WECOS October 6, 2017 - 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.
3. Review of Minutes
   1. Minutes of June 29, 2017
      Approved with no corrections.
4. Standing Agenda Items
   1. Revised Terms of Reference/New Membership Request(s)
      • The terms of reference have been revised to include all new members.
   2. Roundtable Update/Opioid-Related Information Sharing with Community Partners
      • Clinical Services (WECHU)  - The Health Unit has received expanded naloxone distribution guidelines for Windsor-Essex. A community list of service providers is being generated. Thus far there are 50 organizations on the list. The WECHU will be supporting service providers using a train-the-trainer model for naloxone use.  
      • Pharmacy - The Ministry is pushing to remove codeine from off the counter to prescription only.
      • Methadone Clinic - Dr. McKay receives calls from emergency room physicians on treatment advice for opioid use disorders. They are working with LHIN to offer a RAAM clinic model for our area.
      • Police - LaSalle police are taking a pro-active approach in the schools. They have provided presentations/had discussions at Sandwich Secondary High School with both teachers and the parent council. It was raised that the WECHU hosts a site for teachers on its website that includes relevant resources.
      • Epidemiologist (WECHU) - The WECHU is working on the data set for the Narcotics Monitoring System. A slide presentation highlighting the analysis was shared with the group. Windsor-Essex is significantly higher than the provincial average. Also, opioid prescriptions are coming from outside of Windsor-Essex. This changes the conversation locally. Where can we intervene? What can we do if the majority of prescribers are outside Windsor-Essex? The WECHU is working on a more detailed analysis.
      • AIDS Committee of Windsor - The ACW is the designated agency for the needle syringe program. Their responsibility is to report surveillance data. Over 300 naloxone kits have been distributed. There have been 30 reversals to date.
      • House of Sophrosyne - Health Quality Ontario has released some draft standards re: opioid use and treatment. The House of Sophrosyne will be meeting with the LHIN and Brentwood re client-centred care.  Brentwood wants clients to take the abstinence approach however that is not always possible.
      • OPP - Essex County OPP officers starting next week will be carrying naloxone kits on them. Ninety percent have received training locally as approved by the Ministry of Correctional Services.
      • Essex-Windsor EMS - All units on the road carry Narcan® with a full complement of staff trained to administer it. They are seeing a 40% increase in Narcan® administration in the field.
5. Business Arising
   1. Training for Narcan Issuance-Police/First Responder Training Package
      Essex-Windsor EMS has put together a training package that is self-explanatory, however they would like to see what others are doing in an effort to provide standardized training. They would like to speak to anyone who has provided education on Narcan® administration. As well, they are happy to collaborate with anyone that needs assistance.
6. New Business
   1. Proposed Windsor-Essex County Opioid Strategy & Committee Feedback
      • The draft consultation document was developed based on feedback from the environmental scan of community needs and resources and best practices from municipalities across North America. It has also considered local data and a number of provincial, national, and North American strategies.
      • WECHU discussed how the proposal was developed and the four pillar approach used.
        
        • Pillar One - Prevention and Education
        • Pillar Two - Harm Reduction
        • Pillar Three - Treatment and Recovery
        • Pillar Four - Enforcement and Justice
      • The key message is that it is a consultation document to be further refined with feedback from this group and from the community (forums and feedback survey).
      • Two community consultation events have been scheduled in high-need areas; at the Downtown Windsor YMCA on October 17 and at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Centre on October 18. Both events will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents will be able to register online through Eventbrite. We also want to hear from front-line people. There will be one week’s notice to register for the event. Michael Parkinson from Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council will be the guest speaker.
      • Everyone was asked to provide input on the consultation document to make it representative of the region.
   2. Community Forums - Windsor and Leamington
      
      1. Community Survey—There will be a hard copy and on-line survey to provide everyone the opportunity to comment on the proposed strategy. Hard copies will be available at various service providers.
      2. WECOS-LC Facilitators for Focus Groups - Volunteers from WECOS-LC agencies are needed to facilitate discussion on the proposed strategy during the break-out sessions. There will be tables under each of the four pillars. The ask is for 1-2 volunteers per table from this group. It is important that input be received from individuals with lived experiences from all walks of life to help inform the strategy.
      3. Information Tables for Both Locations - WECOS-LC members’ agencies and other service providers have been invited to host a booth at the consultation sessions. This will provide an opportunity for these agencies to let the community know about the services they offer for substance use issues.
      • There is a media event next Wednesday, Oct. 11 at the WECHU from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. to announce the proposed consultation document/community forums. All WECOS-LC members were encouraged to attend. Dr. Ahmed and B. Krauter will be present to promote the event. A media advisory will be sent out.
      • The WECHU will be providing key messages for all WECOS-LC members in preparation for media queries.
      • The consultation document and survey will go live on the WECHU website on October 11, the date of the media event.
   3. Links to WECOS-LC/Service Providers’ Opioid Resources for WECHU Website
      • The WECHU is creating a repository of opioid resources.
      • An environmental scan/survey will be done with the group to query resources available re: all substances. Resources will be linked from the opioid section of the WECHU’s website. There will also be a resource section for schools to access.
      • It was suggested that the health unit use the link to the website “Opioid crisis in ONT”. There are currently 700 members.
   4. Feasibility Study for Supervised Injection Site
      • The WECHU has been discussing the need for supervised injection sites in Windsor-Essex.  
      • The Health Unit will be doing a feasibility study in Windsor-Essex.
      • Toronto and Ottawa have been ahead of this with an official SIS and also unofficial sites.
      • The Health Unit will be getting three needle boxes, one to be placed off Pelissier, one off Goyeau, and one for the AIDS Committee of Windsor building. The Health Unit has continued to find needles dumped in its staff parking lots.  
      • Rino Bortolin has offered to fund two more needle boxes. The Downtown Windsor BIA has offered to purchase two more for a total of four more for the downtown core.
      • The question was raised as to how these boxes would be overseen and who would pay for their disposal.
7. Questions
8. Next Steps
   
   • A reminder that facilitators are needed for the community forums’ break-out sessions under each of the pillars as well as agencies that are interested in hosting an information table at the community forums.
   • Feedback on the consultation document was requested no later than next Tuesday, October 10 by noon.  Members were asked to email feedback to WECHU.
   • At the back of the consultation document there is a listing of WECOS-LC organizations. Members were asked to check it for accuracy/ensure all representatives/agencies are reflected.
   • WECOS-LC members were asked to attend the community consultations/forums to be held October 17 and 18.
   • Once community feedback is received it will be incorporated into a final draft strategy. The proposed document will be finalized by WECOS-LC at the November meeting before release as a final document to the community.
9. Next Meeting: Between November 20 and 24, 2017.
10. Adjournment: 2:28 p.m.