Research
Housing:
Access &
Supports
Advocacy
Development
Implementation
Panel
(sustainability,
evaluation,
coordination,
oversight)
Youth Issues
Maternal &
Child Issues
Community
Education &
Prevention
Harm
Reduction
Thunder Bay Drug Strategy Implementation Structure
Overview: Working Groups to be struck to address TBDS 21 priority actions. Membership of working
groups to be diverse, and reflective of our pillars: Harm Reduction, Enforcement, Treatment, Housing,
and Prevention. Working groups may have subcommittees or breakout working groups to address
specific priority actions, but “main working group” chair to be the connection to the Implementation
Panel.
Thunder Bay Drug Strategy: Working Group Descriptions and Membership
VISION - To improve the health, safety and well-being of all citizens by
working together to reduce the harm caused by substance use.
RESULT - The community of Thunder Bay implements actions to reduce the
harms associated with substance use.
Chair: Councillor Rebecca Johnson
Coordinator: Cynthia Olsen
Priority Actions:
1.4 – Seek funding partnerships and opportunities to initiate a Centre of
Excellence for Addiction Studies in Thunder Bay
Networking and partnerships
Training and strategic planning
Purpose/Results: To conduct research on behalf of the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy to
improve the ability to work toward TBDS Eight Key Results.
Chair: TBD
Priority Actions:
5.12 – Conduct an environmental scan of programming and campaigns designed for
post-secondary students
5.15 – Examine the feasibility of creating a pool of available and screened trustees for
youth that access social assistance allowances
6.1 – Compile current community programs and services that provide system
navigators, case management providers and street outreach positions
8.13 – Examine the feasibility of partnership programs that match clinical resource
teams with enforcement teams to improve health outcomes for people who use
substances
5.2 – Conduct an environmental scan to identify resources and gaps in parenting
supports and programming for families
Central database and information sharing
Purpose/Results: To develop advocacy priorities from the Drug Strategy actions, to
conduct advocacy for the TBDS at global, national, regional and local levels, to be
available to other TBDS working groups to assist/consult on issues from an advocacy
lens.
Chair: Patty Hajdu
Priority Actions:
3.1 – Advocate for the development of a Federal Housing Strategy that includes
funding for social housing
6.13 – Advocate and support access to specialized emergency services for people with
mental health and addiction issues
4.24 – Advocate to the Province of Ontario to increase the funding for the Ontario
Works Addiction Services Initiative (ASI) (delivered through the District of Thunder Bay
Social Services Administration Board) to ensure that program capacity meets
community need
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6.9 – Advocate that publicly funded and insured insurance cover the cost of suboxone
as a treatment option for detoxification and harm reduction for opiate dependency
Thunder Bay Drug Strategy: Working Group Descriptions and Membership
Purpose/Results (Key Result Five, Key Result Six, Key Result Eight)
To provide education and conduct prevention activities in schools, the community, and
for caregivers in order to: ensure all children and youth have optimal success and
health; ensure people who use substances have optimal physical emotional and mental
health; ensure community members are safe in their neighbourhoods.
Coordination Responsibility: Drug Awareness Committee
Chair: Sheena Albanese
Priority Actions:
5.1 – Support School boards and families to begin drug education based on supporting
positive social and behavioural development at earlier ages
5.3 – Provide caregivers with access to current and evidence based information and
education about how to delay or prevent their children from using substances
5.11 – Encourage schools and school boards to develop evidence based alcohol and
substance use policies that use a restorative justice framework
6.18 – Educate the community about methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and the
principles of harm reduction
8.12 – Provide public education about substances, substance use, and legislation about
substance use including impaired driving and promote local helping resources
Public education
Purpose/Results (Key Result Six, Key Result Eight)
To ensure people who use substances have optimal physical, emotional and mental
health and to ensure community members are safe in their neighbourhoods.
Chair: Melissa Scott
Priority Actions:
6.2 – Expand crisis response services to address various types of addiction related
crises
6.8 – Form a working group to examine overdose prevention education/strategies
8.2 – Increase education to the community about how to safely dispose of needles
8.4 – Provide more needle disposal bins at key sites, including not-for-profit housing
complexes
Crisis and emergency services (including crisis withdrawal management)
**Withdrawal Management Enhancement Pilot Project Steering Committee**
**SOS Pilot Project Steering Committee**
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Thunder Bay Drug Strategy: Working Group Descriptions and Membership
Purpose/Results (Key Result Five)
To develop strategies for supporting pregnant women, new mothers who use
substances and their infants to ensure all children and youth have optimal success and
health and to ensure people who use substances have optimal physical, emotional and
mental health.
Chair: Aimee Juan
Priority Actions:
5.16 – Create an interagency neonatal substance use working group to develop
strategies for supporting pregnant women, new mothers who use substances and their
infants to improve family health outcomes
Purpose/Results (Key Result Five)
To engage young people in substance use awareness, advocacy and education through
youth-led activities and to ensure youth have optimal success and health
Chair: Nancy Black
Priority Actions:
5.13 – Improve the range of treatment options for youth to expand and enhance offsite, school, community-based, and early onset approaches
5.14 – Create a working group to investigate the provision of harm reduction services
for youth
Purpose/Results (Key Result Three)
To work towards all people in Thunder Bay having access to safe, appropriate and
affordable housing, and to improve access to housing that supports people on the
healing continuum
Coordination Responsibility: Thunder Bay Housing & Homelessness Coalition
Chair: Nicole Latour
Priority Actions:
3.7 – Allocate sustainable operational funding to local emergency shelters based on
adherence to shelter standards that promote acceptance and inclusion of persons who
use substances
3.13 – Create a personal identification (ID) storage program for vulnerable populations
3.14 – Create housing options that follow the Housing First philosophy
Housing First program
Shelter programming
Supported housing
Transitional housing
Social housing
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