This document provides an overview and status update of the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy. It acknowledges contributions from community members and organizations. Substance use rates in Halton are generally similar to Ontario averages, with higher rates of alcohol use. The strategy is guided by a vision of a safer, healthier Halton through an inclusive process. It utilizes a four pillar framework of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement. To date, the strategy has engaged stakeholders through surveys and forums to identify priorities. Near term plans include establishing working groups, developing the strategy further, and securing sustainable funding. The overall aim is to develop a comprehensive strategy through community collaboration.

1. !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Counting, Caring, Growing
Laying the Foundation for a Halton Drug Strategy!
!
!
March 31, 2014
1COUNTING CARING GROWING

2. Acknowledgements!
! Collaboration has always been at the heart of our ‘made in Halton’ drug strategy and
we have had input from literally hundreds of people across dozens of sectors even at this
early stage. There are however, a few key people we need to thank, whose hard work and
commitment has made the work we have completed up to now possible.!
!
! First we would like to thank MPP Kevin Flynn for arranging a meeting after being
approached by local resident, and current steering committee member Bill Robinson. This
roundtable brought together local drug addiction agencies, persons with lived experience,
Region of Halton directors, Halton Regional Police Services, Mississauga-Halton Local
Integrated Health Network (MH LHIN) and Regional Chair Gary Carr to discuss a Halton
Drug Strategy. It was that first meeting that really got the ball rolling on this process. From
that very first meeting Chair Carr understood what we were trying to do and we would also
like to thank him for his continued support, not only of this project, but of many initiatives
related to the health and well-being of the citizens of Halton region.!
!
! We would like the thank the following people who were original members of our
steering committee and continue to sit at that table: Joyce See, Michelle Schwarz, Cate
Bannan, Mabel Watt, Jeff Corey, Ed Castro, Bill Robinson, Betty-Lou Kristy, Angus Coll-
Smith, Jennifer Speers, Glen Ricketts, Ian Stewart. Also thanks to the newest members of our
steering committee: Diane Versace, Hardeep Ajmani and Christy Peterson.!
!
! A very special thank you to the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network
(MH LHIN) for their financial support and also to Charlene Winger for assisting at our
steering committee table, but also for writing the grant application (under a very tight
deadline) to the LHIN to help us secure that funding. Also thank you to ADAPT for assisting
with the management of the dollars associated with this grant.!
!
! A special thank you to the Region of Halton for their in-kind and financial support to
this initiative. From printing costs, staff support and providing meeting space, to supporting
the cost of our 2013 fall forum, it would not be possible to be where we are now without that
support. !
!
! Thank you to everyone in the community who has attended our forums, focus groups
and offered input into the direction of this drug strategy. And a very specific thank you to the
people with lived experience who have helped us out, including sharing their personal
stories at our first forum, to help remind us why we do the work we do. A special thanks also
to Bill Robinson and Betty-Lou Kristy who sit on our steering committee. Many of us are
being paid by our respective agencies to do this work. Bill and Betty-Lou work tirelessly as
volunteers on this committee and others, to educate, to offer alternate perspectives and
ultimately to reduce the harms associated with substance use. !
2COUNTING CARING GROWING

3. Table of Contents!
!
!
Section 1- COUNTING (Background and structure)!
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………….…4!
Our History…….………………………………………………………………….………….…5!
Substance Use in Halton.……………………………………………………………….………6!
Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles……………………………………………………..……7!
Definition of the Four Pillars………………………………………………………………..…8!
Governance Structure……………………………………………………………..……..…..…9!
Section 2- CARING (Current Projects)!
Halton Substance Use Programs and Services Survey..……………………………………10!
Fall 2013 Forum………………..…………………………………….…………………..…..…11!
Themes from Forum……………………………………………….……………………..……11!
Theme Validation………………………………………………………………………………12!
Proposed Initial Working Groups…………………………………..……………………12, 13!
!
Section 3- GROWING (Future Plans)!
Short Term Plans…………………………………………..………………………………..…14!
Medium Term Plans……………………………………..……………………………………15 !
Long Term Plans………………………………………………………………………………16 !
!
References………………………………………………………………………………………17!
Appendix A (Results of theme validation exercise)…………………..………………..18-20!
!
3COUNTING CARING GROWING

