Annual Report 2023 | SRCHC Annual Report

Expanding and Revitalizing Services to Support Community Needs

report_admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:35:51 +0000

Following a lengthy period of COVID-19 precautions, the Substance Use and Mental Health team was able to shift towards more in-person group programming this past year. Service users benefited from a range of programming across South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) sites, including low-barrier drop-in programming, arts-based programming, Indigenous Circles, gender-specific programming, educational workshops, trauma-treatment groups, Hep C treatment groups and writing circles. These initiatives were led by interdisciplinary teams comprised of community health workers, trauma social workers, health promoters, community support workers and harm reduction workers.

Other programs were also revitalized through collaboration this year. After an extended closure, the Oakridge Health and Harm Reduction Hub resumed services at 52 Cataraqui Crescent in early 2023. The Hub and its partners hosted a spring information session for service users to solicit feedback about what services and opportunities were most impactful. As part of the East Toronto Outreach Program, SRCHC partnered with different organizations to provide a wide range of services that broaden the scope of harm reduction services. These services include housing support through COTA, legal aid services and support with Sound Times, case management with The Neighbourhood Group, and on-site crisis support with Gerstein Crisis Centre. In December 2023, the Hub partnered with Second Harvest to address food insecurity by distributing food donations through a weekly food bank. This holistic range of services offers a one-stop shop, reducing barriers for people in need of accessing a range of supports.

SRCHC’s Harm Reduction Worker Training and Apprenticeship Program wrapped in 2023. The program saw two cohorts graduate with 39 total participants in the training program, 22 of which went on to apprentice at various organizations in the city. The project has increased participants’ harm reduction knowledge, self-confidence, sense of community and purpose. Congratulations graduates!

The Toronto Community Hep C Program (TCHCP) continues to expand its programming and research partnerships across the city. The TCHCP partnered with University Health Network, Michael Garron Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital and several community health centres to amplify promising and best practices. Through outreach efforts, the TCHCP has reached a broader range of clients, including individuals living in Toronto Community Housing, accessing emergency room departments and experiencing barriers to accessing testing and treatment.

The KeepSIX Consumption and Treatment Service has been working with the community to address the needs of neighbours and service users through the Community Advisory Committee, the Community Liaison Committee and open houses at our 955 Queen St E location, which gave visitors the opportunity to take a guided tour of KeepSIX. On average, between 75 and 85 unique clients access KeepSix each month. Service hours have been expanded and the site now operates from 8am to 8pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. KeepSIX is often the entry-point for people who use drugs to access healthcare. In addition to overdose response services, KeepSIX offers brief case management services, clinical care, and information and referrals including onsite access to addiction medicine doctors in partnership with the Comprehensive Treatment Clinic.

Over the past year, SRCHC has moved forward on several environmental, safety, and community engagement activities as part of a comprehensive quality improvement process. Changes include increased community needle sweeps to twice-daily Monday through Friday. In addition, SRCHC worked with the City of Toronto to install a needle kiosk at Jimmie Simpson park to support the safe disposal of used supplies in the Leslieville community.

Our team is looking forward to another exciting year guided by relationships, communities and the people who use our services!

Statistics at Glance

unique clients accessed the Hep C program

diagnostic tests were administered for Hep C, Hep B and HIV to clients

diagnostic tests were administered for Hep C through outreach testing

Working Collaboratively with Local Partners to Provide Integrated Care Across East Toronto

report_admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:30:37 +0000

At South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC), a strategic priority for the organization is to “lead systems transformation through building and nurturing partnerships that support an inter-sectoral approach to addressing the social determinants of health.” SRCHC is involved in multiple partnership projects with agencies and community that focus on improving the well-being of clients and community members. We work with communities and research partners to build knowledge and evidence that inform practice, leadership and transformative change.

SRCHC works closely with partner agencies with in the East Toronto Health Partners Ontario Health Team (OHT) and the Downtown East OHT to plan and coordinate services. East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the OHT serving East Toronto, is a collaborative initiative that brings together more than 100 health, social and community service providers and organizations who work together to improve the ways in which community members find and receive care in East Toronto.

SRCHC is an anchor partner within the ETHP and represents one of five community health centres (CHCs) in East Toronto including Access Alliance, East End Community Health Centre, Flemingdon Community Health Centre and Vibrant Healthcare Alliance. CHCs in East Toronto have a long history of working together in an integrated and collaborative manner. SRCHC has worked with local CHCs on a range of healthcare initiatives with a focus on health equity, health promotion, community governance and team-based care for socially vulnerable and medically complex residents. By working as one coordinated team, rather than separately, we aim to make finding and receiving care more connected across the spectrum of care and easier to navigate. This approach helps to improve access to services, as well as reduces delays, mitigates duplication in care and addresses gaps in service delivery.

SRCHC staff support a number of projects within the ETHP OHT, including:

Working with OHTs in our community to redesign integrated care pathways for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and diabetic foot care.

