CAS Board of Directors Quarterly Regional Reports: Jan-March 2017

Following a members’ resolution from during the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Canadian AIDS Society will be publishing on our web site summaries of the quarterly regional reports from each of the Board of Directors. These reports cover the period of January – March 2017.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your regional Board member: http://www.cdnaids.ca/contact-us/board-of-directors/

NB: Please note that reports are published in the language of submission.


Atlantic PLWHIV Regional Director: submitted by Michael Sangster

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Holocaust Memorial at the Halifax library: Halifax, NS. (Jan 22) Discussed the interesting similarities around the persecution of Jews, homosexuals and today’s HIV+ persons.
  • Elderberries at the Northwood Centre: Halifax, NS. (March 12) Informed LGBTQ group about the scholarships available for their HIV+ members to attend the CAS PLWHIV forum in 2017.
  • CAS executive committee (Jan 6) Discussed the agenda for the next CAS Board meeting.
  • CAS HIV committee (Jan 9) Lead this meeting where the committee members continued our review of the resolutions coming out from the CAS PLWHIV 2016 Forum. Continued the planning for the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum and the agenda for this Forum. Receive feedback for the HIV committee members.
  • CAS Board of Directors (Jan 9) Informed the Board about the CAS HIV committee meeting.
  • CAS HIV committee (Jan 12) Lead the discussion with committee members around the review of the CAS PLWHIV 2016 Forum resolutions and ongoing planning for the agenda of the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum.
  • CAS Executive committee (Feb 15) Discussed the agenda for the next CAS Board meeting.
  • CAS HIV committee (Feb 16) Continued committee’s discussion around the review of the CAS PLWHIV 2016 Forum resolutions and planning for the agenda for the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum.
  • CAS Board meeting (Feb 17) Informed the Board members about the HIV committee’s progress.
  • Face to face Board meetings in Montreal (March 22-26th) The CAS Board members met to discuss the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum and Annual Meeting.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • ACNS: Halifax, NS. (Jan 19) Spoke with and met HIV+ members
  • Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network: Halifax, NS. (Feb 14) Reproductive Health Awarness Week event at the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Feedback from this event is pending.
  • ACNS Pozitiv Mens Group : Halifax, NS. (March 9) Reminded members about the availability of scholarships to attend the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum.
  • BMO : Halifax, NS. (March 30): BMO Financial Annual BID For Life Dinner and Auction – benefit for ACNS. Had an informal chat with several people around HIV and CAS

Emerging Issues:

  • ACNS Pozitive Mens Group: Halifax, NS. (Jan 12) Informed these members about the uncertain PHAC funding for CAS and our local ASOs.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments:

Challenges:

  • CAS: Montreal, QC. (March 22-26) Concerns about the PHAC funding were discussed

Atlantic Regional Director: submitted by Janet MacPhee

Meetings and Outreach:

N/A

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • Partnership with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Mainline Needle Exchange, Alley Centre of Cape Breton (ACCB) : Discussion around ways to better distribute Harm Reduction supplies in Nova Scotia. Money received from the Province through the Health Authority to the three above mentioned organizations to continue to do Needle Exchange work and talks around more Naloxon kits available
  • Mainline Needle Exchange Northern Healthy Connections Society, Ally Center of Cape Breton and several Nova Scotia Healthy Authority people: Would like to see a safe injection site. Talks with the provincial health authority around new ways to increase access to harm reduction material
  • Northern Healthy Connections Society : Talked about having a Sexual Health Center to do hormone treatment

Emerging Issues:

  • Three staff members from AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia (ACNS) one being the ED have changed in the last year. One Staff Member is on maternity leave leaving only two staff members with knowledge of programing. ACNS is still working on getting final changes made that PHAC is requires for the five year funding.
  • Have had no contact with any of the organizations in New Brunswick.
  • No contact with Newfoundland since discussions about reasons for not doing another Scotiabank walk. The walkers they had are getting older or have passed away.  They were parents or grandparents who had someone HIV + that they walked for.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Challenges:

  • The relationship of organizations in the Atlantic are fractured and because of the LOI processes and PHAC wanting or strongly pushing all of the organizations to work together this caused the fracture to widen. Do to the fact that you have four provinces with four different government and different issues, language issues, some having an HIV strategy and others without, some provinces having greater support from provincial government. There seemed to be no way they would be able to work together.
  • Because the Regional Atlantic AIDS Network (RAAN) in now defunct and ACNS has not had a Knowledge Information Exchange Forum (KEIF) both since 2015 there has not been anyway to bring the four Atlantic provinces together. If you look at the Forum and AGM CAS held last year you will see that there was not even much of an opportunity for group to meet at this event as there was no uptake by organizations it was mostly by a few PHA from the area.