4. Executive Summary!
!
When we consider that the first official meeting of our Drug Strategy Steering Committee was in
February 2013, we can celebrate that much has been achieved in a relatively short period of time. From the
beginning, the steering committee, comprised of both community professionals and people with lived
experience, committed to balancing the need for strategic planning with the need to be action-oriented as we lay
the foundation for a drug strategy in the community of Halton. !
As with most municipal drug strategies we decided to work from a four pillar framework ensuring that
Prevention, Treatment, Harm Reduction and Enforcement were a part of our comprehensive drug strategy. Work
began immediately on developing a vision, mission and guiding principles which was later refined through
community input. Our vision is for “A safer, healthier, well-informed Halton”, and our mission is “To develop a
comprehensive equitable drug strategy for the community of Halton through an inclusive and collaborative process”.!
Community engagement is key to the development of a drug strategy, and we first engaged our
community stakeholders with the Halton Substance Use Programs and Services Survey in the summer of 2013.
This provided us with rich data from 26 service providers across the region about the strengths and weakness of
current substance use programs and services in our community. We then invited 150 people from 30 sectors to
attend our first community stakeholder engagement forum in October 2013. Here we received valuable input
on what important issues to consider as part of the strategy. We then engaged more than 70 people in focus
groups with families & caregivers, youth, seniors, and community professionals to validate the information we
gathered from stakeholders at the forum. !
Through the support of the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (MH LHIN) we were
able to hire an interim coordinator in late 2013 to complete some important work to move the strategy forward:
consolidating participant feedback and identifying overall themes; validating those themes with focus groups
in the community; refining our vision, mission, and guiding principles; developing our governance structure;
planning our spring 2014 forum; raising our social media presence on Twitter and Facebook; building a website
for the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy; building a mobile app which will be used as a directory of services for
substance use and provide updates on the work of the committee, and developing future plans for stakeholder
engagement. !
Over the short and medium terms, our plans are to: search for sustainable funding to hire a coordinator,
engage community stakeholders to prioritize the focus of the working groups, bring working groups into action,
and develop the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy with the continued engagement of community stakeholders.
Our long term plan is to implement the recommendations of the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy.!
The Mississauga Halton LHIN Integrated Health Service Plan 2013-2016 identifies the need to build
partnerships across sectors, expand peer supports, and leverage the experience of people with lived experience
as goals which will promote optimal health in our community. The Halton Equitable Drug Strategy shares these
goals, and also looks to: strengthen and empower our community, reduce fragmentation, limit duplication of
services, ensure well-informed community activities, improve access to community services, and ensure services
are well-informed and of the highest quality. Ultimately a drug strategy in Halton will work to prevent, reduce
and eliminate the stigma and harms from substance use.
!
4COUNTING CARING GROWING

5. Our History!
!
!
For many years a lot of great work has been happening in the region of Halton related
to issues of substance use. From informal grassroots committees to municipally funded and
led initiatives, our region has been a progressive
leader in many areas related to substance use, and
there is still more work to be done to ensure the
health and safety of all residents of Halton. One of
the grassroots committees that had been running
was the ‘Do You KnOw’ Opiate Awareness Group
which was comprised of members of local social
service agencies as well as people with lived
experience. In early 2012 this group began to discuss the municipal drug strategies initiated
by other regions and the need for something similar here.!
!
In late 2012 members of this committee asked MPP Kevin Flynn to
bring together representatives from the community of Halton to
discuss this issue further. Regional Chair Gary Carr was in
attendance at this meeting and committed Regional support to the
development of a ‘made in Halton’ drug strategy. In February 2013
the first meeting of the Drug Strategy Working Group took place
with representatives from Halton Region, Mississauga Halton
Local Health Integration Network, Halton Regional Police Service,
POSSE (Peer Outreach Support Services & Education), Halton
ADAPT (Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Assessment, Prevention and
Treatment), and people with lived experience. These original
members remain, and we have since added representation from
Canadian Mental Health Association, Halton Catholic District
School Board, and Halton District School Board to complete what
has now become the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy (HEDS)
Steering Committee.!
!
5COUNTING CARING GROWING
The key purpose of the
Halton Equitable Drug
Strategy is to: !
!
• Prevent, reduce and
eliminate the stigma
and harms
associated with
substance !use!
• Increase
collaboration between
stakeholders!
• Limit duplication of
services!
• Ensure well-informed
community activities!
• Improve access to
community services!
• Ensure services are
well-informed and of
the highest quality