Working with ETHP on a year-long consultation that will help to advance the OHT’s work across equity and anti-racism. This work will inform how we work together to co-design a more inclusive health system that delivers high-quality care with equitable health outcomes for everyone.

ETHP has partnered with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) to embark on a four-year journey to optimize patient outcomes through evidence-based practice and robust staff engagement across multiple ETHP member organizations. This partnership has been informed by the implementation of Best Practice Guidelines, which provide evidence-based recommendations and implementation tips pertaining to infrastructure, knowledge exchange, capacity building, dissemination, evaluation and reporting. SRCHC is currently working with our OHT partners in East Toronto on a falls prevention toolkit to help inform organizational fall prevention programs across our OHT partner organizations. The toolkit also contains a series of image and text-based handouts to help people prevent and respond to falls at home.

SRCHC’s partnerships are paramount to achieving the organizational vision to create empowered, healthy and thriving communities where everyone belongs. It is through collective efforts with ETHP that we strive to amplify the work being done at the Centre and expand our impact throughout East Toronto by enhancing integrated care for its community members.

Meeting Community Needs with Diverse Programs and Services

report_admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:25:56 +0000

Creating a space for connection and inclusion is vital to the work we have been doing within the Community Health and Chronic Disease portfolio over the past year. The loosening of COVID-19 restrictions provided an opportunity to evaluate how programs were offered in the past and to reconsider how programs could be offered moving forward.

We asked ourselves “how do we ensure that our programs are easy to access?” and considered various service delivery options, including in-person, virtual and hybrid. Feedback from community members and clients made the answer simple – all of the above! The pandemic forced us to learn how to provide quality virtual care quickly and the takeaway is that virtual care is here to stay, as it often expands access to programs and services to a greater range of clients. Needless to say, the merit of in-person appointments and groups will always remain. The in-person space allows many community members, especially in group settings, to foster a sense of safety and belonging, and to receive valued peer-to-peer support.

Collaborative efforts with community members are imperative to ensure that our programs and services are responsive to the unique needs of the diverse populations we serve. Food insecurity is a pressing issue within our catchment area, which we aim to address through the programs offered at our Community Food Centre. Through programs such as the weekly community meal program and the Good Food Market, we provide freshly cooked nutritious meals, and affordable and accessible produce. Additionally, we have opened our doors to our neighbours at 500 Dawes Rd, providing space for tenants to gather and host educational workshops on tenants' rights—an essential aspect of community connection and inclusion.

Our Senior Active Living Centres are a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. Recognizing the diversity of our senior population, we have established four different language advisory committees (Tamil, Bengali, Chinese and English) that meet regularly to discuss and recommend changes to better meet our clients' needs. In response to their feedback, we recently installed grab bars in all washrooms and replaced old chairlifts, ensuring that our facilities are safe and accessible for all.

Over the past year we have increased access to services by embedding chronic disease programs and services within priority neighbourhoods in our catchment area. Consultation with community agencies and data analysis are crucial to identify areas with the greatest need, such as Taylor Massey and Oakridge neighbourhoods. We recognize that we cannot achieve significant change in these areas alone. It is with support from internal programs, collaborative partners and the voices of our community members that we are able to make our programs and services accessible, and achieve a greater impact.

This year, South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) partnered with Diabetes Action Canada (DAC) to become their first official Knowledge User partner. This partnership will allow SRCHC access to resources within the DAC network, to inform policies related to provincial-level diabetes eye screening and limb preservation work, and advance diabetes management and care for our clients. This will build upon our existing Diabetes Eye Screening Program, which is currently the top-performing tele-ophthalmology program in the province based on recent fiscal numbers screened and total numbers screened since the programs started.

Evolving Integrated Health Care Practices to Improve Client-Centered Care

report_admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:16:19 +0000

At South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) our primary care team works collaboratively on care planning for clients with complex needs. Our healthcare practices ensure coordinated delivery of the highest possible quality of care and inter-disciplinary referrals, supporting clients to be co-designers of their own care plans.

SRCHC joins a movement of over 20,000 member agencies worldwide of the International Federation for Integrated Care working diligently to improve individual and population health through co-designing and coordinating care planning and delivery with individual and communities.

This evolution of integrated health care within SRCHC can be exemplified in our work to improve: real-time access to care, supports for discharge planning, in-home services for patients and inclusive health services.

Real-time access to care

SRCHC operates clinics that support same day or next day access to care. These include our outreach clinic which is intended for registered patients who face barriers to care and experience challenges keeping scheduled appointments. We also offer six days a week urgent care clinics that allow patients with acute health episodes, that cannot wait for regular appointments, to see a primary care provider. Such practices ensure real-time access to quality health care, which in turn reduces the number of emergency department visits and improves health outcomes by preventing the escalation of health conditions.

