The post Newsletter #41: March 2023 appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Though it may feel different, as we are learning to live with SARS-CoV-2 as a circulating respiratory virus, we must understand that there remains a global health emergency of which we cannot become complacent. We must still protect those who have been made more vulnerable due to the pandemic, and we must also focus, for example, on long-term data collection for vaccine effectiveness, advancing vaccine equity, and applying lessons from the current pandemic to future threat responses.

Our work, therefore, continues.

The SPEAK Surveys data are critically important to help us understand where to focus our efforts. To date, data show negative impacts on mental health and stress and that societal impacts are inequitably distributed, with families with children, young adults, and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds most impacted. Taking this into consideration, much of the work of public health is shifting from acute, and often real-time, response, to strategic, proactive recovery and addressing the societal consequences of the pandemic and pandemic-related measures, as well as applying lessons to help us prepare for the future. These efforts will take years.

What does this mean for us?

It means we’re actively listening, learning, engaging, and convening work to advance equity, community resiliency, the social determinants of health, and a stronger, innovative public health sector. Here’s a snapshot of some of our current solutions-focused projects and priorities, as we shift towards the future.

• As BC shifts towards pandemic recovery, there is a limited window of opportunity to learn from the experiences of those engaged in the pandemic response and identify areas for improvement to prepare for emerging pathogens and future pandemics. It is critical to learn from the public health experience of the pandemic in order to prepare for the future. We’re funding a project that aims to articulate learnings to inform a provincial pandemic preparedness and response guidance framework, which will ensure BC is ready for future threats.
• Working with Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, we convened a dialogue event to distill key lessons, strengthen partnerships among public health and research stakeholders, and identify structures and mechanisms to support evidence-based practice, policy, and decision-making, as well as community-relevant public health messaging and tools.

• We continue to fund key areas of immunization research and service, with a specific focus on advancing equity for Indigenous communities. This includes vaccine monitoring, reporting, access, and stewardship in the North to strengthen these areas to ensure that Indigenous communities receive the same access to, and supports for, vaccination.
• Evidence of Indigenous-specific racism in the health system surfaced in powerful ways during the pandemic. We’re supporting a project that will systematically look at the ways in which Indigenous-specific racism, white supremacy, and settler colonialism showed up within the public health response.

• Addressing the societal, or unintended, consequences of the pandemic and pandemic-related measures is critical to rebuilding, recovery, and resiliency. Working with the Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control, we’re providing grants across the province focusing on equity in regional health authorities and local communities.
• One fundamental consequence of the pandemic is that youth mental health and wellbeing has been negatively impacted—data from the SPEAK surveys have demonstrated that this must be a core area of work for public health. We’re supporting provincial research to understand the needs and gaps, and build and strengthen interventions for youth.

We look forward to sharing outcomes of these and other projects in future stories and as we advance our new strategic plan to help shape public health over the coming years by focusing on equity, partnerships, innovation, and social justice, anti-racism, and truth and reconciliation. 

Together… a constant theme

In early 2020, our Executive Director wrote her first reflections blog, followed by a second reflections piece in early 2022—the theme of both was ‘together.’

In 2023, ‘together’ remains a core theme.

Much of what we are learning and hearing is that public health needs to do a better job of incorporating your voices. The SPEAK Surveys are a vital tool, and one example. Public engagement is important to us, as it brings us together and ensures public health is working for you.

Our work has been, and will continue to be, accomplished together through collaboration and partnerships. This also means our donor community and we’re continuing to advance efforts through Your Health, Our Commitment — a way for you to get involved and help too—gifts to Your Health, Our Commitment will advance the projects above and other critical initiatives.

National COVID-19 Awareness Day was March 11th, to commemorate the day the WHO declared a global pandemic in 2020, offering a day to both remember and to look ahead, and bring people and communities together. As we focus on learning from the pandemic, supporting recovery efforts, and addressing the societal consequences, let’s not forget we still have work to do, together. 