6. Substance Use in Halton: A local Picture
With the notable exception of adult alcohol use, overall the pattern of substance use
in Halton is very similar to that of Ontario. Here are a few measures that give a snapshot of
substance use in Halton.!
!
Youth Substance Use!
Student drug use is tracked provincially
by the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health
Survey (OSDUHS). Past oversampling of the
OSDUHS in Halton, and previous Halton Youth
Surveys demonstrate that Halton student drug
use rates generally do not differ significantly
from provincial rates. !
The Our Kids Network (2012) Halton
Youth Survey surveyed grade 7 and grade 10
students on four measures of substance use:
tobacco use, binge drinking of alcohol, cannabis
use and the illegal use of pain relief pills.
Results in fig 2.1.!
!
Alcohol: The most commonly used drug!
!
Local data indicate that the percentage of Halton residents aged 12 and over that report
heavy drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) is higher than the Ontario rate (19%
Halton vs. 16% Ontario), and males are significantly more likely than females to report heavy
drinking (28% males vs. 11% females). 45% of Halton residents aged 19-24 engaged in heavy
drinking, which was higher than any other age group.* !
! Local data also indicate there is a public acceptance for pregnant women to drink
alcohol. Local data indicates 21% of adults in Halton think that consuming alcohol during
pregnancy is safe, when in fact no amount of alcohol is safe to use during pregnancy.* !
! ! !
Illicit drug use!
!
In 2009-11,12% of Halton residents aged 15 and over report illicit drug use in the last 12
months, which is the same as the provincial rate of 12%.* Exchange Works, the local Halton
needle exchange program, distributed 177,582 needles in 2013. To ensure the safe disposal of
used needles, the program also collected 142,292 used needles in 2013.! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! * Halton Region (2014).!
6COUNTING CARING GROWING
Measure of Substance
Use
Grade 7 Grade 10
Are current smokers
(daily or occasional)
n/a 6%
Had an episode of heavy
drinking (5 or more
drinks on 1 occasion) in
last 12 months.
3% 34%
Used cannabis in the last
12 months
1% 18%
Illegally used pain relief
pills in last 12 months
7% 11%
Figure 2.1

7. Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles!
Vision:!
“A safer, healthier, well-informed Halton”!
! ! ! ! ! Mission:!
! ! ! ! ! “To develop a comprehensive equitable
! ! ! ! ! drug strategy for the community of !
! ! ! ! ! Halton through an inclusive and !!
! ! ! ! ! collaborative process.”!
!
Guiding Principles:
• Inclusion/Diversity
o Bill 11 – Diversity and equity
o All ages
o Priority populations – newcomers,
families
o Transitions
o Social determinants of health
o Capacity building
o Culturally appropriate
o Removing barriers
o Decreasing marginalization
• Collaboration/Engagement
o Partnerships
o Coordination and integration
o Stakeholder involvement
• Respect
o People with lived experience
o Stigma elimination
o Socially just
o Open communication
o Trust
o Transparency
!!!! • Resilience
o Developmental asset
• Locally relevant
o Made in Halton
o Community owned
• Evidence informed
o Ottawa Charter for Health
Promotion
o Evidence-based
o Best and promising practices
o Surveillance
o Accountable
• Accessible
o People can access services when
and where they need them
• Innovative
o Resourceful
o Progressive
o Creative
o Efficient & effective
o Fostering hope
o Client-directed
!
Framework:!
!
4 Pillars- Prevention (health promotion & education); Harm Reduction
(public health & human rights); Treatment (rehabilitation & recovery);
Enforcement (justice & social justice)!
!
7COUNTING CARING GROWING

8. Definition of the Four Pillars!
!
As per the City of Vancouver (2014) a Four Pillars Drug Strategy is “a coordinated,
comprehensive approach that balances public order and public health in order to create a
safer, healthier community.”!
!
!
Prevention refers to interventions that seek to prevent or delay
the onset of substance use as well as to avoid problems before
they occur. More than education, prevention involves
strengthening the health, social and economic factors that can
reduce the risk of substance use, including access to health care,
stable housing, education and employment. Examples of
prevention include mentoring programs and municipal alcohol
policies.
Harm Reduction refers to a range of practical and evidence-
based public health policies designed to reduce the harmful
consequences associated with drug use. Harm reduction can
include Canada’s Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRADG),
safer injection equipment and condom distribution as well
as counselling and referrals, and the dissemination of knowledge
and information. !
!
Treatment refers to the programming provided to people
already living with a substance use issue, with services ranging
from a philosophy of total abstinence to one that focuses on
managing use and reducing harms. Examples of treatment
include residential withdrawal management (“detox”) and
outpatient treatment, counselling, and substitution therapies e.g.,
methadone maintenance therapy.!
!
Enforcement refers to interventions that seek to strengthen
community safety by responding to the crimes and community
disorder issues associated with legal and illegal substances.
Enforcement includes the broader criminal justice system of the
courts, probation and parole, diversion programs etc. !
8COUNTING CARING GROWING

