Casey House was recently honoured with the gift of a sacred drum for clients, staff, peers, volunteers and families to use for ceremonies and spiritual practices.
On April 30, 2022, The Toronto Central Regional Indigenous Cancer Program (TCR-ICP) gifted a ceremonial hand drum to Casey House, making it the seventh local hospital to receive this physical representation of Mother Earth’s heartbeat. This special rhythm facilitates healing and realignment of the four realms of human existence (mental, spiritual, emotional and physical) as the Creator revolves around the rhythm.
This significant and symbolic gift recognizes Casey House’s ongoing work to build relationships and improve the holistic care and experience of Indigenous staff, clients, and community members. The TCR-ICP works to build capacity amongst local hospitals to provide Indigenous medicine in conjunction with traditional western healing practices.
Elder Linda Barkman
This special occasion brought together members of both organizations and special guests to participate and witness the offering. The ceremony began with an opening prayer smudge from traditional knowledge keeper Elder Linda Barkman, followed by a welcoming song by drummer and singer Sara Luey, and a land acknowledgment recognizing the lasting impacts of colonialism for Indigenous peoples from Jennifer Dewling, chair of Casey House’s board of directors. With the guidance of Casey House client Rod Michano, tobacco ties were offered to the TCR-ICP staff in reciprocity for the gift of the drum and honouring our relationship.
Next, there was an offering to the drum. Indigenous patient navigator Leonard Benoit blessed the drum as he explained that the top of the drum is the sky, the bottom is the earth, and the circle presents balance, equality, wholeness, and connection. Leonard also shared his journey with the drum, which he had brought to a river under the most recent full moon to bless it near water.
Sonya Robins, Casey House inpatient clinical lead, offered a tobacco tie to Leonard and accepted the drum on behalf of the hospital. The drum was awakened in all four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north. Sonya accepted the gift as part of Casey House’s commitment to build relationships and provide culturally safe care for Indigenous patients.
Sonya and Leonard
The drum was paired with its first singer Rod Michano, who sang a Turtle song for those assembled.
Rod
Finally, as Sara drummed a heartbeat, guests tied orange ribbons to the courtyard trees in honour of the recently discovered and unmarked gravesites on the properties of former Residential schools. After some time, the ribbons will be removed and put to another purpose so they can be brought back to the earth.
Sonya, keeper of the drum, is learning how to take care of this healing and ceremonial tool, as Casey House looks forward to offering the drum for clients and families to use in their individual journeys of health and wellness.
Casey House is committed to supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada final report’s ‘calls to action’, including incorporating Indigenous healing practices into service delivery and organizational practices.
Ontario votes on Thursday, June 2, 2022! As an organization committed to improving health care and outcomes for people who use drugs, Casey House is sharing our insights and ideas for how the next Ontario government can reduce the risks of substance use through harm reduction.
At our hospital, we build relationships through our harm reduction approach; we work side-by-side with clients, respectfully supporting them to drive decisions regarding their own care. In our election platform, we share our recommendations for how the next government can further embed harm reduction in health care across Ontario.
Casey House's election platform
Unequivocal Compassion: Reducing the risks of substance use through thoughtful, tailored health care
For decades, harm reduction has been shown to prevent and reverse overdoses, reduce infectious disease transmission, decreases public drug use and unsafe practices, and saves costs. Harm reduction also reaches people who traditionally have not accessed health and social services, keeps them connected to care, and is more responsive to the diverse needs of Ontarians.
Casey House believes that reducing the risks of drug use through harm reduction in a judgment-free environment is an essential health service. When harm reduction is a meaningful part of health care, more people are kept alive, safe and supported.
At minimum, Casey House recommends that the next Ontario government further embed harm reduction in health care by improving access to safer injection and inhalation drug use supplies across the health care system.
