CAS Board of Directors Quarterly Regional Reports: Apr-June 2017

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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. The following reports cover the period of April-June 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 Regional Director:

Not available

Atlantic PLWHIV Regional Director: submitted by Michael Sangster

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Elderberries at Northwood Centre in Halifax, NS. (April 9) Discussed homophobia in the Canadian Military including HIV+ military personal.
  • Elderberries at the Gay Straight Alliance meetings at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, NS. (April 21) Spoke to students about personal experiences living as a gay HIV+ man and participating on several boards such as the CAS Board of Directors.
  • CAS Executive Committee meeting. (April 4). Discussed planning for CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum and Annual Meeting with the funding changes that occurred with the newly signed PHAC funding agreement.
  • CAS HIV Committee meeting. (May 3). Reviewed agenda for the CAS PHLWHIV 2017 Forum and discussed the theme for this Forum.
  • CAS Board meeting. (May 18). Discussed agenda items.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia (ACNS): Positive Men’s Group meeting, Halifax, NS. (April 13). Informed members that scholarships were still available to the CAS PLWHIV 2017 Forum.

Emerging Issues:

N/A

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

N/A

Représentant(e) régional(e) du Québec :

Non-disponible

Représentant(e) régional(e) des PVVIH du Québec :

Non-disponible

Ontario Regional Director: submitted by Gerry Croteau

Meetings and Outreach:

  • ED/Board Chair meeting in Toronto, ON. Noted stress levels are high due to uncertainty of funding streams, particularly CAF/PHAC. Transitional funding sporadic for many ASO’s.
  • OAN Compensation Review in Toronto, ON. Review for province available. Contact Gerry Croteau for a copy.
  • HALCO at Disclosure Workshop in Toronto, ON. Noted disclosure of HIV status remains a concern and many individuals unsure of the legal implications of non-disclosure.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • HALCO: Expressed interest in our membership. Follow up meeting in June still to be confirmed.

Emerging Issues:

  • U=U (Undetectable = Uninfectious or untransmitable)

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Follow-Up:

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

Resources:

  • The OAN’s (Ontario AIDS network) OPRAH program (Ontario Provincial Resources for ASOs in Human Resources) & OAN skills building workshops and OODP (Ontario Organization and Development Program) provide resources that are readily available.

Challenges:

  • Lack of opportunities for CAS to attend meetings, engage with groups or participate in projects in the region.
  • Maintaining contact with CAS members in terms of actual ‘face-to-face’ conversations. Concern about discussing CAS within the Ontario ASO community as not to upset or trigger some ASO’s.
  • April/May/June scheduling issues due to a re-audit, new hires to fill with funding grants, and OODP workshops on Board Roles and Responsibilities.

Ontario Regional PLWHIV Director: submitted by Bridget Young

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Halton Equity & Diversity Round Table in Oakville, ON. Membership meeting added value to community of social services with valuable training.
  • AIDS Action Halton in Burlington, ON. Discussed U=U and how it effects our community. Deliberated on adding a Service Provider training on U=U in the Halton Region and how Halton can tie in U=U into World AIDS Day 2017.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • Ladies Ciro: Social Engagement Event that provided at TAN for clients. Connected with 12 PLWHIV individuals and handed out contact information.

Emerging Issues:

  • Engagement. Growing inquiry from individuals PLWHIV about how to become more engaged in their own agency.
  • Travel. The larger the region, the more PLWHIV are struggling to attend events.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Opportunities:

  • Supporting sites through attendance with the growing Scotiabank AIDS Walk sites joining CAS.

Challenges:

  • Making PLWHIV contact from an agency level. Currently, PLWHIV individuals are only seen at community events or conferences.

Prairie Regional Director:

Not available

Prairies Regional PLWHIV Director: submitted by Bernard Mathieson (*original submitted in both official languages*)

English:

Meetings and Outreach:

  • Board Meeting in Montreal, QC.
  • Meeting with AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan Peer Coordinator and Dr.Skinner. Discussed potential participants at 2017 Forum.
  • Previous Prairie CAS Board Director in Winnipeg, MB. Contacted as a resource.