9. Governance Structure!
The main decision making group
for the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy
(HEDS) is the Steering Committee.
While there is accountability to both our
main funder and the host agency for the
drug strategy, our main goal is to create
a ‘community owned’ drug strategy,
therefore making it ultimately
accountable to the Community.
Participation of community, especially
those with lived experience, will be
essential throughout all aspects of the
governance structure.!
There is also accountability to the
Executive Committee, whose main role
is to monitor progress and oversee
implementation of the Drug Strategy.
This group consists of Executive
Directors and heads of local groups and
agencies.!
The specific Working Groups will
be chaired by members of the Steering Committee. This will ensure better communication
and stronger accountability. Figure 2.3 outlines the priorities of each of these working groups.!
The Drug Strategy Coordinator is the only HEDS employee and is the person on the
front lines connecting with Community and the Ontario Municipal Drug Strategy
Coordinators Network. The coordinator also works with each of the Working Groups and the
Steering Committee directly. !
The Municipal Drug Strategy Coordinators Network formed in 2009, with municipal
drug strategy representatives from across the province working together to promote health
and reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs for individuals, families and communities.
Coordinators collaborate with one another through frequent meetings, sharing their strategy
development, implementation progress and learnings.!
9COUNTING CARING GROWING
Municipal Drug
Strategy
Coordinators
Network
$ Funder $
Steering
Committee
Community
Host Agency
Coordinator
= accountability!
= communication
Executive
Committee
3
4
1
2Working
Groups
Figure 2.2

10. Halton Survey!
of Substance Use Programs & Services!
!
Our goal is the creation of a “made-in-
Halton” comprehensive, collaborative,
community-based drug strategy, therefore our
community engagement process began early. !
!
In the summer of of 2013 Halton Region
staff, in consultation with the Halton Equitable
Drug Strategy (HEDS) Steering Committee
created and conducted a survey with 26 different
service providers across the region. The purpose
of the Halton Substance Use Programs and
Services Survey was to identify strengths and
gaps for substance use programs and services in
Halton Region.!
!
A summary report of the findings of the survey can be found on
the resources section of our website www.haltondrugstrategy.ca or
by clicking here. Some of the prominent themes that emerged
include:!
• Suggestions to improve access, and address challenges and gaps
tended to be specific to individual organizations. !
•Integration, partnerships and collaboration were terms frequently
used when describing how to improve
access, along with the challenges in
providing programs and services. !
• Issues of transportation, limited budgets, funding, and
resources were also common themes across both access and
challenges.!
• Many respondents expressed a need for more treatment
programs in Halton Region. !
10COUNTING CARING GROWING
“Initial community meetings and
consultations are critical to the
success of a community mobilization.
They provide an opportunity to
gauge community interest, identify
potential partners, secure the
commitment of key participants, and
provide an opportunity to raise public
awareness.”
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (2003).
Purpose
The purpose of the Halton Substance Use
Programs and Services Survey was to
iden fy strengths and gaps for substance
use programs and services in Halton
Region.
Methods and Response Rate
The survey was sent to 38 organiza ons
across Halton in June and July 2013.
Survey respondents were asked to com-­‐
plete one survey for their organiza on.
Twenty-seven organiza ons completed
the survey. One survey was excluded
since the organiza on indicated that they
did not provide any substance use pro-­‐
grams or services. The response rate for
the survey was 70% (26/37) .
Prepared by Karen Moynagh and Emma Tucker, Halton Region’s Health Department, September 2013
Who did we hear from?
The 4-Pillars
The 4-Pillars approach to addressing sub-­‐
stance use in a community recognizes that
no one sector can effec vely respond in
isola on. Each pillar plays an integral role
and It is necessary to weave the pillars
together in a coordinated strategy.
1. Preven on, Health Promo on, and/or
Educa on
2. Harm Reduc on
3. Treatment, Recovery & Rehabilita on
4. Enforcement
To be er understand the organiza ons that
responded to the survey, we asked them in
which of the four pillars they provided pro-­‐
grams and services (Table 1). The majority
offer programs and services that span the
first three of the four pillars listed above,
with 14 offering programs and services for
all three of these pillars. Only 3 organiza-­‐
ons offer programs and services for
enforcement.
Number of
organiza ons %
Preven on, Health Promo on or
Educa on
23 88%
Harm Reduc on 21 81%
Treatment, Recovery or Rehabilita on 19 73%
Enforcement 3 12%
Total Number of Organiza ons 26
“Base budget increases (or lack thereof) do not keep pace with inflation and this creates major budgetary challenges. Demand for services
has steadily increased —partially due to pressures created by the downturn in our economy;; these same pressures have reduced the revenues
from fundraising/donations/special events and created a 'double jeopardy'.” - Survey Respondent
“Any programming or services that are
implemented need to be equally
accessible across the region including
North Halton where often services may
not be as available. Youth and families
are unable to travel to south Halton and
this presents a huge barrier. Program-­
ming needs to be in each community,
including Milton, Georgetown & Acton.”
- Survey Respondent
There are slightly less programs and
services offered in Halton Hills (Table 2).
Twelve organiza ons (46%) offer pro-­‐
grams and services in all four Halton
municipali es.
Table 2: Loca ons of Programs and Services
Offered in Halton
Number of
organiza ons %
Oakville 18 69%
Burlington 16 62%
Milton 17 65%
Halton Hills 14 54%
Total Number of Organiza ons 26
Who do the programs and
services support?
Of the 26 organiza ons surveyed, 14
(54%) provide programs/services to
the general public, while 23 (88%)
provide programs/services to specific
target groups such as youth, women,
clients with mental disorders, and
low income. Only four organiza ons
(15%) offer their programs/services in
languages other than English.
Programs and services for each of the
following substances were offered by
the 26 organiza ons, with 16 organi-­‐
za ons providing programs for all
four substances.
24 (92%) illicit drugs
22 (85%) alcohol
22 (85%) prescrip on drugs
19 (73%) tobacco
1
Canadian Mental Health Association - Halton Region Branch
Dorval Medical Family Health Team
Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton
Family Adolescent Straight Talk
Halton ADAPT
Halton Catholic District School Board
Halton District School Board
Halton Healthcare Services
Halton Healthcare Services - The Phoenix Program - Oakville
Halton Region Health Department
Halton Regional Police Service
Halton Seniors Mental Health Outreach Program
Hope Place Centres
The John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area
Joseph Brant Hospital
Maplehurst Correctional Complex
Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy
Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital
Oakville Treatment Centre
Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre
Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE)
ROCK
Support and Housing Halton -TEACH
Trillium Health Partners
Wellbeings
*Percentages do not add up to 100% because respondents could give
multiple responses
*Percentages do not add up to 100% because respondents could give multiple
responses
Halton Substance Use
Programs and Services Survey Summary
Where are the programs and
services located?
Halton Substance Use
Programs and Services Survey Summary
Prepared by Karen Moynagh and Emma Tucker, Halton Region’s Health Department, September 2013
What did we hear?
Seventeen (65%) of the organiza ons surveyed indicated
that access to their organiza ons programs or services
could be improved.
Twenty (77%) organiza ons reported challenges that their
organiza on faces when implemen ng substance use
programs and services.
Twenty organiza ons (77%) iden fied gaps within Halton
Region for substance use programs and services.
Prominent Themes:
Sugges ons to improve access, and address challenges
and gaps tended to be specific to individual organiza ons.
Integra on, partnerships and collabora on were terms
frequently used when describing how to improve access,
along with the challenges in providing programs and ser-­‐
vices.
Issues of limited budgets, funding, and resources were
also common themes across both access and challenges.
Transporta on was a common theme across all three areas.
Many respondents expressed a need for more treatment
programs in Halton Region.
“...the human and financial resources dedicated to substance use are
scattered and leads to many small narrow foci, with many people
involved in the issue. The overall approach could be coordinated better
to lead to comprehensive programming that ultimately improves our
programs and the access to them.” - Survey Respondent
2
* Note: Themes with a “*” indicate that at least four organiza ons provided similar responses

