MINTO – Sanguen Health Centre, which provides Hepatitis C testing, treatment, support, outreach, and education in Guelph-Wellington and Waterloo Region, is planning to bring a mobile service to Minto and Erin.
A delegation from the organization led by program director Colin McVicker explained plans for the service to Minto council at the Feb. 7 meeting.
McVicker said the organization, founded in 2007, has been operating a community health van project in Guelph for the past 15 months, utilizing Trillium Foundation funding. The group also operates a van in Waterloo Region.
The van offers a wide range of services, often over a cup of hot chocolate, including:
– food, clothing and hygiene products;
– testing for Hepatitis A, B and C, HIV and syphilis;
– vein and wound care;
– referrals, supportive counselling, case management;
– harm reduction supplies and returns;
– sexual health support and education;
– flu shots and vaccines; and
– overdose prevention and naloxone.
McVicker said clients using the mobile service don’t access services available through clinics for a variety of reasons.
Often he says, clients are “at risk for a variety of different pieces that make them highly marginalized individuals: mental health, substance abuse, homelessness and poverty.
“Often these people have incredibly complex needs,” he explained.
The Guelph program, McVicker said, has experienced “an incredible amount of success where we were able to engage people who were otherwise falling through the cracks.”
He said Sanguen has teamed up with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to look at extending the program.
Other supporters of the program include: Wellington OPP, Homewood Health Centre, Waterloo Wellington LHIN, Mount Forest Family Health Team, Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, Canadian Mental Health Association, East Wellington Family Health Team, Upper Grand Family Health Team and East Wellington Community Services.
“My background has been working in Mount Forest as a health care provider with Homewood Health and one of the things I know is that there are marginalized people that are also in our rural communities,” said McVicker.
He explained Sanguen was able to “go back to Trillium to get an extension until August if there was support from the community to be able to provide service up here as well.”
McVicker said the community health van, which operates two nights a week in Guelph, could initially operate on a bi-weekly level between Erin and Palmerston.
“Those are the two communities that came forward and indicated an interest,” he said.
“We don’t want to be pushing this van into any communities.”
McVicker said there has already been a soft launch and some testing of the service in Erin and “feedback has been this is where the need is.
“We’ve found very clearly that substance use is there, it’s incredibly high with stigma and people are interested in engaging with our team,” he stated.
On any given night the community health van carries a driver/mobile outreach coordinator, peer outreach worker, Sanguen Hepatitis C nurse, public health nurse, Sanguen social support coordinator or personnel from ARCH, which provides HIV/AIDS resources and support.
The multi-purpose nature of the service helps to reduce the stigma of using the service, McVicker notes.
“The great thing about having a variety of services is that it’s not the one-service van. So it’s not the drug van … it’s like a mobile hub of service delivery,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s just to come and have a cup of hot chocolate and to meet us.”
Councillor Mark MacKenzie asked how mental health issues dovetail with the van’s mandate.
“Our staff are trained to deal with mental health issues,” explained Tracy Hobson, a registered nurse who regularly travels with the van.
She noted the van brings one regular visitor medications for a mental health condition and staff check ins to ensure she is taking the medication and to see “how she’s doing.
“We were also able to advocate on her behalf to maintain her housing,” Hobson stated.
“We are aware of the mental health issues the majority of our clients struggle with.”
McVicker said the range of services offered and mobile nature of the van allow the program to avoid some of the frustrations that affect staff at other types of clinics, such as, “meeting someone, seeing the clear need, but having to refer them to a wait list for six months.
“One of the things that we’re able to do with this van is to be able to engage someone with something instantly that will be able to help them improve their quality of life – if that’s a sleeping bag, if it’s soft food, if it’s an overdose prevention kit, if it’s winter gear, hats, boots mitts, gloves, scarves, if it’s diapers for their child – all these pieces have been instrumental for us in having people come back to the service … it’s all about the relationships.”
Councillor Ron Elliott asked if the van would be located in a position to facilitate privacy for visitors.
“This is where we’re looking to our strategic partners in our communities to answer these questions,” said McVicker. “Where’s a discreet place for us to be, to do the work that we need to do.”
Deputy mayor Dave Turton asked about plans for continuing the project once Trillium funding runs out.
“We are right now working on sustainability planning” with the City of Guelph and the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said McVicker.
For the past year, he added, the entire Waterloo program has been operated entirely through donations.
“It’s a very cost effective way that someone from the private business sector, who wanted to support their community, could do so,” he pointed out.
“When we go to the community for donations, people have been very generous.”
Mayor George Bridge said the van could help people who aren’t well served by other programs.
“I don’t see a real downside to this … and hopefully we can find that place that’s the perfect spot,” said Bridge.
He offered the support of council and town staff and encouraged the delegation to report back with an assessment after the service is in operation.
