We did it! Island Health changes position on SCS: here's what's next
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- Published on Friday, 01 April 2016 16:30
- Written by editor
We did it! With your support we pushed Island Health to change their position on Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) in Victoria!
Island Health is finally agreeing to meet with community partners to chart our way forward to provide SCS. But we haven't heard from Island Health yet. Further, their track record does not give us confidence that they will respond in a timely manner to provide quality services...
So we still have a lot of work to do. It has taken Island Health a long ten years to make even this initial move, so we are conscious of the need to keep building community support and pressure.
We are committed to seeing these services delivered within the year.
Here's what we're doing and how you can be a part of moving forward together for SCS in Victoria:
Forum – Wednesday February 24th, 7pm
This forum is for sharing information AND for increasing the pressure on local institutions to pick up the pace – together we're saying: 'No More Preventable Deaths!' Every delay means more lives lost, and – with the highest overdose rate since 1998 - we have already seen too many. Now is the time for SCS in Victoria – let's work together to make this a reality in 2016.
See you Feb 24th, 7pm at City Hall!
Memorial March – January 28th
Thanks to all who joined us to remember those who have been lost because of inadequate services, and to demand fast action in preventing a single additional needless death.
Not One More Death from overdoses in Victoria. 40 people overdosed during December – 8 people died. And increased levels of overdoses continue in Victoria and BC more generally – among the highest rates since 1998.
This memorial gained national attention and has been a turning point in local movement towards providing SCS services. Let's keep up the pressure!
yes2scs visits Insite
In early January the yes2scs Peer Advisory Committee (with some members of the steering meeting) toured Insite and consulted with Insite coordinators to build a better sense of what a made-in-Victoria model could look like. The Insite model has over ten years of experience in providing these services and is an impressive example of what a well-coordinated comprehensive harm reduction service can look like (with 12-room detox on the 2nd floor, mental health workers, counselors and nurses for support and referrals, and 3rd floor transitional recovery housing for further stabilization and connection to community support, treatment programs and housing).
yes2scs is a community campaign to ensure SCS are established and operating in Victoria in 2016. Our commitments include:
* facilitating a process to ensure adequate funding, appropriate services and locations, and a service provider who makes certain these services are trauma informed and culturally safe.
* continuing our work on the Federal Exemption process.
* continuing to work with all levels of government and key stakeholders on this goal and timeframe.
* ensuring people who use illicit drugs and organizations of people who use drugs are fully involved in these processes.
* recognizing the limits of SCS to prevent all OD deaths by continuing to respond to the harm caused by the criminalization of people who use drugs.
Support the implementation of supervised consumption services in Victoria
* Send letters to Island Health officials to demand action
* Join our growing list of supportive organizations
* Show your individual support by uploading a 'I support' photo
* Visit our website for resources about SCS
* Like and share content from our Facebook Page
* Follow us and re-tweet us on Twitter
* Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
©2016 yes2scs | Victoria BC
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