11. 2013 Fall Forum!
In the fall of 2013 we hosted a one day community forum that was attended by 150
people from 30 different sectors. The goal of the event was to introduce people to our
committee, begin a conversation about developing a ‘made in Halton’ drug strategy and to
gather input and information from members of our community to help us determine some
initial goals and priorities. !
Four diverse personal stories were interspersed through the
day to give the perspective of people with lived experience
(PWLE).The stories ranged from personal struggles with
addiction and mental health to a parental perspective of losing
a child to an accidental overdose. In addition to the stories,
participants learned about the programs and services available
in Halton and collaborative efforts already taking place. A
summary of recent local statistics for substance use was also
presented, along with results from the Halton Substance Use
Programs and Services Survey. Finally, the manager for the
Wellington-Guelph Drug Strategy shared lessons learned from
that region’s process of implementing a drug strategy.!
!
Themes from Forum!
Participants provided valuable input to inform our process
including feedback on our original mission, vision & guiding
principles. We also asked for input and priorities in each of the
four pillars and used the main themes gathered as the basis for
our four proposed working groups (see page 13.) The input
was consolidated into five broad themes: !
Theme 1: The Halton community values investment in education and raising awareness
! ! about substance use!
Theme 2: There are gaps in substance use programs and services in Halton!
Theme 3: Treatment services can be improved in Halton!
Theme 4: Justice Services can be improved in Halton!
Theme 5: Community services and integration can be improved in Halton!
11COUNTING CARING GROWING
“The forum brought the right
people together to start the process
and ensure that Halton’s drug
strategy begins with concrete
action and is results driven,” said
Regional Chair Gary Carr. “The
issue of substance use requires a
meaningful multi-sector strategy
that will best be achieved through
collaboration, and driven and
carried out by the community and
the various expert agencies.”