Comments:

  • ACNS is once again having staffing changes with the ED changing after only a year.
  • NHCS has also lost an Upward Amendment that ACNS was receiving to pay for a staff member to help do the HIV/AIDS work in the northern region of Nova Scotia.

Quebec Regional PLWHIV Director:

Non disponible


Représentant régional du Québec : Yanick Lefebvre (original submitted in French)

Réunions et relations externes

  • Tribune régionale des PVVIH : Une tribune a eu lieu en Estrie où entre 20 à 30 PVVIH ont participé.

Contacts avec des organismes communautaires pour le VIH:

  • N/A

Nouveaux enjeux:

  • Dossier de l’ASPC : Vis-à-vis le retrait des subventions du fédéral, le gouvernement provincial ne vient pas appuyer pour le moment. Surtout, que pour le provincial québécois, la prévention n’est pas totalement de leur ressort. La COCQ-Sida est aussi affectée et doit revoir leur comités et programmes.
  • Immigration:
  • Les régions commencent à avoir des cas moins typiques à la clientèle des régions : les immigrants. Les intervenants du milieu ne sont pas toujours formés sur cet enjeu.
  • Mélange VHC avec VIH :
  • Augmente le nombre de client et d’actes à faire. Mais, il n’y a pas de jumelage des budgets.
  • Programme méthadone :
  • Pour certains intervenants dans les organisations, le programme méthadone est peut-être efficace, mais il manque de formation envers les intervenants et les médecins qui prescrivent la méthadone.
  • GIPA et depression chez les travailleurs PVVHIV impliques dans les organismes :
  • Le fait que certains PVVIH qui s’implique après le travail dans certaines associations et bien, certains au final finissent par faire une dépression suite à un épuisement professionnel.
  • Dossier des Premiers nations :
  • Nous avons au sein de la COCQ-Sida et certains Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capital-Nationale (CIUSSS) où ce dossier les concerne) un comité pour les problématiques du VIH/VHC et ITSS chez les Premières nations (aborigènes).
  • Camp d’été des séropositif :
  • Suite au manque de financement le camp d’été était à risque de disparaître, mais grâce à la Fédération québécoise du sida et à la COCQ-Sida, le camp à eu lieu à St-Mathieu du Parc.
  • Marche pour la lutte contre le Sida :
  • La Fondation Farha s’est retirée de la Marche québécoise de lutte contre le sida qui avait lieu à l’automne. Suite à cela, un organisme de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce avec ACCM a organisé une marche temporaire qui s’est déroulé dans Notre-Dame de grâce. Près de 300 personnes étaient présentes dont plusieurs organismes communautaires.

Opportunités/ Suivi / Ressources / Défis/Commentaires

Avec la Colombie-Britannique, le Québec est, l’une des deux provinces des plus touchées par les coupures. Ex. De Laval jusqu’à l’Abitibi, il n’y a plus de financement fédéral et bien sûr cela touche les programmes de prévention.

English version submitted by Director :

Meetings and Outreach:

  • A forum was held in the Eastern Townships where between 20 to 30 PLWHIV participated at this forum.

Contacts with community-based HIV organizations:

N/A

Emerging Issues:

  • PHAC Community Action Fund: With regards to federal funding, the provincial government has not offered any back-up. Particularly when the Quebec provincial government does not see prevention as being entirely their responsibility. COCQ-Sida is also affected and must review its committees and programmes.
  • Immigration:
  • Regions are beginning to have less typical cases in the region’s clientele; immigrants. The stakeholders are not always trained on this issue.
  • Combination of HCV  and HIV:
  • An increase in the number of clients and in what needs to be done. But budgets were not doubled. This new taxation is not just a request from the federal government, but now also from the provincial government.
  • Methadone Program:
  • For some stakeholders in the organizations, the methadone program may be effective, but there is a lack of training for responders and doctors who prescribe methadone.
  • GIPA and Depression in PLWHA Workers Involved in Organizations:
  • The fact that some PHAs get involved after work in some organization associations and then, some ultimately end up depressed as  result of burnout.
  • First Nations File :
  • We have a committee for HIV / HCV and STBBI issues among First Nations (Aboriginals) at COCQ-SIDA and at some Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capital-Nationale (CIUSSS) who have this file).
  • Summer camp of poz:
  • Because of the lack of funding, the summer camp was at risk of closure, but thanks to the Fédération Québécoise du sida and COCQ-sida, the camp was held in St-Mathieu du Parc.
  • AIDS Walk:
  • The Farha Foundation withdrew from the AIDS Walk that took place in the fall. Following this, an organization of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and ACCM organized a temporary march that took place in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. There were close to 300 people present from several community organizations.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Quebec, along with British Columbia, is one of the two provinces most affected by the cuts. Ex: From Laval to Abitibi, there is no longer any federal funding and of course this affects prevention programs.


