Federal Election in Focus

Federal Election 2019 in Focus www.cachc.ca/election2019

Invest in Community Health Centres | Implement Universal Pharmacare Scott Wolfe - Canadian Association of Community Health Centres (Toronto, ON)

Expand Access to Dental Care Jeannie Villanueva - Mid-Main Community Health Centre (Vancouver, BC)

Invest in Housing and Homelessness SM Leduc - Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (Ottawa, ON)

Invest in Supports for Vulnerable Newcomers Siffan Rahman - Somerset West Community Health Centre (Ottawa, ON)

Advocacy in Action: Insights from Wellfort Raquelle Forrester, Marsha Brown, Edesiri Udoh - Wellfort Community Health Services (Brampton, ON)

Federal Investment in Community Health Centres (CHCs) Establish a federal government secretariat for CHCs. Mandate the new CHCs Secretariat to identify areas, across all federal agencies, where CHCs should serve as an implementation mechanism for federal strategies.

Invest a minimum of $80 million from 2020 – 2023 in community infrastructure projects at existing and new CHCs across Canada.

Invest a minimum of $10 million from 2020 – 2023 to support adoption of CHCbased innovations at other CHCs across Canada.

Allocate a portion of all federal investments to CHCs providing French-language services to French-speaking communities in minority settings across Canada.

Implement Universal Pharmacare Implement a universal, publicly-administered National Pharmacare program by 2020 that ensures coverage of a national formulary of prescription medications for all residents of Canada on similar terms and conditions regardless of age, sex, income, occupation, or health status.

Expand Access to Dental Care Allocate a minimum of $600 million in new annual federal funding for public dental care services for people who are not covered by private dental plans and cannot afford dental care. ďƒ˜ Funding to provinces and territories to expand public dental plans ďƒ˜ Funding to CHCs and public health units across Canada to expand their capacity to deliver public dental care services and programs.

Invest in Housing & Homelessness Preserve and expand the stock of social, non-profit, and cooperative housing across Canada.

Develop and implement an urban, rural and northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.

Further invest in accessible shelter spaces, social services and health services, and other supports for individuals facing temporary or chronic homelessness.

Enshrine the right to housing in federal legislation (incl. accountability mechanisms; adjudication process; goals and timelines; annual reporting)

www.ahomeforeveryone.ca

Invest in Supports for Vulnerable Newcomers Invest a minimum of $12 million from 2020 – 2023 to increase access to trained interpretation services at community-based health and social service agencies across Canada providing care/support to refugees and other vulnerable newcomers.

Invest a minimum of $20 million from 2020 – 2023 to expand trauma-informed mental health services at community-based health and social service agencies across Canada providing care/support to refugees and other vulnerable newcomers.

WellFort’s Advocacy Raquelle Forrester, Interim Co-CEO Marsha Brown, SCN Program Coordinator Edesiri Udoh, Health Promoter

About WellFort • Community Governed by a Board of Directors • One of over 70 CHCs across Ontario

• Operates 5 sites/programs:      9

Bramalea Community Health Centre Four Corners Health Centre Bloom Clinic Diabetes Education Program Health N’ Smiles Dental Clinic

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About WellFort • Our Vision: A healthier community where everyone belongs

• Our Mission: Healthcare focused on prevention, promotion and community development • Our Values:      10

Embrace diversity Respect our clients’ rights Responsive to the community Commitment to collaborative work Accountable and transparent

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Why WellFort engages in Advocacy…

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Presentation Title Goes Here WellFort’s Advocacy

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Peel Region is a large, diverse and vibrant municipality and home to 1.4 million residents

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Peel is one of the fastest growing municipality in Ontario

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We have the highest percentage of visible minority in the GTA (62.5%)

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Over 51% of Peel’s population are immigrants and large percentage are recent immigrants.

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We are the only full CHC in Peel region to serve such a fast growing population with high needs!