12. Theme Validation !
We took a listing of the five main themes, and 21 questions that define the themes to
five diverse community focus groups for validation and further input. The sectors
represented at these focus groups included: youth in recovery, seniors, children’s mental
health professionals, adult mental health & addiction professionals, and people affected by
mood disorders. Of the 73 people who participated in the focus groups, 91% of them had not
attended the forum and therefore offered a unique perspective to inform the drug strategy. !
We used a Likert type scale and asked participants at each of these groups to tell us if
they Strongly Agreed, Agreed, were Neutral or Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed with the
input from forum participants. A summary of the results is available in Appendix A.!
Input from the focus groups can be summarized in three key points:!
1. For 20 out of 21questions, the majority of participants indicated they “agreed” or
“strongly agreed”. This indicates that these points are foundational for a drug strategy in
Halton. !
2. Engaging a diverse group of stakeholders means that not every individual feels that
he or she has enough knowledge to comment on everything, which is reflected in the “don’t
know” responses. Despite this, to ensure that the drug strategy is well-informed, future
stakeholder engagement should continue to include diverse groups: professionals from
different sectors, people and families with lived experience and community members from
different ages and stages. !
3. To sharpen the focus in the next phase of strategy development, more data is required
(ie: service wait times, transit routes, community knowledge of prescription drug disposal). !
!
Proposed Initial Working Groups!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
12COUNTING CARING GROWING
Developing our full drug strategy is a long term strategic process which is described
more on pages 14,15, & 16. As we continue with this strategic planning however, we will
also begin action on some ‘quick wins’ based on information
gathered so far. We have taken some of the main points
from our theme development work described above, and
sorted them into proposed initial working groups
entitled Justice, Health, & Education. Each working group
will advance these priorities while a fourth Governance
working group continues most of the administrative side of the work developing the full
strategy (see figure 2.3).
“Don’t
be a committee that gets
stuck in processes – get things
done – move this forward.”
2013Forum Participant

13. 13COUNTING CARING GROWING
!
!
Priorities!
•Overdose Prevention!
•Withdrawal Management Centre (Detox)!
•Prescription Drugs/ Opiates!
•More treatment options!
•Communication/ Information/ Collaboration- Pharmacists, Health!
Care Professionals (HCP’s)!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Priorities!
•To Families/ Caregivers!
•To Students/ Youth!
•Early Intervention (Children)!
•To HCP’s!
•Anti-Stigma Campaigns!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Priorities!
•Diversion!
•Drug Court!
•Communication/!
Collaboration with Police!
•Good Samaritan Laws!
!
!
HEALTH
Treatment
Harm
Reduction
Prevention Enforcement
Harm
Reduction
JUSTICE
EDUCATION
Prevention
GOVERNANCE
Priorities!
• Planning annual
forums!
• Funding
applications!
• Preparing the
overall strategy!
• Further work on
Structure/ Terms of
Reference/
Collaborative
agreement.
Membership of the working groups
will also change as the focus changes
in the medium and long term. While
we are likely to have a strong ‘core’
group of community partners and
people with lived experience sitting
on our working groups it will be
important to continually reach out to
new partners as our focus changes.
These are proposed initial working groups only and the focus of these groups
(or sub-committees) are subject to change based on the priorities that emerge as
we continue to engage community and develop the drug strategy. !
Proposed Initial Working Groups
Figure 2.3

14. Future Plans!
!
!
!
!
!
In late 2013 through the support of the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration
Network (LHIN) we were able hire an interim coordinator to move things forward. Two
members of our committee split this role and over the next three months: reported to the
steering committee, followed up on work from the fall forum, refined our vision and mission,
developed the themes, working groups, and governance structure, conducted the ‘theme
validation focus groups’, planned our spring 2014 forum and put together this document. !
We also created an online presence with Twitter and
Facebook accounts and a brand new website. We are
planning to launch an app entitled ‘HEDS up’
which will be used as a directory of community
services for substance use. One of our main short
term priorities will be to secure further funding
! as we spend the next two years developing our full
! strategy (specific details can be found in Medium term goals section).
In order to submit a funding application there needs to be a collaborative agreement in
place. This will be an immediate priority to enable us to move forward. While we have a
number of key partners on our steering committee, we have a number of other service
providers and people with lived experience who have expressed a desire to provide
assistance with this initiative who we can engage as collaborative partners. We will be
working to develop terms of reference for our Executive Committee, Steering Committee,
Collaborative Partners, and for each of our Working Groups within the next six months.
Finally, we have begun working with an epidemiologist at Halton Region to help us develop
an electronic survey tool to further engage stakeholders in the community. The survey will be
used to prioritize the action items within each working group, to identify a more specific
focus moving forward. !
!
14COUNTING CARING GROWING
Short Term
Next 6 Months
“Community
drug strategies that are successful
in reducing harm associated with
substance use have staff dedicated to the task
of ensuring that strategy recommendations
are implemented to ensure lasting
change.”
Thunder Bay !
Drug Strategy, 2013

