Standing Together
Casey House commemorates the lives of each client who passes away through memorial quilts designed and sewn by volunteers. These quilts, woven together from different textiles are unique pieces of the larger story. Each quilt square is a testament to a life lived and loved, carefully created with dignity and respect. The quilts serve as a poignant reminder that those lost to HIV are not forgotten and that HIV is woven into the fabric of our communities.
Much like the components that make up a quilt, HIV care has many intersecting factors. Collectively, we all have an opportunity to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and it begins with unequivocal compassion.
In honour of World AIDS Day, here are some ways you can participate:
Wear a red ribbon
Do your research
Strive to be HIV stigma-free and stand up to stigma in your community
Volunteer at Casey House
Donate
HIV is not just a sexually transmitted infection
HIV testing is for everyone- it can impact anyone and is intersectional.
HIV care is more than a viral load – it is evolutionary care.
HIV is a virus–stigma is the disease.
Ending HIV means putting people first and requires help – it is a collective fight.
HIV is still here – and so is Casey House.
Health is a universal human right that should be a given, not a privilege. We will continue to lead HIV care – and are committed to prevention, education, advocacy, reducing stigma and combatting misinformation that continues to perpetuate fear and misunderstanding about HIV. We will lead with unequivocal compassion, providing care to those who are often forgotten.
As a community driven organization, we aim to leave no one behind until there is no need for World AIDS Day.
Walk by Casey House on Huntley St. and you’ll see two new harm reduction dispensing machines on the east side of the building. SASSY (safely access services and supplies for you) provides free equipment and help people access local resources; this includes sexual health supplies, clean needles, pipes, naloxone, and other supplies for safer drug use. The Healthbox vending machines also have a comprehensive catalogue of community services our clients and community members need, such as housing assistance, meal assistance, and social services.
The machines are available 24 hours a day and will be a tidier, weather-resistant way to distribute the same Toronto Public Health safer inhalation and safer injection supplies we have been offering to clients and community members since 2014. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Casey House distributed 124,716 harm reduction kits to clients and community members.
As always, we encourage existing clients interested in using SASSY to do so in conjunction with the services provided by Casey House’s interdisciplinary health team. Our knowledgeable clinicians, harm reduction workers, and peers can assist in providing health education, safety tips, monitor for adverse symptoms, and refer clients to other community supports if needed. Our outpatient supervised consumption services are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where clients may use substances in a safe, sterile, and indoor environment.
This redevelopment of our pre-existing harm reduction supply distribution service will continue to support community members accessing sterile equipment and health resources in a reliable, discrete, and accessible manner. Casey House will continue to work the City of Toronto, health care providers, and the community to ensure the success of SASSY.
Casey House’s lead founder and nationally acclaimed journalist June Callwood would be 100 years old this Sunday, June 2. In honour of the centenary of her birth we remember June’s words, “We are all capable of a bit more humanity than we can imagine.” As a social justice activist, she was an inspiration for our approach and philosophy of care. In reference to Casey House, June once said, “We are taking care of people who need it in ways they can accept. Casey House was named in honour of June’s son, who was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 20. The loss of such a young and vibrant adult felt similar to the loss of so many young men from AIDS.
Want to learn more about June Callwood? Read more about June on the Our Origins page of Casey House’s website, which includes her biography. You can also check out With Dignity: The Story of Casey House, a podcast created by Soulpepper Theatre, wherever you listen to your podcasts. Her published works, including Twelve Weeks in Spring (1986) and Jim: A Life with AIDS (1988), can be found at your local TPL branch. And, if you’re ever in the area, you can stop by June Callwood Park here in Toronto at 636 Fleet St.
Happy Birthday, June Callwood!