Use your voice: question for candidates in your riding
In addition to voting, you have an opportunity to raise issues you care about with all candidates vying for a seat in the Ontario legislature. To help you engage with political hopefuls in your community, here is a question to ask any candidate:
What will your party do to address the accelerating overdose crisis in Ontario?
If you are a Canadian citizen, a resident of Ontario, and 18+ on election day, you have the right to vote. When you exercise this right, you help choose who represents you in government.
Are you registered to vote?
If you’re not already registered (or if you’re unsure and need to check), Use Elections Ontario’s eRegistration to confirm, update or add your voter information before May 23.
Do you know who is running in your riding?
Visit elections.on.ca and type your postal code into the Voter Information Service box for information about your riding.
Casey House is committed to improving health care and outcomes for people who use drugs by advocating for judgment-free and trauma-informed care, access to harm reduction services, and progressive drug policy that promotes the health, dignity and human rights of people who use drugs. To learn more, visit Advocacy.
Casey House’s annual auction of Canadian contemporary art, Art With Heart, is entering its 29th year. While the auction is still many months away, the planning phase is well underway. In response to our open call for submissions, independent artists and galleries from across Canada have shared hundreds of artwork for consideration, representing a range of styles, techniques, and forms of expression. The review and selection of artwork to form this year’s collection takes weeks to complete, and began as soon as our public call closed.
What makes this process possible? The Casey House Foundation team benefits enormously from the incredible support and dedication of an Art With Heart curatorial committee: a group of artists, gallerists, collectors, and arts professionals who volunteer their time to bring their visions and voices to assemble the collection.
This year, we are thrilled to welcome four new members to the curatorial committee:
Sara Angel, founder and executive director of the Art Canada Institute, Toronto
Michelle Jacques, head of exhibitions & collections and chief curator at Remai Modern, Saskatoon
Nicolas Robert, founder and director, Gallery Nicolas Robert, Montreal and Toronto
The returning members of the Art With Heart curatorial committee are:
Dan Menchions, Co-chair
Laura Dawe, Co-chair
April Hickox
Brian Pel
Devan Patel
Jane Hutchison
Jennie Kraehling
Raoul Olou
Spencer Shevlen
Steven Baum
Steven Rapkin
Stuart Keeler
Together, the members of this dynamic committee build sustaining relationships in the arts community, while working collaboratively to shape the stellar collection of artwork we bring to auction in October. Sharing a common goal to raise vital funds to support compassionate, transformational health care at Casey House, celebrating art and social justice.
Cheers to Art With Heart 2022 and the stunning collection to be auctioned October 18th!
Casey House believes that reducing the risks of drug use through harm reduction in a judgment-free environment is an essential health service. We believe that health care should be thoughtful, tailored, and meet people where they are at, and that wide-ranging harm reduction services are needed as part of overall health care.
Casey House is unlike any other hospital. We build relationships through our harm reduction approach. We are committed to improving quality of life, creating stability and helping clients reach their health and wellness goals. We constantly look for ways to help more people overcome barriers that perpetuate health inequities and access care. In August 2021, Casey House became the first hospital in Ontario to provide on-site 24/7 supervised consumption services (SCS) as part of our inpatient unit. In April 2022, we expanded this service to include outpatient clients.
For many people, substance use is a way to cope with intersecting challenges such as trauma, poverty, homelessness and mental health concerns, which can create multiple barriers to having one’s basic needs met. The drug poisoning crisis, housing crisis, and COVID-19 pandemic all exacerbate the risks faced by people who use substances. Given the increasingly toxic supply of unregulated drugs and growing risk of overdose, the need for responsive programs like supervised consumption services is urgent.
For decades, harm reduction has been shown to prevent and reverse overdoses, promote safer drug use, and reduce infectious disease transmission. Supervised consumption services provide a safe space for people to use their own drugs under the care of trained health care staff – without judgment or requiring that they stop using substances. In addition to creating this supportive environment, SCS provide drug testing, sterile equipment and education on safer drug use and overdose prevention. Imbedded in our outpatient nursing clinic, SCS also helps facilitate seamless access to other health services. These services are a critical part of health care overall, and enable our clinical team members to deliver thoughtful, tailored care that meets people where they are at.