15. Future Plans!
!
!
!
!
!
Our application for funding will include money to hire a coordinator on a part time
basis, who, over the next two years, will coordinate the development of our full drug
strategy. The main role of the coordinator will be to further connect with stakeholders in the
community. We will have determined the priorities of our working groups by this point, and
it will be important to ensure that we have the right people
sitting at each of the working group tables as we move
forward into action. Guiding the process into action will
also be the responsibility of the coordinator as we work
to implement some ‘quick win priorities’. The coordinator
will also be doing further engagement of stakeholders with
specific groups of people i.e.- youth, seniors, and around specific issues i.e.- fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder to further determine needs and priorities. While we received a broad
overview of some issues in our community at our 2013 fall forum, more targeted, specific
engagement is needed. Another important role of the coordinator will be to make stronger
connections with people with lived experience in our community as we could not have a
comprehensive, collaborative, community-based drug strategy without the voice of past and
current drug users. As the Canadian HIV/ AIDS Legal Network (2005) points out
“Historically, people who use or have used drugs have rarely been included in discussions of
issues that affect their lives”. We also know that even those times that people with lived
experience (PLWE) are brought into these types of projects, it is often not in the
implementation and planning phases, but rather at the end, once final decisions have already
been made (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2009.) The coordinator will also plan,
along with the steering committee, a community forum to engage stakeholders for each year
of our funding, along with smaller focus groups, community meetings, and workshops.!
!
!
!
15COUNTING CARING GROWING
Medium Term
Within 2 years
“Historically,
people who use or have
used drugs have rarely been
included in discussions of issues that
affect their lives”
Canadian HIV/ AIDS Legal
Network (2005)

16. Future Plans!
!
!
!
By the end of two years, we will seek funding to hire a full time coordinator to begin
implementing the recommendations in the strategy. Some of this work could include
bringing the appropriate people together to start a discussion around the need for expanded
withdrawal management or drug court services in the region,
finding the funding to start an initiative like the Strengthening
Families Program , organizing peer to peer projects, or1
working to develop anti-stigma campaigns. The make up of
the working groups and priorities within each group is likely
to change at this point, and while this will be determined in
close consultation with community, further coordination will
be needed to oversee the process. Even after spending two
years building the strategy, community needs, opinions and
resources are constantly changing, therefore the work of
community engagement will be ongoing. !
At this point, we will have collected information and
data on what is and is not working well in our community,
where the gaps in service are and what various stakeholders feel
are priorities for action. We will have solid input from both service providers and people with
lived experience and we will have developed our collaborative and inclusive, “made in
Halton” equitable drug strategy which aligns well with the goals for optimal health set out
by the Mississauga Halton LHIN (2013). The strategy will contain some very specific
recommendations built around strengthening each of the four pillars (prevention, treatment,
harm reduction & enforcement) in our region and reducing the harms associated with drug
use. !
!
16COUNTING CARING GROWING
http://www.strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a nationally and1
internationally recognized parenting and family strengthening program for high-risk and regular families.
Long Term
Beyond 2 years
Build Partnerships
for healthy communities!
Strategies to move us forward:!
❖ Develop partnerships across
various sectors such as
municipalities, public health,
education and social services to
collaborate on issues relating to
or impacting on health!
❖ Leverage the expertise of
people with lived experience
and expand/develop peer
support initiatives and networks
Mississauga Halton LHIN Integrated
Health Service Plan 2013-2016

