WECOS January 26, 2018 - Minutes

Present:

Regrets:

Co-Chairs: Dr. Wajid Ahmed and Bruce Krauter

1. Introductions Including New Members
   Members were welcomed and thanked for their attendance. Introductions were made around the table.
2. Agenda Approval
   Approved as presented. Agenda 6.2 Overdose Prevention Sites was later added.
3. Review of Minutes
   1. Minutes of December 6, 2017
      Approved with no corrections.
4. Committee Membership and Attendance/Terms of Reference
   • Patrick Kolowicz (Hotel Dieu Health Care), Patrick Brown (Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre) and Debra Renaud (Representative for Families and Friends of Opioid Users) are the newest additions to the committee and Terms of Reference.
   • Dr. Ahmed discussed some of the changes to the draft Terms of Reference (Terms). One addition is the Pillar Working Groups as well as new members. Dr. Ahmed reviewed objectives and outputs of the working groups.  Whatever project the working group agrees upon, there will be a project charter that would need to be completed that will provide guidance/reference. An evaluation strategy will be needed to see if what we are doing is working as part of the Charter as well as a reporting mechanism back to the Leadership Table.
   • It was proposed that the working groups meet a minimum of 6 times per year versus 10 as noted in the Terms. Dr. Ahmed agreed with a language change that would allow the working groups to meet at least six times a year or more as needed.

     Action Required: E. Nadalin to revise the Terms and email for final review.

   • The January 19 media event was very well attended. The Health Unit will continue to advocate for more funding as possible.

   Action Required: E. Nadalin to revise the Terms and email for final review.

5. Business Arising
   1. Pillar Working Groups-Membership and Reporting
      • G. Stager highlighted the Opioid Strategy Action Plan document which included key recommendations along with corresponding short and long-term actions.
      • Input from this committee as well as feedback from the community forums and surveys helped inform this document.
      • The next step for this committee is to break into working groups under the four pillars and decide the best way to move forward on the action plan items.
      • All WECOS-LC members are requested to participate in at least one working group. A chair and co-chair for each working group will be needed. These will be members who will actively lead discussions.
      • Additional members to the working groups can be forwarded to Dr. Ahmed via email.  Once the group meets the working groups can determine other gaps in membership.  A peer representative will be a member of all working groups. The resource person will be needed to take minutes.

      Timelines were proposed as follows:

      No Later Than February 1, 2018

      • WECOS-LC will have the recommendations for each working group completed and finalized.
      • Working groups will be established, including participating agencies and the leads they have chosen to act as their representatives.

      No Later Than March 1, 2018

      • Working groups will have had their first meeting to prioritize action strategies.

      No Later Than April 1, 2018

      • All working groups will submit their plans that describe, in detail, how the working group will execute and evaluate the short and long term actions belonging to each of the outlined recommendations.
      • All working groups will begin the implementation of the action strategies presented at the March 29, 2018 WECOS-LC meeting.

      No Later Than June 1, 2018

      • All working groups will report back to WECOS-LC the evaluation of their action plans.

      No Later Than December 1, 2018

      • Working groups will also submit their strategic plan for Year II, with any possible modifications to their plans.

      No Later Than January 1, 2019

      • Working groups will proceed with Year II action strategies.

      It was decided that the timelines could be adjusted as determined by the working groups.

      PILLAR WORKING GROUPS:

      • Prevention and Education
        • N. Dupuis and C. den Boer will co-chair this committee. C. den Boer highlighted the work she and N. Dupuis are doing with input from key stakeholders. The Canadian Mental Health Association has signed a partnership with the WECHU.
      • Harm Reduction
        • P. Brown has advised of his willingness to participate possibly as co-chair.  M. Brennan, M. Graham, S. Cipkar, R. Moroz, S. Grebevski, as well as K. Wardell expressed interest.
      • Treatment and Recovery
        • Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital representatives, House of Sophrosyne, as well as a CMHA representative will participate in this working group.
      • Enforcement and Justice
        • Windsor Police Services will provide a co-chair. LaSalle Police has expressed interest in co-chairing.