Specialty hospital uses Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” to create a PSA that calls on health care practitioners to deliver equitable care for those living with HIV
TORONTO – May 29, 2024 – Casey House – a hospital unlike any other providing care to those living with and at risk of HIV – today announces the launch of its latest advocacy campaign, Stigmavir. This initiative aims to reach health care practitioners and introduces a ‘fictitious’ anti-viral drug named Stigmavir, designed to treat HIV stigma. Stigma in health care is harming people living with HIV, with one in five people living with HIV being denied health services because of stigma and discrimination. The campaign includes an upbeat musical public service announcement (PSA), set to a musical adaptation of the iconic song “I Will Survive” with rights provided by Gloria Gaynor herself.
“Even in spaces run by people educated about health, HIV stigma persists. The Stigmavir campaign marks the next chapter in our longstanding Smash Stigma initiative to eradicate HIV stigma,” says Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO. “Stigma remains a significant barrier for individuals living with HIV seeking access to health care. This year we’re inviting other health care providers to join us in the mission to create positive health care spaces that are informed, sensitive, inclusive, and inquisitive rather than assumptive. Everyone deserves health care that meets their needs, treats them with respect and maintains confidentiality.”
For people living with HIV, stigma is one of the most reported barriers to accessing health care. Disclosure to medical professionals can result in stares, micro-aggressions, and even denial of care, particularly during vulnerable moments like emergency or mental health care. Experiences of prejudice, discrimination, and stigma can cause patients to internalize this negativity, leading to a higher risk of depression and worse health outcomes, such as delayed diagnosis.
“Despite the scientific advancements in health care and increased knowledge of HIV, unfortunately stigma still exists,” says Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health who is recognizing the hospital’s Stigmavir initiative for its innovative approach. “Healthcare leaders like Casey House play a crucial role in educating Canada’s health care providers on what stigma-free care truly involves. Initiatives like Stigmavir not only raise awareness of overlooked issues but also empower health care providers with the essential tools and resources to offer compassionate care to their patients.”
Casey House is leading the charge against HIV stigma in health care by inviting health care practitioners to join the movement in creating compassionate spaces for those living with or at risk of HIV. While Stigmavir is fictitious, it is an invitation to think about the way everyone in health care engages with people living with HIV; to reconsider how small actions can impact the people receiving care. What does health care look like without HIV stigma? Patients can build a trusting relationship with a health care provider, look forward to consistent treatment, and feel safe as they pursue good health. Casey House has also created a campaign website that offers health care providers additional resources on delivering compassionate care to those living with or at risk of HIV.
“People still don’t like having positive people around, and it’s hard that we’re still facing stigma from health care practitioners,” says Yasir, a documentary participant involved in the project. “This message is important because it not only invites health care providers to provide compassionate care and recognize unconscious biases, but also shares stories from HIV+ individuals and their experiences of receiving equitable care.”
Additionally, Casey House has created an HIV Stigma-Free symbol, similar to LGBTQ+ signage seen in the windows of businesses, available for download by health care practitioners. This symbol, accompanied by a toolkit of resources, will signify their efforts to provide stigma-free care for individuals living with HIV.
Join us. Consider whether Stigmavir is right for you and help Casey House improve health care experiences for people living with HIV. Spread awareness by sharing on social media using #smashstigma and stigmavir.ca to learn more.
To access the video PSA and high-res photography, please visit: stigmavir.ca
To book an interview with any of our following spokespeople or for more information about the Stigmavir campaign please contact:
Ed Kucharski, Chief Medical Officer of Casey House
Our HIV+ documentary participants
About Casey House: Casey House is unlike any other hospital. We are a specialty hospital in Toronto providing ground-breaking care to people living with and at risk of HIV. Together with our clients, staff, peers and volunteers, we strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe. We offer a growing mix of inpatient, and outpatient services that meet clients where they are in their individual journeys of health and wellness and actively dismantle barriers to care and safe living. As a hospital that strives to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, we’re also tackling the deeply ingrained stigma associated with HIV. With bold ideas and brave partners, we make the humanity of each client the heart of everything we do.
1st day: One new clinic. Casey House is the new host of Blue Door Clinic, a community collaboration providing interim health care and social supports to people living with HIV who do not have health insurance. Learn more here.