17. References!
!
Canadian HIV/ AIDS Legal Network (2005). Nothing About Us Without Us. Greater, !
! Meaningful Involvement of People Who Use Illegal Drugs: A Public Health, Ethical, and
! Human Rights Imperative. Available at: !
! http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=1314!
!
City of Vancouver (2014). Four pillars drug strategy. Available at:!
! https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/four-pillars-drug-strategy.aspx !
!
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (2003). FCM Municipal Drug Strategy Phase III Report: A
! Summary Evaluation of Pilot Projects. Available at: !
https://www.fcm.ca/Documents/reports/
FCM_Municipal_Drug_Strategy_Phase_III_Report_A_Summary_Evaluation_of_Pilot_
Projects_EN.pdf !
!
Halton Region (2014). Halton Health Statistics. Available at: !
! http://www.halton.ca/living_in_halton/public_health/halton_health_statistics/!
!
Mental Health Commission of Canada (2009). Every Door is the Right Door. Towards a 10-Year
! Mental Health and Addictions Strategy A discussion paper. Available at:!
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/mentalhealth/advisorygroup/
docs/rep_everydoor.pdf!
!
Mississauga Halton LHIN (2013). Partnering for a healthier tomorrow. Integrated Health !
! Service Plan 2013 – 2016. Available at:!
http://www.mississaugahaltonlhin.on.ca/uploadedFiles/Home_Page/
Integrated_Health_Service_Plan/MH-LHIN-IHSP-FA-ENGLISH-INTERACTIVE
%20for%20web%20upload.pdf! !
!
Our Kids Network (2012). Halton Youth Survey. Community Profile 2012-2013. Available at:!
http://ourkidsnetwork.ca/Public/Page/Files/33_okn_hys_community_profile.pdf!
!
Thunder Bay Drug Strategy (2013). Roadmap for Change. Towards a Safe and Healthy Community.
! Available at:!
http://www.thunderbay.ca/Assets/City+Government/News+$!26+Strategic
+Initiatives/docs/Roadmap+for+Change.pdf!
!
!
17COUNTING CARING GROWING

18. Appendix A: Results of theme validation exercise
completed with 73 participants from five focus groups!
!
Theme 1: The Halton community values investment in education and raising awareness about
substance use.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
Don’t
know
School-aged children need
more education and
awareness about drugs
57% 26% 9% 2% 0% 5%
Parents and caregivers need
more education and
awareness about drugs
68% 24% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Health care professionals
need more education and
awareness about drugs and
drug treatment
62% 28% 7% 0% 0% 3%
Police, EMS and first
responders need more
education and awareness
about drugs, mental health
and harm reduction
79% 15% 2% 2% 2% 0%
People who use drugs need
more education and
awareness about the risks
of drug use and how to
reduce these risks
58% 26% 10% 2% 2% 2%
To decrease the stigma of
drug use, the general public
needs more awareness and
education about drugs.
57% 27% 6% 3% 0% 7%
18COUNTING CARING GROWING

19. !
Theme 2: There are gaps in substance use programs and services in Halton.
!
!
!
Theme 3: Treatment services can be improved in Halton.
!
!
!
!
!
Question: Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
disagree
Don’t
know
There is a need for an in-patient
withdrawal management or
“Detox” center within Halton
57% 20% 8% 1% 2% 13%
There is a need for a dedicated,
ongoing prescription medication
drop-off program in Halton
25% 32% 18% 11% 2% 12%
There is a need to distribute, and
provide training for the use of,
overdose prevention kits
(ie:Naloxone) in Halton
39% 27% 11% 3% 4% 17%
Halton needs a “Good
Samaritan Policy” so those who
call 911 for drug incidents will
not fear criminal charges
54% 27% 7% 0% 0% 12%
Question: Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
disagree
Don’t
know
Drug treatment services in
Halton would be more effective
if there were more peer to peer
supports
41% 33% 4% 4% 2% 16%
Drug treatment services in
Halton would be easier to access
if there was a resource directory
of all agencies that provide
services.
52% 27% 9% 8% 0% 4%
Halton needs more services to
address concurrent mental health
and addictions disorders
61% 19% 3% 5% 2% 11%
The wait times to access drug
treatment services in Halton are
too long
25% 16% 8% 0% 0% 51%
19COUNTING CARING GROWING

20. !
Theme 4: Justice Services can be improved in Halton
!
!
!
!
Theme 5: Community services and integration can be improved in Halton
!
!
!
!
!
Question: Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
disagree
Don’t
know
The drug treatment court in
Halton should expand its
capacity
15% 20% 7% 0% 2% 57%
The diversion program in Halton
should expand to include adult
clients
56% 22% 0% 0% 0% 22%
Access to treatment and harm
reduction programs should be
increased within Halton
correctional facilities
27% 27% 9% 9% 0% 27%
Question: Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
disagree
Don’t
know
Halton needs better public
transportation to increase access
to drug treatment services
53% 21% 8% 0% 0% 18%
Halton needs more transitional
housing for people in recovery
46% 31% 5% 0% 0% 18%
Better communication is needed
between Halton service
providers, police and other
agencies
60% 27% 3% 0% 0% 10%
20COUNTING CARING GROWING