Contacts with community-based organizations:

  • All Nations’ Hope: Contacted via e-mail and phone call.
  • AIDS Saskatoon: Contacted via e-mail and phone call.
  • AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan: Contacted via e-mails and face-to-face.
  • Canadian AIDS Memorial Quilt Project: Met with Executive Director (APSS) and discussed issues such as quilts. They are on board for this project.
  • Scotiabank AIDS Walk: Met with Executive Director (APSS) and discussed the AIDS Walk and what direction this will take this year.

Emerging Issues:

  • Fentanyl
  • Large number of Aboriginals with HIV
  • Poverty

Français:

Réunions et relations externes

  • Réunion du conseil à Montréal, QC.
  • Réunion avec  le coordonnateur des pairs du AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan et Dr. Skinner. Ils vont m’informer s’ils ont trouvé des personnes qui se sentent à l’aise pour assister à la Tribune.
  • Informations concernant l’ancien directeur du conseil pour les Prairies.

Contacts avec des organisations communautaires :

  • All Nations’ Hope: Envoyé des courriels et fait des appels.
  • AIDS Saskatoon: Envoyé des courriels et fait des appels.
  • AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan: Contacts par courriel et rencontres en personne.
  • La Courtepointe commémorative canadienne du sida : Réunion avec la Directrice générale de l’APSS pour discuter du projet de la courtepointe. Elle donne son soutien pour ce projet.
  • La Marche Action sida Banque Scotia: Réunion avec la Directrice générale de l’APSS pour discuter de la Marche et de la direction que prendra l’événement.

Nouveaux enjeux :

  • Le fentanyl
  • Il y a beaucoup d’autochtones vivant avec le VIH
  • La pauvreté

Director-at-Large: submitted by Greg Riehl

Meetings and Outreach:

  • SK HIV HCV Nursing Education Organization meeting with Ministry of Health in Regina, SK. (May 15). Discussed optimizing the HIV care environment, 90:90:90, improving surveillance, and program monitoring and evaluation.
  • Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (CANAC) Conference in Regina, SK. (May 4-6). Approximately 90 participants from all over Canada provided with a 3 day learning experience. (http://canac.org/annual-conference/)
  • All Nations Hope Network meeting in Regina, SK. Regular meeting to discuss events and activities at All Nations Hope Network which included talking about Scotiabank AIDS walk and plans for September 2017. (http://allnationshope.ca/)
  • CAS Annual Forum in Regina, SK. Annual face-to-face forum for PLWHIV decided to take place in Regina over Vancouver because more cost effective.
  • SCPOR Meeting (SK Centre for Patient Oriented Research) in Saskatoon. HIV research in regards to Indigenous populations, focusing on GIPA MEPA OCAP. Indigenous Research Ethic Workshop at the University of Regina attended as an additional resource.

Contacts with community-based HIV organizations:

  • All Nations Hope Network (ANHN): Feedback to ensure ANHN is participating with CAS. Regular basecamp updates re LOI process.

Emerging Issues:

  1. Ministry of Health Meeting. (May 15, 2017) With local SK HIV HCV Nursing Education Organization.
  2. Know Your Status Meeting. Focused on successes in province and outlined that many First Nations communities and Indigenous individuals being affected by HIV and HCV remain an issue.

Opportunities / Follow-up / Resources / Challenges/ Comments

Opportunities:

Follow-Up:

  • The Saskatchewan, and entire Prairie region is looking forward to the CAS annual Forum that will be taking place in the beginning of June.

Resources:

  • There is good support from CAS National Office, open communication, and we are appreciative of the print materials that were supplied to the CANAC conference.

Challenges:

  • Wide geographical area that needs to be looked at.
  • Time required to do outreach and to reach out.

Pacific Regional Director:

Position vacant

Pacific Regional PLWHIV Director:

Not available

PLWHIV Youth Director:

Not available

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