OCTOBER 19
1:00 – 4:30 P.M.
Canadian Mental Health Association
67 King Street East, Kitchener, Ontario
RSVP required to: irishl@cmhagrb.on.ca
OCTOBER 19
6:00 – 9:30 P.M.
Canadian Mental Health Association
67 King Street East, Kitchener, Ontario
For People Who Use/Used Drugs:
NOVEMBER 16
1:00 – 4:30 P.M.
Langs Farm Village Association
581-E Langs Drive, Cambridge, Ontario
RSVP required to: irishl@cmhagrb.on.ca
The leading cause of death among people who use drugs, including alcohol, is overdose. The majority of these deaths are preventable. In 2010, a local group of volunteers and agencies began providing training for service providers, those who use drugs and others affected by drug use. The overdose committee began 18 months ago and includes volunteers with agencies such as Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association, Region of Waterloo Public Health, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, ROOF (Reaching Our Outdoor Friends), ACCKWA and the Canadian Mental Health Association. Other volunteers include a nurse, MSW students and others. Lesa Irish from the Canadian Mental Health Association will be facilitating the training.
Although Lesa Irish is trained in addictions, her work has involved residential treatment for high risk adolescents, Acquired Brain Injury, mental health, corrections facilities, drug and alcohol stabilization. The last six years with Canadian Mental Health Association comes with a diverse portfolio, including outreach, support co ordination/case management, Mobile Crisis Team and an agency trainer for Non Violent Crisis Intervention. She has been a harm reduction practitioner for many years, and a contributor to the Waterloo Region Harm Reduction Network, coordinating the KW Drug User’s Group.
This workshop, combined with overdose film footage, will cover the basics of drug overdoses - and how to prevent and intervene in a drug overdose in a way that could save someone's life. A key component of the training will involve basic drug information and categories, what happens to the body when using other drugs, risk factors that could lead to overdose, what overdose can look like, signs of overdose and clear information about responses to an overdose incident. This training will give participants the skills to respond immediately to an overdose.
Overall Training Goals:
1. To increase safety and awareness of considerations of health problems and interactions with the body when licit and/or illicit substances are ingested;
2. To reduce the number of overdose’s and consequent injury and deaths in Waterloo Region
|
|
