In March ACYR will be hosting a two day workshop on Harm Reduction.  The workshop is put on by Ontario HIV Substance Use Training Program.  The OHSUTP workshops are accredited with the Canadian Addiction Counselling Certification Federation for continuing education credits.  This workshop will be offered to all staff board and volunteers free of charge.  Please register online through the OHSUTP website – details included in the workshop flyer. 

Please see the attached flyer for all workshop details or visit www.ohsutp.ca for details on the workshop content.  Please contact Amy Mackay at 905 953 0248 or at newmarketacyr@gmail.com with any questions regarding the workshop or registration.

Two HRCYR members are featured in a series of articles in the Era Banner. The first series focused on Stephen Bradford from the krasman Centre. In this series, Patti Bell from Blue Door Shelters talks about the challenges faced by those living on the fringes of our community.

Awareness, innovation key in hard times

Hard times. Blue Door Shelters executive director Patti Bell works to spread awareness of homelessness in York Region. Staff Photo/Susie Kockerscheidt

By Chris Traber

January 12, 2012

With few responsible for many, the challenges for York Region’s social service providers and the support systems they administer will grow relentlessly and exponentially in 2012.
A diverse, aging and burgeoning populace existing in a rickety economy adds burden to people entrusted to help our homeless, hungry, ill, poor and lost.
Out of the 2012 gate, the prolonged York Region Transit strike represents a major hurdle for our most vulnerable citizens, York Region Food Network executive director Joan Stonehocker said. 

Read the rest of this post »

Haran Vijayanathan, Program Manager for Support Services at the AIDS Committee of York Region submitted a proposal to the Regional Municipality of York in the middle of October for their New Agency Development Fund  (NADF).  The goal was primarily to set up a resource centre and support space for the LGBTTQ community in York Region and the request was for a one-year grant of $45,000. 

The good news is that Haran has been successful in his application, and has received the funding to set up MY HOUSE - Rainbow Resources of York Region.  This will be  a stand-alone agency with the capacity to be a source of support and referral to various programs throughout the region, as well as offer space for support/social groups. Radha Bhardwaj, Executive Director of the ACYR commented that this is a great step forward for the entire community.     

The ACYR is the sponsor agency for the one-year project. MY HOUSE will be located within the ACYR Richmond Hill office space, and there are funds designated by the region for one year’s rent.  

This is a nice post that exemplifies the harm reduction philosphy and practice. 

Latour helps organization offer shelter

Local hero. Barb Latour is an administrative assistant at Blue Door Shelters. By Mike Barrett

 Barb Latour is a hero to the clients and staff at Blue Door Shelters in East Gwillimbury because of the way she treats others. 
“She always greets everyone with the upmost respect,” Blue Door Shelters executive director Patti Bell said.

Read the rest of this post »

Their presentation was filled with very useful information about harm reduction. Patti and Lori talked about the current state of harm reduction in York Region and the challenges of implementing a structured harm reduction practice in organizations. Patti and Lori talk over the presentation with Radha Bhardwaj (center), Executive Director of the AIDS Committee of York Region.

Members of the Harm Reduction Coalition of York Region has learned that CAMH has restructured its operations in the Region and no longer providing consulting services. It appears that they are more active in addressing systemic issues. Members were dissappointed by this decision as this shift to systemic issues was viewed as a loss in direct services to our Region.

 Stephen Bradford, Executive Director of the Krasman Centre informed us that the partnership with the York Region Community & Health Services - Harm Reduction Program is no longer going forward. The Region's Harm Reduction program staffing was dropped from 4 to .5 FTE. 

Lori Kerr from LOFT - Crosslinks shared news about the partnership with Addiction Services York Region. The Addiction Supportive Housing Program (ASH) is launched and doing very well. They have 8 units, providing staff outreach & counseling support to participants in the program. The apartment units are in the Newmarket and Aurora areas. 

Supreme Court ruling opens doors to drug injection clinics across Canada

The Court, which ruled in a 9-0 decision, said the consequences of interrupting the work of the Insite clinic could have 'grave consequences'

Read the rest of this post »

Project YES (York Exchange Services)

Project YES provides injection drug users with free sterile equipment to reduce the likelihood of sharing and reusing needles and equipment that may result in the transmission of blood borne infections such as hepatitis B and C and HIV. The program also provides containers and locations to dispose of used needles and equipment safely, reducing needles being discarded in public places. All services provided by this project are non- judgmental, confidential and with no questions asked.

Free equipment provided includes: sterile needles and syringes sterile water cookers vitamin C filters used needle disposal containers