Ontario Regional PLWHIV Director: Bridget Young

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Turning To One Another network: Peer engagement training : Talked about Scholarships as the deadline was approaching the following week. Created a lot of energy for people to apply. Nine PLWHIV in attendance.

Contacts with community-based HIV organizations:

  • N/A

Emerging Issues:

  • Lots of conservation on the CAS PLWHIV Forum. People are asking questions on how to apply and what would be the theme of the forum.
  • U=U is a focus point and PLWHIV are starting to talk about it and supporting the U=U campaign

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

  • Opportunities
  • As more Scotia AIDS Walk sites have joined CAS should consider supporting these sites with some sort of attendance.
  • Challenges
  • Making PLWHIV contact from an agency level is a challenge. Right now only see PLWHIV individuals at community events or conferences.

Ontario Regional Director: Gerry Croteau.

Meetings and Outreach:

  • N/A

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • Knowledge Transfer and Exchange Day / OCHART (Toronto) : View from the front lines 2016, giving both a regional overview and the trends of the 119 programs funded by the AIDS Bureau & Hepatitis C Programs of the MOHLTC
  • NEDS (Northern Executive Directors) & PARN (Northern Ontario & Simcoe Muskoka) : HR Downloads is proving to be an excellent tool that is shared by Elevate, Reseau Acces, AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area, Gilbert Centre and PARN
  • Elevate (Thunder Bay) : Elevate noted that they appreciate the work that CAS is doing
  • PARN & ACNBA: Briefly noted the work that CAS is engaged with in particular the advocacy around CAF

Emerging Issues:

  • U=U (Undetectable = Uninfectious or untransmitable)
  • LOI Process with CAF/PHAC continues to dominate conversations at local and regional meetings

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Opportunities:

  • There is partnership building being looked at in terms of engaging former CAS members within Ontario and a determined effort to maintain open and transparent dialog in our region

Challenges :

  • Stress levels are high due to the uncertainty of funding steams
  • Maintaining contact with CAS members in terms of actual conversations and or face to face is a challenge. There is still concern of discussing CAS within the Ontario ASO community as not to upset or trigger some ASOs
  • Time constraints

 Prairie Regional Director: submitted by Mike Payne

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Collective Impact Network (MB HIV Program) (Winnipeg) : Priorities for Manitoba in context of HIV Testing include: Provincial adoption of Routine Testing Guidelines; Logistical solutions to rural and northern testing; Readiness initiatives in northern communities and advancing the MB HIV Stigma project to learn how to better tackle stigma
  • Prevention Collaborative (Winnipeg): HIV/STBBI Prevention Collaborative has completed an informal inventory of agencies providing funded, targeted HIV/STBBI prevention programming. A survey will be going out this month to better understand the current scope and focus of resources and explore strategies to better integrate/maximize our existing resources through a collaborative approach
  • World AIDS Day (Winnipeg): A number of awareness raising events were held as well as a “Hands Up for HIV Prevention” context which saw participation from agencies though out the City of Winnipeg and through each Region of the Province.
  • 90-90-90 goal: -met with provincial authorities. Nine Circles and partners have been a driving force in the discussions on information sharing agreement between us and the federal authorities.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • OUT Saskatoon and All Nations Hope (September): Discussed current priorities in context of CAS and MB/SK.
  • General feedback over the past six months: Still unclear about CAS value in context of regional priorities. Proud to be members of CAS, not a lot of uptake on question of increasing participation (e.g. Board, committee, etc). Some concern that National agencies were not able to unite with a common voice during the PHAC ACAP-CAF transition challenges.  Acknowledgement of CAS’s effort to bring community partners together (appreciated). Main question:  what is the long term plan for AIDS Walk – does it need to transition to another national agency, or transition to regional/provincial managed events.  What is the timeline and process for this?