      Action Required:
      G. Stager or E. Nadalin to contact Dr. McKay.
      Dr. Ahmed to check with D. Maziak.
      N. Dupuis to contact M. Graham to identify numbers needed for the Harm Reduction group and to bring people in as needed.

6. New Business
   1. CBC News Release
      http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/fire-police-not-carrying-naloxone-windsor-1.4438897
      Dr. Ahmed brought forward a number of questions on behalf of M. Brennan who could not be present.
   2. Overdose Prevention Sites (P. Brown)
      • The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has come out with a new program called an Overdose Prevention Site (OPS). This is different than a Supervised Injection Site (SIS).
      • P. Brown wanted to bring this forward to see if anyone is interested in bringing forward an OPS application. The application is on the Ministry of Health’s website, and it can be put forth fairly quickly.
      • Dr. Ahmed provided additional details on OPS application, eligibility criteria, funding details etc. He also shared additional details on the recently approved OPS site in London.
      • M. Brennan is actively looking into the OPS process. Dr. Ahmed offered to provide support/assistance from a policy and procedures perspective, training, education, whatever is needed to anyone interested in bringing an application forward.
        Action required: P. Brown to contact M. Brennan to discuss OPS Application.
7. Roundtable Updates
   • School Boards - S. Pyke provided a status update re: naloxone.
   • Law Enforcement - LaSalle - Cogeco has expressed an interest in utilizing people with lived experiences who have been key to the Not My Kids forums to put out messaging. Jody Pearce has been a part of organizing this.

     Windsor Police are working on a pharmacy safety initiative and working toward more engagement with residents on the streets to develop relationships and break down barriers.

   • Hospitals - The Transitional Stability Centre (an extension of HDGH) has begun receiving non-acute residents. They hope to have one of their outreach staff at the TSC which will increase their capacity to provide services. HDGH is also reviewing withdrawal management services.
   • Harm Reduction - The wait list time at the House of Sophrosyne has now been exceeded and is extending into October for the next available Intake.
     The ACW will be moving forward to review the application process around an Overdose Prevention Site.
   • Mental Health - The Canadian Mental Health Association is reviewing its role in addiction. They have been doing some targeted community consultation. They need to become more involved in addiction issues. They will be siding up with Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare in terms of where there need to go.
   • Community Group - S. Cipkar is still working on an anti-stigma campaign with several renewal strategy groups to distribute in the neighbourhoods. It targets some of the harm reduction and ant-stigma language. They are looking at a spring rollout of the campaign.
   • Municipalities - The City has approved the purchase of five boxes and the operationalization of ten. The BIA has come forward with R. Bortolin committing to purchase two. In addition to the City’s five there will be ten more in the community.
   • Peer Representative - About 20 people have been trained to use the intranasal naloxone kits.
   • Public Health - The Health Unit’s naloxone distribution program has been going strong with the training of organizations and family members at-risk on the use of naloxone intranasal kits. More organizations have signed up for training. The Health Unit receives many calls about what to do when a needle is found. As a result, a Facts Sheet is being developed. It will advise who to call, how to handle a needle, and will list needle box locations in Windsor-Essex.
     Action Required: WECHU to share draft Fact Sheet once available.
     Dr. Ahmed would like to see other health units’ monitoring and response systems brought to the next meeting.

   Dr. Ahmed is looking forwarding to getting an opiod surveillance/monitoring system in place. R. D’Souza is actively looking at other health units’ monitoring and response systems.

8. Next Steps
   • The listing of members for the working groups will be sent out to WECOS-LC for confirmation.
   • E. Nadalin and G. Stager will connect with the chairs/co chairs of the working groups to set up meetings.
     Action Required: G. Stager to send out lists to WECOS-LC.
9. Adjournment: 2:44p.m.