After completing the peer training program at South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) in 2017, Douglas Belanger was hired as a Community Support Worker (CSW) on the Toronto Community Hepatitis C Program (TCHCP) team. Reflecting on his journey, Doug shares that his own personal experience is what drew him to this meaningful work.
“After 15 years of trying to get Hep C treatment, and being judged and stigmatized, I found a program that didn’t judge me. The Hep C nurse used 10 cent words, not one hundred dollars words, to help me understand,” Doug explains. “She used a harm reduction approach and treated me with dignity and respect – that’s what got me into it.”
Today, Doug brings that same empathy, compassion and commitment to his role, offering support to individuals navigating Hep C treatment and other life challenges. “What motivates me and makes me passionate is being able to listen, treat people with dignity and respect, and support them with what they need at that moment. Being able to relate when connecting someone. Providing a warm handoff when referring them to other programs. Instead of just giving them the number to call or a place to go. I do it with them; I make calls with them and I support them.”
In addition to his passion for connecting with clients, Doug is grateful for the opportunity to grow within the TCHCP program. “I have been able to move up at SRCHC, and now I work full time. I’m great at locating people in the community, and I am valued as a part of the community.”
Doug’s dedication, his personal journey and his compassionate approach to delivering care embody SRCHC’s mission, vision and values. He meets individuals where they are and helps them achieve better health outcomes without judgment and now helps others do the same.
In addition to working on the TCHCP team, Doug completes daily needle sweeps around our 955 Queen St E location, collecting drug-use waste along Queen St between Pape Ave and McGee St, Jimmie Simpson Park and nearby residential streets. This important aspect of Doug’s role is essential and will become even more so after SRCHC’s Consumption and Treatment Service (CTS), keepSIX, closes at the end of March 2025.