2nd day: Two seasons of Positively Speaking. The second season of our podcast launched this spring, with guests sharing more incredible stories about their experiences living with HIV. Listen to Positively Speaking here.
3rd day: Three decades of Art With Heart. Our charitable auction of contemporary Canadian art celebrated 30 years of art and philanthropy this fall, and raised over $1 million. Visit artwithheart.ca here.
4th day: Four fish on the floor. Our outpatient supervised consumption services (SCS) is home to four colourful fish, who occupy the chill out lounge, where clients go after consuming their substances. Learn more about our SCS here.
5th day: Five Casey Awards recipients. It was a pleasure to recognize five outstanding recipients of the 2022 Casey Awards this past March at a celebration event. Read about all five here.
6th day: Six special outpatient clinics. Outpatient services continue to grow, and now include six special clinics: a street ID, tax, eye testing, hair styling, eat well clinics. Find the schedule of outpatient groups and clinics here.
7th day: Seven days left to donate this year. On day seven there will be seven days left to donate and receive a tax-deductible receipt for 2023. Donate now.
8th day: Eight panels on the 2009 quilt. This year we unveiled two new memorial quilts, honouring clients who passed away in Casey House’s care in 2009 and in 2014. Volunteers design and sew each quilt.
9th day: Nine June’s HIV+ Eatery chefs. This year’s meal was prepared by a team of professional chefs and nine people living with HIV who generously contributed their time and experience to help smash stigma. Learn more here.
10th day: Ten flag-bearing clients. It was an honour to have our clients help carry the Pride flag at the Toronto Blue Jays’ Pride weekend home opener in June alongside members of other pioneering queer organizations.
11th day: Eleven Stratford visitors. In preparation for Stratford’s production of Casey and Diana, we hosted eleven members of the cast and crew to see Casey House in person, meet with someone living with HIV, and pour over photos of Princess Diana’s 1991 visit to the house. The play is being remounted by Soulpepper in January, learn more here.
12th day: Twelve peers supporting clients. Twelve peers leveraged their lived experience with just over 1100 hours of peer support visits, almost the equivalent of a full-time staff member. Learn about our peer support program here.
TORONTO, ON (October 2, 2023) – As of today, Blue Door Clinic, a community collaboration offering interim health care for people living with HIV who are precariously or uninsured, is now hosted at Casey House.
Being HIV+ without access to medication can be life-threatening. The clinic’s free and confidential services include HIV primary care from physicians and nurse practitioners, laboratory testing, referrals to specialists, connection to medication access programs, case management support, and referral to community services to address social determinant needs such as housing, legal services, and immigration support.
Since 2019, Blue Door Clinic has been hosted at Regent Park Community Health Centre. The clinic’s steering committee was looking for a new home for the clinic and Casey House, a long-standing partner of the project, is well positioned to host and add value: the hospital has expertise in HIV care, as well as expertise and infrastructure in other areas to augment the clinic’s work, including research, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization, and can assist in building provider capacity.
Medical care and case support will continue to be provided in-kind by a rotating group of multidisciplinary health service providers from partner agencies, and Blue Door Clinic clients will now have access to Casey House’s outpatient services: group programs facilitated by interdisciplinary team members, a hot midday meal, supervised consumption services (SCS), peer support, and individual appointments with a physiotherapist, mental health clinicians, harm reduction workers, and recreational therapists.
Regent Park Community Health Centre physician and Blue Door Clinic co-founder Dr. Alan Li is happy to see the clinic offer patients access to additional services. He says, “Noninsured people living with HIV face complex barriers in accessing care and support. Moving to Casey House is another successful step forward in the Blue Door Clinic collaborative partnership. It gives me great hope and excitement that we can expand our hours of services and enable clients to access a wider range of on-site services.”
Li goes on to express gratitude for the ground-breaking work of the partner organizations. The Blue Door Clinic’s current steering committee is chaired by Casey House CEO Joanne Simons, and includes representatives from Regent Park Community Health Centre, Community Alliance for Accessible Treatment (CAAT), Fife House, Hassle Free Clinic, Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, Sherbourne Health, and the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA).