Emerging Issues:

  • New Provincial Government (MB)
  • Lack of Engagement of Government (SK)
  • No information regarding other P-T
  • MB HIV Program Investment – Provincial Mandate confirmed
  • SK continues to try and secure a public health emergency acknowledgement
  • Indigenous HIV conference (SK) in March, 2017 with strong contributions from MB and BC
  • PHAC – CAF. When will we know?

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Opportunities:

  • Collective Impact Network Findings (from November meeting) by Webinar (invite out soon); MB
  • SK Indigenous HIV Conference Indigenous Women’s Traditional Roles (March) SK
  • Pleased to have an indigenous group that will be funded through CAF to work with non-reserve communities in awareness and testing. Nine Circles Community Health Centre will work with them.

Follow-up:

  • Main question: what is the long term plan for AIDS Walk – does it need to transition to another national agency, or transition to regional/provincial managed events.  What is the timeline and process for this?  Obviously, contingent on outcome of CAS funding (1 year or 5 year?)

Challenges:

  • Folks are busy – don’t necessarily see how CAS impact their work in a way that prioritizes engagement – the “prairies” construct isn’t always relevant as HIV realities are very different in each region.
  • Folks don’t respond to email queries.
  • PHAC’s Community Action Fund (CAF) process was difficult in Manitoba. We now have to make fundamental changes leading to reduction in services.
  • Nine Circles has seen a 50% increase in needle exchange use. We are the organization that people come to for opioid-related concerns but we are not really funded for that service.

Comments:

  • Having the 90-90-90 goal is great but we also want to capture something that is more meaningful. E.g. piloting the stigma index (CIHR funded), ways of capturing the experience of stigma & discrimination on changes in the lived experience. Find a way of leveraging 90-90-90 in a more meaningful way.

Prairies Regional PLWHIV Director: submitted by Bernard Mathieson

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Attended first face to face board meeting in Montreal.
  • Met with Executive Director AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan (APSS) and discussed issues such as the quilts. They are on board for this project.
  • Met with Executive Director of APSS: Discussed the AIDS Walk and discussed what direction this will take this year.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan: Talked about potential participants at 2017 forum
  • E-mailed and called the following organizations within my region: All Nations’ Hope, AIDS Saskatoon.
  • Face to face meeting with AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan

Emerging Issues:

  1. Fentanyl
  2. A large number of Aboriginal with HIV
  3. Poverty

Pacific Regional PLWHIV Director:

Not available


Pacific Regional Director:

Position vacant


PLWHIV Youth Director:

Not available


Director at large: submitted by Greg Rhiel

Meetings and Outreach:

  • “Know Your Status” HIV Forum: Saskatoon, SK. knowledge exchange on Know Your Status and Best Practices for HIV care in First Nations communities.
    • Topics included: Community readiness and engagement, HIV Education, Harm Reduction, Clinical Management, Continuum of Care, and 90-90-90 information.
  • CANAC planning committee: Regina, SK. http://canac.org/annual-conference/ Looking for sponsorship, finalizing plans for 25th National Conference to be held in Regina Saskatchewan
  • All Nations Hope Network: Regina, SK. Regular meeting to discuss events and activities at All Nations Hope Network. I chair this board. http://allnationshope.ca/
  • SK Indigenous HIV Conference : Indigenous Women’s Traditional Roles http://allnationshope.ca/pages/sk-indigenous-hiv-conference March 21st and 22nd 2017
  • CAS Annual Meeting: Montreal, QC. Annual face to face meetings in Montreal; visits to local ASO’s; Membership committee; Policy and Board Development committee

Contacts with community-based organizations:

Bad Blood is a gothic retelling of Tremblay’s harrowing experience with the Saskatchewan healthcare system. This uniquely Saskatchewan story was our first large-scale production, that garnered national attention with an unprecedented review in The Globe and Mail. The Show was SOLD OUT with rave audience reviews. Again proving that Regina Audiences are passionate to see local stories boldly presented on stage. When I am at public events I represent CAS and ensure I have CAS business cards on hand. Please see this play if you get a chance.

Emerging Issues:

  • Epidemic continues, letter to the Minister of Health has been sent regarding meeting with local SK HIV HCV Nursing Education Organization. No reply to date.
    • *Update*: meeting with Minister of Health officials, Deputy Minister planned for May 15th, 2017
  • The Know Your Status meeting was a highlight this month, focusing on many successes happening in the province, but many First Nations communities and Indigenous individuals being affected by HIV and HCV.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Opportunities:


Director at large:

Not available

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