Fostering trust and connection to care
People who use drugs often experience significant barriers to care for a wide range of health needs, including those unrelated to their substance use. Many health professionals are not well equipped to understand and consider the realities of substance use when providing care, and stigma continues to be widespread. Entrenched attitudes to substance use in hospitals without a harm reduction approach can lead people to discharge themselves early, or be hesitant to access health care at all.
In Casey House’s experience, providing harm reduction care in a judgment-free environment helps: communicate openness; encourage people to speak with health care providers about their drug use; and increase the willingness of both clinicians and the people they care for to discuss drug-related harms. Research has shown that supervised consumption services have a unique opportunity to connect people to referrals and other programs, and help address health needs that may otherwise go unchecked. Providing SCS in a compassionate and judgment-free environment can help build stronger relationships with people who use drugs and keep them connected to the care they need.
A role for hospitals
Although harm reduction is a key pillar of Canada’s national public health approach to substance use, and while services are broadly available across the country, access remains a critical gap in many communities and harm reduction approaches are not yet common in hospital settings. Providing a diverse range of harm reduction services across the health care system enables people who use drugs to access care that is responsive to the reality of their lives, and research has demonstrated that SCS save costs for health systems overall. Hospitals have a unique and significant opportunity to increase access to harm reduction services, support destigmatizing policies and actions, and improve health care and outcomes for people who use drugs.
Casey House honours the tremendous work of the harm reduction community across the country, who laid the groundwork over many years for hospital-based supervised consumption to become a reality.
Casey House is committed to improving health care and outcomes for people who use drugs by advocating for judgment-free and trauma-informed care, access to harm reduction services, and progressive drug policy that promotes the health, dignity and human rights of people who use drugs. To learn more, visit Advocacy.
TORONTO, ON (April 4, 2022) – Today, Casey House launched outpatient supervised consumption services (SCS), providing a second safe space for clients to use their own drugs while being monitored by trained staff who can provide emergency medical care in case of overdose.
A specialty hospital for people living with and at risk of HIV, Casey House is the first hospital in Ontario and third in Canada to offer on-site supervised consumption as part of its health care.
Expanding access to supervised consumption is critical, given the increasingly toxic supply of unregulated drugs and the growing risk of overdose, which has killed more than 24,000 people in Canada since 2016. Drug testing and supervision at an SCS substantially reduce the risk of overdose and death, and increase access to sterile equipment, education on safer use, and health and social services.
“You don’t have to be a harm reduction expert to understand this is an essential health service,” says Jennifer A. Dewling, Principal at Genova Private Management and chair of Casey House’s board of directors. “This new initiative represents an expansion of our overall holistic approach to health care and harm reduction.”
Casey House’s SCS are open to registered clients 24 hours a day for the inpatient unit and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for outpatients, and are an extension of its regular health services. Clients can inject, snort or eat their pre-obtained substances at private consumption booths at two supervised locations. Because of the alarming overdose risk from smoking unregulated drugs, more than a third of Ontario overdose deaths in 2020 were attributed to inhaling substances, we built one booth to allow for safer inhalation and are working towards offering this service.
Substance use is frequently a coping mechanism for a myriad of challenges such as trauma and poverty that compound and create barriers to having basic needs met. Barriers faced by people who use drugs prevent them from getting equitable access to health care, which Casey House believes everyone deserves.
“Hospital-based supervised drug use and overdose prevention is something Casey House feels people should be entitled to as part of overall health care. Being able to safely use substances while on-site keeps people connected to health care,” says Dr. Ed Kucharski, chief medical officer at Casey House. “Drug consumption is a key component in understanding and managing someone’s health, and needs to be considered in our clients’ care plans.”