-30-
Casey House is unlike any other hospital. We are a specialty hospital in Toronto providing ground-breaking care to people living with and at risk of HIV. Together with our clients, staff, peers and volunteers, we strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe. We offer a growing mix of inpatient, outpatient and community-based services that meet clients where they are in their individual journeys of health and wellness. Building on a legacy of advocacy and social justice, we actively dismantle barriers to care and safe living. We provide a community and sense of belonging that connects people to care. The humanity of each client is at the heart of everything we do.
Blue Door clinic is a community collaboration providing interim health care and social supports to people living with HIV in the greater Toronto area who do not have health insurance coverage or access to HIV medication.
Casey House is pleased that Bill C-22 – Canada Disability Benefit Act has received Royal Assent and is now law.This new federal lawestablishes the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), to reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities – a population “more likely to live in poverty than working-age persons without disabilities, because of economic and social exclusion”and that requires targeted benefits.
Casey House serves clients with disabilities, particularly those with illnesses or conditions that are “episodic” – meaning, they vary in severity and duration and can include periods of wellness. Most clients are HIV+ and contend with multiple chronic conditions – many of which are exacerbated by the drugpoisoning crisis, housing crisis, and rising cost of living.Our hospital is committed to understanding our clients’ health concerns in the broader context of their lives – including their income and financial situation, which is an area of high need.
Throughout the legislative process, Casey House appreciated the opportunity to comment on Bill C-22. As outlined in our most recent submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI), we highlighted the importance of ensuring that the CDB is designed and delivered to:
Support people with episodic disabilities living in poverty: examples of episodic disabilities include chronic conditions and diseases such as HIV, mental illness, and substance use disorder. People with episodic disabilities face unique barriers to financial security and require supports that enable them to meet their basic needs.
Reach people with disabilities living in poverty who face barriers to filing income tax returns: the CDB will be based on annual income tax returns, however for people living in deep poverty, such as those without housing, it can be difficult to file their taxes regularly. If barriers to tax filing are not addressed, we risk the CDB not reaching those who need it most.
Ensure that people with disabilities living in poverty continue to have uninterrupted access to health benefits through provincial disability support programs:most Casey House clients receive income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), which also provides coverage for life-saving medications. Implementing the CDB will require coordination between different levels of government to ensure people have continued, uninterrupted access to provincial health benefits to meet their health care needs.
As the federal government now proceeds to developing the regulations to guide the design and delivery of this new benefit, Casey House looks forward to continuing to advocate for the CDB to effectivelyreachall working–agepersons with disabilities living in poverty, and critically, for the CDB to be adequately funded to improve the financial security of people with disabilities living in poverty.
Casey House recognizes and acknowledges that systemic inequities deeply affect our clients, and believes it is our responsibility to advocate for compassionate and socially-just health care. Our advocacy seeks to address the structural barriers that prevent optimalhealth, and improve the well-being of all people living with or at risk of HIV.To learn more, visit Advocacy.
As a specialty hospital in Toronto providing care for people living with and at risk of HIV, Casey House serves people who face multiple barriers to having their basic needs met. We acknowledge that systemic inequities have a profound effect on people’s lives, and believe that everyone deserves judgment-free care – both within and beyond our hospital. With the continuing drug poisoning crisis, housing crisis, and rising cost of living, the need to address the social factors that determine health and well-being is beyond urgent; and tackling these challenges requires thoughtful, transparent, accountable, and compassionate leadership that views people for their humanity amidst the challenges they face.