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At local, regional, and provincial levels, the surveys measured the populations’ perceptions of risk, the acceptability of the public health response and recovery measures, and the broader impacts of the pandemic. Over 580,000 British Columbians completed at least one of the two surveys. These timely data were critical to informing public health response to the pandemic in our province, and we’re thrilled to share that the research methods have been published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

We are committed to funding projects supported by evidence, and rooted in health equity. The Social Determinants of Health Model was used to inform SPEAK survey questions, allowing for valuable insight into the health equity needs of our population. Some of the results of the two SPEAK surveys showed that families with children, young adults, and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have been most impacted by the pandemic. 

With the support of generous donors and partners, we have played a critical role in supporting BC’s COVID-19 public health response. Our newest campaign Your Health, Our Commitment is about applying lessons learned during the pandemic and capitalizing on new opportunities to prepare for emerging and future emergencies.

It’s about supporting recovery efforts and strengthening BC’s public health system to be ready for new threats.
It’s about mobilizing public health research findings for evidence-based and solution-oriented practice, policy, and decision-making.
It’s about identifying and delivering long-term solutions to address systemic inequities.

We invite you to learn more about Your Health, Our Commitment and how you can be a part of supporting BC through this next phase.

Once again, we’re thrilled by the publication of the SPEAK 1 and SPEAK 2 survey methods, we’re proud to fund this critical research, and through Your Health, Our Commitment, we’re energized as we think about rebuilding and reimagining a healthier and more equitable future for all. We hope you’ll be a part of this important next phase for our province.

The post Building on Lessons Learned: COVID-19 SPEAK 1 & 2 Survey Update appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

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• The strategic plan and priorities of the BCCDC Foundation;
• Organizational and financial growth and sustainability;
• Consistent achievement of the mission, vision, and mandate of the BCCDC Foundation;
• Continued successful growth of the Foundation’s reputation, influence, and impact as a public health charity.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of annual and major gift donors, including corporations, individuals, and foundations;
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward potential partners, donors, and sponsors;
• Communicate effectively with donors and engage in face-to-face solicitations;
• Publication-level writing for: funding applications for foundations, corporations, and individuals, stewardship materials and impact reports;
• Strategic fundraising program development: build corporate giving, tribute giving, holiday giving programs;
• In collaboration with the Director of Development, develop, implement, and evaluate fund development strategies and programs. Report on fundraising goals and metrics;
• Collaborate with the Communications team on fundraising communications and plans;
• Support donor stewardship programs and events, participate in community events, networking opportunities, or other engagement activities;
• Ensure alignment between the Foundation’s best and most viable fundraising activities and the Foundation’s potential. Work to create financial sustainability and revenue diversity;
• Assess and explore other viable fundraising programs as appropriate;
• Research and identify potential donors;
• Prepare regular reports for senior staff as required;
• Work with external partners on program and project development;
• Other duties, as required.

Requirements:

• Proven experience in any/all of these fundraising areas: annual giving, major gifts, donor relations, proposal writing, planned giving, events, corporate giving;
• Experience in public health, a health-related field and/or social justice an asset;
• Post-secondary education, undergraduate degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated track record to plan, execute, and meet fundraising goals;
• Experience building and maintaining strong donor and volunteer relationships;
• Sound computer skills and experience with DonorPerfect or other CRMs, research tools such as iWave and Grant Advance;
• Knowledge of charity-related legislation, ethical practices pertaining to fundraising, and other privacy/compliance legislation;
• Commitment to the vision, mission, values, and priorities of the BCCDC Foundation, as well as the Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethical Standards;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to efficiently organize and manage diverse projects while meeting multiple deadlines, along with thorough attention to all details and consistent follow through;
• Ability to work flexible hours on occasion, based on predictable activities like early meetings and late events.