Casey House, known for more than 30 years for expertise in caring for people living with HIV, has recently started also serving those at high risk of HIV. This includes people excluded from traditional care systems, such as people who use drugs.
“Our hospital’s ongoing harm reduction work mirrors and supports the work we do with members of the community who frequently experience barriers to safe living, whether because of stigma, precarious housing, or access to health care,” says Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO.
Simons credits the tremendous work of the harm reduction community across the country, who laid the groundwork over many years for hospital-based supervised consumption to become a reality.
Funding for this new initiative was entirely provided by Casey House donors.
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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.
To book an interview with Casey House chief executive officer Joanne Simons, or for more information, contact:
Cole Douglas
Narrative on behalf of Casey House Cole.douglas@narrative.ca
416.460.5480
In celebration of the 12 days of Casey House Christmas
1st day: One new website. This summer, Casey House launched caseyhouse.ca, an easy to navigate, informative hub with a more contemporary design. Explore caseyhouse.ca today.
2nd day: Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Our pharmacist and nurses have been providing clients with COVID-19 vaccines at Casey House, helping increase access to this vital health service.
3rd day: Three new position statements on harm reduction. Improving health care and outcomes for people who use drugs requires judgment-free, culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed care; increased access to a diverse range of harm reduction services and supports; and progressive drug policy that promotes the health, dignity and human rights of people who use drugs. Read the statements here
5th day: Top five health charities. Casey House was proud to be listed among Charity Intelligence Canada‘s top five health charities and top 100 charities in Canada. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gbf9geq
6th day: Six recipients of The Casey Awards. The awards recognize leadership in HIV/AIDS and social justice. Read the tributes to Bob Leahy, Sean Hosein, Alphonso King Jr., Gregory Robinson, Prairie Harm Reduction, and Martha McCain.
7th day: Seven days a week of inpatient care. Casey House offers inpatient clients 24-hour care by doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals, including social work services, mental health support and supervised consumption services.
8th day: Eight days left to qualify for a 2021 tax receipt. Give generously before year-end and your donation will qualify for a 2021 charitable receipt. Donate now
9th day: Nine medical students are doing a community-based learning student placement at Casey House, learning about our philosophy of engaging compassion to deliver our holistic approach to health care.
10th day: Ten weeks until June’s HIV+ Eatery. We’re smashing stigma again in March with three nights of delicious food made with the help of a team of HIV+ chefs. Get a taste of June’s here.
11th day: Eleven dimensions in our new Multipurpose Resilience Assessment & Evaluation Tool. This custom client inquiry guide enables clinical staff to assess resilience in diverse aspects of an individual’s life such as Access to health care, Impacts of substance use, and Food access & nutrition, which helps them create holistic care plans for each individual.
12th day: Clients grew more than 12 varieties of plants in the Love Family Healing Garden on our rooftop as part of the day health program garden group which supports multiple aspects of mental health, including: carrots, bok choy, sweet pea, zucchini, cucumber, melon, peas, beans, corn, ground cherries and herbs. The produce is incorporated into meals by the kitchen crew, and also sent home with delighted clients, helping address food insecurity
Canada votes on Monday, September 20, 2021! In addition to voting, you have an opportunity to raise issues you care about with all candidates vying for a seat in parliament. To help you engage with political hopefuls in your community, Casey House is sharing five questions to ask any candidate about issues related to HIV, harm reduction, and compassionate, socially-just health care.
1. Canada’s blood donation policy continues to exclude the 2SGBTQ/MSM community
In order to donate blood in Canada, men who have sex with men must be abstinent for three months before donating. As Casey House’s chief medical officer Dr. Ed Kucharski explains, “This thinking is not only outdated and discriminatory, it ignores science. The current evidence makes it clear why 2SGBTQ/MSM should be eligible to donate blood in Canada”. While Canadian Blood Services intends to recommend this policy change by the end of the year, the federal government can and must act sooner.