With less than a month until the mayoral by-election, we are sharing three principles that the next Mayor of Toronto must champion to improve health care and outcomes for people in high need:
1. Housing is a human right, and stable housing and safe living conditions are essential to health and well-being
2. Substance use is a health issue, not a criminal justice issue, and people who use drugs should not be criminalized
3. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect amidst the challenges they face, when interacting with local government
1. Housing is a human right, and stable housing and safe living conditions are essential to health and well-being
It is well known that homelessness and precarious housing are at crisis points in Toronto; in fact, Toronto City Council recently declared homelessness an emergency. In addition to a lack of affordable housing options for all income levels, there is a constant lack of emergency shelter spaces to accommodate the volume of people experiencing homelessness – a population in which Black, Indigenous, and other racialized groups continue to be over-represented. Given this reality, many people are sleeping outdoors, including in homeless encampments. The absence of a safe, stable place to sleep and access to the necessities of life makes it difficult to attain stability and adhere to a daily routine, which negatively impacts people’s physical and mental health, particularly during periods of inclement weather. As one Casey House nurse expressed, “For people without housing, managing their health requires so many things they just don’t have access to.”
The city’s housing charter and action plan recognize that housing is essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person, however this human right to housing is far from realized. While progress has been made, and while other orders of government have a role to play, there is much more work to do. The next Mayor of Toronto must exercise their power and responsibility to uphold and fulfill the human right to housing for all Torontonians. This entails allocating the maximum available resources, and using all appropriate means, to provide equitable, low-barrier access to adequate housing; and heeding the recommendations of Toronto’s Ombudsman to ensure a fair, consistent, transparent, and accountable response to homeless encampments.
2. Substance use is a health issue, not a criminal justice issue, and people who use drugs should not be criminalized
Despite substance use being a health issue it is treated as a criminal justice issue in Canada, which creates barriers to health services, particularly for people living in deep poverty. It leads health care providers to require that people stop using drugs in order to receive care; deters people from accessing services and supports which would build their resilience and improve their well-being; and drives the inevitable market of illegal drugs which have become increasingly toxic. Moreover, the criminalization of drugs is rooted in colonialism and racism, not in science or public health, and disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous communities.
In Toronto, promising work is underway to address this systemic barrier: Toronto Public Health’s request to Health Canada to decriminalize illicit drug possession is a decisive policy action. Allowing the possession of drugs for personal use is imperative for decreasing stigma, creating pathways to health care, and improving health outcomes. Equally critical is how this policy change is implemented: it must be supported by a wide range of health and social services that respond to the diverse needs of people who use drugs, including harm reduction – a people-centred and evidence-based approach that aims to reduce the risks of substance use without judgment or preconditions of support. The next Mayor of Toronto must continue to lead and support the critical work underway to help protect people from a toxic drug supply; reduce the harms of substance use, including stigma and discrimination; and respect the health, dignity and human rights of people who use drugs.
3. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect amidst the challenges they face, when interacting with local government
The city’s community safety and well-being plan strives for Toronto to “Become a Trauma-Informed and Responsive City”, one that is “grounded and directed by a thorough understanding of the complete impacts of trauma, adversity, racism and violence on people, families and neighbourhoods.”
A trauma-informed approach accepts and understands the impact of trauma on someone’s life; provides an opportunity for people to express their needs and experiences without feeling judged; and cultivates safety in every interaction to build trusting relationships. In our city, this means providing supports and infrastructure that are accessible and responsive to people’s circumstances and reflect the lived experiences of people from all walks of life, so that everyone feels safe, supported, and respected. The next Mayor of Toronto must champion Toronto’s commitment to becoming a trauma-informed and responsive city by acknowledging the profound effects of systemic inequities on people’s lives; ensuring that city services are delivered to help people to achieve stability in their lives and address the barriers they face; and espouse the fundamental notion that everyone deserves judgment-free care and support.
Leading with unequivocal compassion
All levels of government have a vital role to play in addressing the social factors that determine health and well-being, and in improving health care and outcomes for people in high need. As Toronto embarks on a new chapter of municipal political leadership, thoughtfulness, transparency, accountability, and compassion are imperative to promoting the health, dignity, and human rights of all Torontonians.
Casey House recognizes and acknowledges that systemic inequities deeply affect our clients, and believes it is our responsibility to advocate for compassionate and socially-just health care. Our advocacy seeks to address the structural barriers that prevent optimal health, and improve the well-being of all people living with or at risk of HIV. To learn more, visit Advocacy.