Attributes:

• Driven and perseverant. Undaunted by challenges, and approaches opportunities with an open and positive mindset. Self-motivated and tenacious. 
• Adaptable. Smart and clever with flexible thinking and a creative outlook. Able to deal with the unexpected. Models and enables creative thinking, curiosity, and innovation to create new solutions. An excellent problem-solver.
• Collaborative. A true team player without ego or pretension, yet confident in their abilities and expertise. Cultivates strong and trusting relationships. Values good and open communication.  Fosters respect, authenticity, emotional intelligence, responsibility, and accountability.
• Mission-aligned and dedicated. Holds genuine excitement for the Foundation’s mission and is willing to immerse themselves in public health, the social determinants of health, and harm reduction. Socially and politically progressive and open minded. Passionate and caring.  Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Committed to social justice, anti-racism, and anti-Indigenous racism.

This role is based in the Lower Mainland. Our team is participating in hybrid in-office and remote work and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We value in-person collaboration opportunities and also support all employees in creating remote work schedules that work best for them and the organization. Therefore, you must be able to successfully and comfortably manage time, tasks, and work functions via remote work.

We value a diverse team. Applications are strongly encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of disability, culture, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, or religion. The BCCDC Foundation’s work focuses on addressing health inequities; as such our fundraising practices and program areas are developed through a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion, anti-oppression and Reconciliation.

Application deadline: February 12, 2022

Please email cover letter and resume to info@bccdcfoundation.org

We would like to thank all applicants, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

About Us

The BCCDC Foundation for Population and Public Health (The Foundation) works in partnership with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), and other stakeholders to improve public health outcomes. The Foundation puts healthy humans at the centre of health planning and funding. The only Foundation of its kind in Canada, the Foundation and its partners are building the model for public health that can be emulated across the country, and are best positioned to do so.

The BCCDC Foundation has been in a growth phase for the last several years. By working on key health promotion, prevention, and equity initiatives, our goal is to positively shift the health of our population and reduce the burden of disease and injury. Our priorities are: reducing harms; addressing threats; and emerging areas. For instance, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to support pandemic response efforts and are positioned to continue this work to enhance our public health system in BC to prepare for and respond to future emerging threats. Another example is our work to address the overdose crisis—a public health emergency declared in 2016 and increasingly getting worse as the drug supply becomes more toxic and the pandemic has pushed more people into isolation.

We have funded more than 100 projects since our inception. For stories on our work, please visit: https://bccdcfoundation.org/whats-new/blog-posts/

As the philanthropic partner of the BCCDC, the Foundation operates as a tax-exempt charity with its own Board and administration; as such, it is an arm’s length organization that supports public health broadly. The Foundation is modelled in a way that we support public health and the BCCDC in unique ways through fundraising, grants and awards, communications, knowledge translation, as well as public education and awareness. By bringing these aspects to the excellent work of the BCCDC and the public health system, we provide a value-add for BC. This is an exciting time to be working in public health.  Join us in securing more private funding at a pivotal time for the province and beyond.

The post Now Hiring: Senior Development Officer appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Racism & health equity

“Racism within institutions & society influences how opportunities for health & well-being are distributed.”

Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh, from National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health took us on a deep dive into how race and racism impacts health, through the lens of equity. By looking at the different levels and ways in which racism permeates our world (internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic), and how it negatively impacts health and contributes to inequitable access to health for those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC).

Regardless of the health issue we’re addressing—chronic disease, mental health, food security—race and racism must be examined in order to adequately address it. Sume’s workshop was a necessary and important reminder of this; as we grow as an organization we’re determined to incorporate those learnings into our individual and organizational work. You can learn more about racism and health equity here.

Project Inclusion, a study by Pivot Legal Society

Project Inclusion is an in-depth study and report taken on by Pivot that looked at anti-homeless and anti-drug user stigma and how those prejudices play out in policies, practices, and laws. Presented by Caitlin Shane, Meenakshi Mannoe, and Dave Hamm, they discussed how stigma against marginalized populations is perpetuated through cultural, economic, political, and legal powers, and constantly reinforces itself.

