PI: Abigale Sprakes (Lakehead University)
Project Team: Mike B. (NorWest Community Health Centres), Ashley Rodericks-Shulwach (Lakehead University), Maris Murray (Lakehead University), Juanita Lawson (NorWest Community Health Centres), Jennifer Pasiciel (NorWest Community Health Centres)
As a response to the rising overdose rates in Thunder Bay, which had the highest rate of fatal opioid drug poisonings in the province in 2021 at 78.8 per 100,000 people, a Safer Supply program (SSP), funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUAP), was piloted in September 22 at NorWest Community Health Centres in Thunder Bay, the only such initiative in Northern Ontario. Led by Dr. Abigale Sprakes, this project builds upon the SSP’s program evaluation by exploring the program’s impact on the well-being and quality of life of people who access SSPs. Utilizing a community-based, qualitative approach, the study engaged 21 participants in in-depth interviews focusing on their lived experiences with accessing SSPs, particularly within in a Northern context. These findings will be disseminated through various knowledge transfer activities over the next few months, providing critical insights to inform the ongoing development and evaluation of SSPs in Northern Ontario and beyond.