After the Ontario government’s announcement on August 20th, 2024 to close down 10 consumption and treatment sites (CTS) by March 31st, 2025, including SRCHC’s KeepSIX service, SRCHC immediately developed and distributed a community engagement survey to signal the change, gather input from the community and gauge perceptions about the closure’s potential impact.
We received 213 responses to the informal survey. These responses included many helpful comments about ways SRCHC can improve our communication approaches and increase community engagement opportunities.
On November 18th, 2024, the government tabled Bill 223 that, if passed, will ban CTS from operating within 200 metres from a childcare centre or school. SRCHC will focus on connecting service users with additional health and social services while keeping the community engaged and accurately informed in preparation for the projected closure.
Evidence shows that consumption and treatment services prevent overdose deaths. According to the City of Toronto, there were 523 overdose deaths in 2023. In just the month of September 2024, Toronto paramedics responded to 358 non-fatal and 11 fatal calls for suspected opioid overdoses. Supervised consumption sites are an essential part of the continuum of services for people who use drugs and alleviate pressure on emergency services, like paramedics, emergency departments, and police. We also know that communities will continue to need overdose response, ongoing substance use care, medically-assisted detox, treatment services, trauma and mental health supports, shelters, and supportive and affordable housing with integrated harm reduction supports.
Social determinants of health, such as homelessness and poverty, are continuing to impact people across Toronto. We are seeing a greater need for and higher complexities across the many services SRCHC provides. SRCHC remains committed to enacting our values of reconciliation and relationship, health equity and social justice, evidence and value informed practice, and meaningful engagement to lead systems transformation.
As part of ongoing dialogue with our community members, we will be hosting a new series of Common Grounds – regular community meetings to hear neighbourhood feedback – which will focus on the impact of the anticipated March 31st, 2025 closure of KeepSIX at 955 Queen Street East.
“The safety of our clients, staff and neighbours is critically important to all of us. We are listening to and incorporating feedback from our various communities throughout the planning process,” explained Gabriella Skubincan, SRCHC’s Director, Community Engagement and Communications.
Please hold the date of Tuesday, December 17, 2024 from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm in your calendar for the next Common Grounds. If you are interested in being added to our mailing list, newsletter, or would like to RSVP for this meeting, please contact, [email protected]. A complete schedule will be available on www.srchc.com/communityengagement. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming overdose response training for community members.