For example, labelling of a person as a person who uses drugs (cultural) then cause a knowledge gap in the form of stereotypes and misinformation (economic), which leads to loss of status through attitudes and behaviours (legal), which influences our laws and policies (political). These forces act on one another to continue the cycle.

This impacts public health in clear and direct ways. Stigma against people who use substances and who are homeless creates barriers to accessing services like healthcare, it contributes to increased rates of HIV and hepatitis C, it’s a factor in food insecurity, social isolation, and the list goes on. This is where social determinants of health are critical in improving health and well-being for our entire population.

You can check out the full report and some great explainer videos about Project Inclusion here.

ROSE Initiative, BCCDC, University of Victoria, RainCity Housing, Solid Outreach

Zahra Mamdani, Lacey Mesley, and Paige Phillips took us through the importance of supporting experiential/peer workers in overdose response environments. Since the overdose crisis was declared in 2016 challenges faced by peers (or experiential workers in front-line environments have grown exponentially. The ROSE Initiative (Recognition, Organizational support, Skill development, for Everyone) is an intervention designed to directly support these workers.

After conducting a needs assessment, significant gaps were found in adequately supporting peer workers. For example, providing workers with business cards and photo ID—to many of us, these are assumed to be provided to us as part of our jobs and we take for granted the legitimacy they provide. For experiential workers, this is a huge stepping stone in having their life-saving work properly recognized. Other interventions include having formal job descriptions, first aid and CPR and other skill development, peer debriefing supports, and networking opportunities with other professionals.

In a time where peer workers are leading the charge on overdose response work and are everyday heroes in their communities, it’s unimaginable that these supports are not already in place. But, we’re thrilled to see these groups working together to ensure peer workers have their needs met. Read more about the ROSE Initiative here.

Though there were many more great talks, the areas that align with our current projects and priorities were definitely stand outs and left us feeling inspired and invigorated to get back to the office and continue our work. Thanks to PHABC for putting on this conference every year so all us public heath folks can convene, engage and be inspired.

Stay up to date with this conversation and so much more by signing up for our monthly newsletter, and following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The post Reflections on PHABC’s “Simplifying Complexity” appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

Not sure what conversion therapy is? In simple terms it’s the practice of trying to “repair”, change, or suppress a person’s sexual orientation/attraction to members of the same gender, or do the same to their gender identity or expression. It is neither effective at changing sexual orientation or gender identity, and can cause numerous psychological harms.

Here’s the point where you may be wondering “why is the BCCDC Foundation, which focuses on public health, talking about conversion therapy?” That’s fair. This is important to us and part of our current Emerging Areas priority because of the health implications that are caused and exacerbated by conversion therapy, and because it’s an issue of health equity.

We at the Foundation believe in and support work that promotes health and wellness in all its facets, and that our role is to foster health equity  across the board. Because of the trauma and psychological harms (self-hatred, depression, anxiety, and suicide) that conversion therapy can cause, along with challenges with substance use and threats to mental health, we see this as an important and aligned space to be involved in, and are areas of work at our partner organization, the BCCDC.

We’re working with Dr Travis Salway to support his new work and research into conversion therapy (also known as sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts, or SOGICE). Dr Salway has partnered with the Community Based Research Centre and Born Perfect on a dialogue event that brings together survivors, researchers, support workers, policy advisors, and legal experts. Their conversation will support survivors in telling their stories in a supportive, affirming, and collaborative environment. Those stories and the collective expertise will begin to form important research questions to answer with the aims of empowering survivors, identifying how to best support the health and wellness of LGBTQ2S youth and adult survivors, how to create institutional change, and what advocacy can be done to end SOGICE practices. The health of LGBTQ2S communities is an essential part of public health.

We really need your help to support this cause, improve LGBTQ2S health, and promote health equity by making a gift to the crowdfunding campaign today. You can also help us out by raising awareness and sharing this campaign and post with your friends.

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