Why WellFort engages in Advocacy…

• The demographics paint a picture of diverse and complex needs in Peel region • Many of those we serve experience poor health outcomes and health inequities due to systemic barriers and unfavourable social determinants of health • As such we are committed to advocacy to address the social determinants of health as they’re the primary drivers of health inequity

• Our advocacy is usually in three main ways:  Organization and Board level  Service delivery : we integrate advocacy into our service delivery model  Policy advocacy: We advocate for healthier public policy 12

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Organization and Board level Advocacy 12 Board Members

Engaged

WELLFORT

Passionate

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WellConnected

Service Delivery Advocacy •

Our staff provide one-on-one support for individual clients and advocate on a daily basis for clients needs.

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Roles such as Support Care Navigators have been crucial to the one-on-one personalised care.

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Staff help clients access more comprehensive and tailored health and social services:  Coordination of care within the health centre  Referral to specialist care outside of the health centre  Connection to legal, settlement services, housing and social assistance benefits

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This advocacy enables our clients to overcome barriers they face when navigating our health and other systems.

Policy Advocacy •

Our policy advocacy is aimed at influencing decision makers at all levels of government to adopt policies that improve our communities’ health

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Several policy advocacy strategies/tools we’ve used include:    

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Media Advocacy Social media Engaging with Policy makers Partnership: Systems advocacy

Advocacy strategies operate on a spectrum; from low-key efforts to intensive/deliberate efforts

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Policy Advocacy Several factors determine the advocacy medium and intensity of advocacy:     

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What the issue is What advocacy efforts already exist Organizational capacity/resources Political climate Best practices related to that issue (you’re advocating on).

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Policy Advocacy: via Media • • •

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Using media to influence policy or advance social change Low key: Writing articles to press to increase public awareness about the issue More intense: Getting Media coverage of advocacy efforts, rallies, calling for public’s support.

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Policy Advocacy: via Social Media •

Low key: participating in social media campaigns related to the issue: liking, retweeting, sharing, etc.

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Moderate: more active participation in campaigns - adding your own comment, perspective to the tweet or post shared, tagging your own local policy makers, etc.

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More Deliberate/Intense: Creating your own social media campaign on the issue, mobilizing support, etc.

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Policy Advocacy: via Social Media More deliberate: Universal Pharmacare -

Using evidence to show depth of the issue

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Using client stories to deliver a powerful message

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Using champions to amplify the voices and to show health impact of policy

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Tailoring the message to audience: policy makers and public alike

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Using relevant social media platforms

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Providing a medium for people to join the action: eg, petitions

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Policy Advocacy: Via Social Media Dental care

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Policy Advocacy: Engaging with Policy Makers •

Non-partisan

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Low key: writing to policy makers (MPPs, MPs)

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Moderate: creating platforms for community to engage with policy makers, Invite the MPP or MP for a visit to your centre, engaging with MPPs/MPs on social media 21

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Policy Advocacy: Engaging with Policy makers • •

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More intense: Democratic engagement activities, Meeting the MPP or MP to discuss the issues and proffer alternate policy solutions

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Partnership: Systems Advocacy •

We partner with multisector agencies and stakeholders as a collective to address SDOH

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We take an active role in these partnerships

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National association: CACHC

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Provincial association: Alliance for Healthier Communities

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Sister CHCs

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Partnership: Systems Advocacy

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What to do to increase your action and capacity

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Make it an explicit priority for your organization

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Identify what issue(s) affect your community (and current political climate)

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Identify what is being done regarding that issue: Program (public or community agency offered), Collaborative (partners working together), Advocacy (is any one locally doing any advocacy)

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Identify which strategies would work for the issue

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Identify which strategies you’re already doing and which you can build upon

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Explore advocacy / social media training opportunities to build upon for staff (Alliance for Healthier Communities, CACHC provide many opportunities)

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There’s always more we can do to protect the vulnerable amongst us.

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WellFort’s Strength: Our People

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Bramalea Community Health Centre 40 Finchgate Blvd., Suite 224 Brampton, Ontario L6T 3J1 Phone: 905.451.6959 Email: info@wellfort.ca

Four Corners Health Centre 7205 Goreway Drive Mississauga Ontario L4T 2T9 Phone: 905.451.6959 Email: info@wellfort.ca