Question for candidates: Will your party mandate Health Canada to immediately end Canada’s discriminatory blood donation policy?
2. HIV continues to be highly stigmatized in Canada
One in five people living with HIV are denied health services because of stigma and discrimination. This affects people’s willingness to be tested and then to seek treatment and support, and fuels misinformation about HIV and the impact it has on those who live with it. Speaking up against HIV stigma makes a difference, and we need more people to know the facts, correct misinformation, and use language that empowers people living with HIV.
Question for Candidates: How will you correct misinformation and insist on language that empowers people living with HIV?
3. Canada’s overdose epidemic is a national crisis
More than 21,000 Canadians have died of overdose since 2016 due to the toxic drug supply. Providing access to harm reduction services (such as safer drug use and consumption services) and a safer supply of regulated drugs, as part of comprehensive mental health and addictions care, is essential to reduce the risks of drug use, save lives, and improve health care for people who use drugs.
Question for Candidates: What will your party do to ensure that harm reduction services and safer supply programs are more available, as part of mental health and addictions care?
4. Racialized communities are disproportionately impacted by HIV infection rates
Systemic barriers to health equity and access to health care mean that disparities exist in HIV diagnoses and outcomes. In 2019, almost half of new HIV infections were among Black people (25.5%) and Indigenous peoples (24.7%), despite these communities accounting for a much smaller percentage of the country’s overall population.
Question for candidates: How will your government formally acknowledge and address racial inequality in health care, and address disproportionate rates of HIV in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities?
5. Canada’s fight against HIV is chronically underfunded
Since 2003, community-based programs that connect people living with, or at risk of, HIV to vital services have been underfunded, to the tune of more than $123 million in commitments that were never delivered. As a result, many organizations have closed or discontinued programs. With 62,050 Canadians living with HIV and 2,122 new HIV diagnoses reported in 2018, Canada’s HIV response needs to be adequately funded. On World AIDS Day 2020 Senator René Cormier introduced a motion that called on the federal government to increase HIV-specific funding to $100 million annually.
Question for candidates: How will your government apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to deepen the federal government’s investment in the HIV epidemic and reduce new HIV infections?
Every Canadian citizen has the right to vote. When you exercise this right, you help choose who represents you in government.
Read Casey House’s 2020-21 impact report, our annual compilation of outcomes and accomplishments from an unprecedented year. The report includes our response to COVID-19, initiatives in harm reduction and enhancing client care, as well as the pivot to virtual fundraising events.
Just before the pandemic kicked in last year Casey House welcomed its first clinical pharmacist – Jon Smith. While the plans for Jon’s first year were adapted due to COVID-19, what remained unchanged was his commitment to “meeting clients where they are on their health journey”.
Jon speaks passionately about his role, “Providing innovative and compassionate HIV care is challenging and rewarding work: in addition to dispensing medications and advice, I work with the clinical teams to assess each inpatient client’s medication history and health concerns. I also monitor their drug therapy each day, looking for medication-related issues and adverse effects.”
When a Casey House client is discharged from the inpatient unit Jon stays connected and involved. To ensure clients have everything they need to make a seamless transition back to the community Jon contacts their pharmacy to update prescriptions and review their specific needs.
Casey House is always looking for new and innovative ways to care for our community. Last fall, because Jon was on staff, we created an inventory of vaccines for flu, hepatitis B and pneumonia. We developed educational tools and presentations for the clinical team, and established a formalized reporting system to track potential adverse drug reactions. Jon also co-chairs a new drugs and therapeutics committee at the hospital, and started welcoming pharmacy students for six-week residencies.
Jon says it’s been a very rewarding first year. His contributions to our purpose of transforming lives and health care through compassion and social justice supports Casey House in developing relationships with clients that help them build health and stability in their lives.
Donor gifts help Jon and Casey House continue providing care for people living with HIV and AIDS. Contribute to that support- make a donation today.
