Bulletins, Briefs, Reports, and more

Opioids & Drug Poisoning Crisis Resource Repository

Knowledge exchange and mobilization

Bulletins, Briefs, & Reports.

COMMUNICATIONS

SUMMER 2023 PROJECT BULLETIN

INNOVATIVE MODELS

HARM REDUCTION VENDING MACHINE BRIEF

INNOVATIVE MODELS

NASAL NALOXONE PILOT PROJECT EVAL REPORT

INNOVATIVE MODELS

NASAL NALOXONE PILOT PROJECT EVAL BRIEF

EVENT SUMMARY

ALL-REGION FIRST NATIONS OPIOIDS CRISIS GATHERING REPORT

INNOVATIVE MODELS

FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS PROGRAM BRIEF

INNOVATIVE MODELS

FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS PROGRAM REPORT

RESOURCE CURATION

MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Report highlighting the dedication of Alberta's Indigenous community-based workers, formerly known as the Indian Residential School (IRS) Support workforce and now part of the Trauma-Informed Health and Cultural Support Program (TIHCSP).

What to learn more about? Click here.

FULL REPORT

TIHCSP WORKFORCE VISUAL TIMELINE

REPORT WEBINAR FOR TECHNICIANS, MANAGERS & PARTNERS

Neat Evidence Reviews.

OVERVIEW OF SYSTEMS CALLS TO ACHIEVE INDIGENOUS HEALTH EQUITIES

Resource offering tailored recommendations, put forward by Indigenous frameworks for responding to health crises in urban Indigenous and First Nations communities.

Emphasizes cross-sector collaboration accountability in supporting Indigenous priorities, and draws on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, MMIWG calls to action, and Alberta-specific guidance. Designed to promote health equity, it provides systems-level strategies to help organizations understand their roles and take action within their unique contexts.

WRAP-AROUND SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE ON OAT TRANSITIONING OUT OF TREATMENT

Resource offering strategies to enhance well-being for clients managing opioid use disorder (OUD) on opioid agonist therapy (OAT).

Grounded in client-centred care, it highlights approaches to comprehensive support for Alberta First Nations communities. Designed to foster health equity, it draws on Indigenous frameworks and emphasizes collaborative, culturally responsive care tailored to the unique needs of clients.

EXPRESSIONS OF PAIN IN INTERCULTURAL SETTINGS

Cultural and social differences shape how pain is expressed. Indigenous peoples often express pain differently due to cultural norms and colonial power imbalances.

In clinical settings, these differences can lead to miscommunication, misdiagnoses, and inadequate treatment. Western methods of assessing pain often fail to align with Indigenous perspectives on pain and coping.

PREDICTIVE FACTORS OF OPIOID MISUSE

Opioids are highly addictive, and dependence can develop even from prescribed use. Experiences of violence, stress, and trauma increase the risk of misuse.

SOCIAL & CULTURAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PHYSICIAN DECISION-MAKING

Clinical decisions are shaped by societal norms and systemic factors, often influenced by racial biases and stereotypes.

Healthcare providers must address their role in unequal treatment by learning about lived experiences, improving communication, and offering better support for those struggling with substance use.

Reflecting on assumptions is essential for providing high-quality care.

COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE MODELS

Innovative, coordinated, and community-informed crisis response strategies can be tailored to the unique needs of communities affected by the overdose crisis.

Effective responses to the opioid crisis require cross-sector collaboration, involving families, people with lived experience, healthcare, social services, and other community providers

COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE PROGRAMS IN RURAL, REMOTE, & RESOURCE CONSTRAINED AREAS

Community paramedicine programs are an innovative approach to enhancing healthcare delivery in rural areas.

With an expanded scope of practice, community paramedics are able to meet patients where they are and reduce demand on emergency departments (EDs) and services.

STRENGTHENING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: INSIGHTS FROM RURAL, REMOTE, AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Sustainable Primary Health Care (PHC) relies on proper planning, funding, workforce, and integration. It improves outcomes, reduces costs, and requires stable support for scalability.

Community-driven models and cultural practices enhance trust and care delivery.

RETHINKING PAIN AS A CHRONIC CONDITION

Chronic pain should be understood as a complex condition that encompasses not only its biomedical aspects but also its biopsychosocial dimensions. This shift in perspective recognizes chronic pain as a disease in its own right, rather than merely a symptom of other conditions.

By integrating pain assessment tools into broader biopsychosocial evaluations, healthcare providers can improve the effectiveness of referrals, intervention planning, and the measurement of outcomes, leading to more comprehensive and appropriate care.

WASTEWATER MONITORING FOR COMMUNITY-LEVEL HEALTH INDICATORS

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of wastewater surveillance (WWS) in tracking health trends.

As the overdose crisis persists, WWS can monitor substances of potential abuse (SoPA) in communities, providing data to guide public health strategies aimed at reducing poisoning deaths.

What to learn more about WWS? Click here to learn about some of our work in this area.