Discharge planning

SRCHC continues to work with our hospital partners to support discharge planning. Efficient discharge planning and processes are critical to ensuring smooth patient flow, continuity of care and reduction of the likelihood of patient readmission to hospital. Discharge notes communicate crucial patient information such as reason for visiting the emergency department, tests conducted and diagnoses, care provided, changes to medications and follow-up recommendations. Timely and confidential transfer of discharge notes between hospitals and attending primary care providers has been a critical practice to ensure continuity of care following discharge and has reduced medical errors during care transitions.

Home Care

SRCHC continues to work closely with East Toronto Health Partners, the Ontario Health Team serving East Toronto, to improve the quality of healthcare for homebound individuals. Our team-based model of care enables a Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner/Physician and where relevant, a Social Worker/Dietitian or Health Promoter, to plan a joint visit to a patient’s home to provide wrap-around care. These visits also provide caregivers with tips on how to better provide care to their patients and family members. Our work in this area continues to evolve and we are able to provide some homebound patients of the centre access to virtual group-based heath promotion and education sessions.

Inclusive health services

SRCHC continues to build strategic primary care partnerships with community organizations to address social issues that affect clients’ health. Pertinent initiatives involve providing culturally-sensitive care for 2SLGBTQ+ service users, reducing barriers related to racism and discrimination, integrating Indigenous models of care within competency training, expanding virtual and community care for individuals with mobility challenges, and improving food access.

These efforts exemplify SRCHC’s client-centered approach to care, which aims to take into consideration the diverse health needs, barriers to care and cultural contexts experienced by our community. This approach helps to ensure more equitable access to and greater quality of care for our clients.

We look forward to continue building and deepening relationships and engaging with new community members. We continue to strive to provide the highest quality care and adapt to our clients’ changing needs.

Board Chair & CEO Message

report_admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 21:52:48 +0000

In the life of every organization there are key moments, watershed moments, that stand out: when a movement forms sitting around a kitchen table, cutting that ribbon on your doors for the first time, or when an organization’s founder retires.

2023 was a watershed year for South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC).

In July of 2023 our community was devastated by a violent act close to home that took the life of Karolina Huebner-Makurat, a mother, wife and local resident, who was out for a stroll in the neighbourhood. That violent loss of life shook the Leslieville community and some took aim at SRCHC, our staff and the people we serve, believing we helped foster that violence.

As we all reeled from that tragedy, we quickly realized there was more work we could do to build understanding of how services like ours can help make communities safer. We were also reminded that we had to do a better job of listening to – and working with – our local community.

This tragedy drew attention, in some cases national attention, to the opioid crisis across the country. Debates about decriminalization and types of treatment will continue to swirl, especially as political leaders try to grapple with the intractable issues of poverty, homelessness and the drug poisoning crisis. But for us at SRCHC, this all comes down to people – people who are a part of our community.

SRCHC has been serving people who use drugs for decades and became leaders in this area in 1998 when we launched our formal harm reduction services, another watershed moment. In 2016-17, we successfully launched one of the first small-scale supervised injection sites in Ontario. Since then, the illegal drug supply has grown in toxicity and so many more people are dying.

That’s why last year our Board and our staff reaffirmed our commitment to continue our harm reduction and consumption treatment services, serving some of the most vulnerable clients in the city, even when we were confronted by hostile voices.

Our consumption treatment service (CTS) has always been about public health and public safety. We truly believe that our communities are safer when we are able to support people who use drugs and connect them with the services they need. According to The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), on average 20 people die from opioid toxicity every single day in Canada. These are community members using drugs alone, at home, outdoors, or in local businesses.

CTS benefits the community by preventing some of those deaths. SRCHC overturned 124 overdoses in 2022 and 74 in 2023. In addition, SRCHC reduced the number of injections taking place on the street and prevented unsafe injection practices, which can lead to the transmission of blood borne infections. Last year we made almost a thousand referrals to mental health services.

Whether through our revitalized community liaison group or through our open houses this past year, we spent time listening to and connecting with the community. And we responded by implementing a number of local suggestions.

Although our consumption treatment service received considerable attention in 2023, we would be remiss if we didn’t highlight the exceptional work done by our staff in our many other programs and services such as diabetes and seniors support, reducing social isolation, mental health, food security, physiotherapy, primary care, environmental health, chronic disease prevention, and much more. Our incredibly dedicated and passionate staff provide group, individual, drop-in, virtual and mobile support in locations across East Toronto. This annual report tells the story of a year in the life of our organization – of which we are incredibly proud.

If 2023 was a difficult year, punctuated by a violent, senseless act, it was also a year to reflect, to review, and to affirm the dedication of our organization to the people and the communities we serve.

Jason Altenberg
Chief Executive Officer

Emily Hill
Chair, SRCHC Board of Directors

Board of Directors:
Emily Hill
Rebecca Ho
Bella Bereket
Matthew Cheng
Philip Berger
Rishma Pradhan
Aparna Kajenthira
Jen Quito
Kristen Yee Joshi
Mike Wilson
Arman Hamidian
Nisha Hariharan