1. Lived Expertise Employment in all levels of transformation

Creating user driven systems in developmental organizations is the way forward in systems transformation. Housing organizations are our employers, and employees using their lived experience of recovery from complex homelessness at all levels of service, to leadership and policy making paves the way for transformation, and ending homelessness through inclusion, involvement - and listening to lived expertise advisors. We are set to work alongside one another, and learn from one another in 2023 to exit broken systems for good.

The Pipeline Project of the Toronto Shelter Network is one change leader using research methodology to support needed change, and pilot new lived expertise roles. Mentor/Mentee Canada promoting the Peer Movement is already ahead in systems level solution as a Peer Model. Peer Models are based upon equality and equity, mutual learning, sharing of resources, are highly collaborative, and constantly learning and working on the outcome of recovery.

Shelters, transition houses, and supportive housing who lead through onboarding lived expertise employees are accomplishing breaking down silos and pushing out lasting oppression experienced by Clients. Peer Support models are a pathway forward from management systems to transformation of systems through the Peer movement.

WHY:

2019 - Housing becomes a human right, yet homeless numbers continue to rise.

2020 - Covid-19 sets an all time record for numbers of street homeless exiting shelters - to increased homelessness from evictions.

2021 - Record number of deaths from shadow pandemics of drug poisoning (overdoses) and violence against women/gender based violence.

2022 - Covid-19 healthcare and housing intersection frontline workers require relief facing burnout and experiencing high overturn as client care, connection and wellness deminish.

2023 - Peer Support leadership in recovery focused systems with research recommendations of co-design and employment of PWLE.

AN ENDING HIGH COSTS SYSTEMS SOLUTION:

Shelters as a high tax payer cost system are not a solution to ending homelessness. Providing the right housing is. Including Peer Support creates environments of trust and encouragement in recovery systems focused on pushing out the social determinents of health.

Peer Support is a fast track solution to supporting long term homeless prevention that is not dependent upon substantial collective government infrastructure and funding delays.

Peer involved organizations will end ‘ongoing homelessness’ - the oppression and stigma that too often prevails after even safe housing. The physical, emotional, and mental well-being of Peer Supportive relationships promote wellness from root causes of unwellness within the homeless and vulnerable community.

Toronto, Ontario spends approximately 7.8 million dollars per year in health and criminal justice costs on the chronically homeless – including those aging out of foster care. 7.8 million dollars per year that could be saved. The quantitative and qualitative cost benefits are for us all.

2. Expanding specialized Peer employment

Ontario leads Canada in mental health Peer Support services in hospitals and community, however Toronto as an urban centre lacks accessible Peer Support service. Peer Support specializations out of substance abuse, out of mental health illness and isolation, out of violence and for community reintegration are each especially needed for social and healthcare change after Covid 19.

Increased domestic violence, financial disparity, homelessness due to evictions, mental health issues from covid-19 impact and leaving incarceration without connection to community supports are all urgent reasons for expanding peer support employment. Each require deeply trauma informed care and supports unique to Peer service specializations: Overdose specialist; Harm reduction specialist; Mental Health wellness specialist; Housing accelerator Peer Support; and Violence Against Women-identified Peer services are each available through Mentor/Mentee Canada Peer Support Training. Connect your organization in Toronto to Peer Supporters and Specialists. Together we can accelerate recovery and focus on hope and purpose after the fear and fallout of the past two years.

Out of Law Involvement Peer Support

RECOVERY AND PREVENTION - OUT OF INCARCERATION, HOMELESSNESS, drug poisoning

2019 Study: Purposive and snowball sampling was employed to recruit graduates from a peer training program. Three in-depth interviews were conducted each with 15 peer specialists who had incarceration experiences. Study Findings: Peer Specialists with incarceration histories may be a critical component toward recovery for consumers with criminal justice involvement -PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019.

Peer Mentoring 46 adults during reintegration is an attainable, realistic goal that could save taxpayers 1.5 million dollars according to data available in global Peer leaders from the United Kingdom, The Reason Why Foundation.

Peer Support Models have societal benefits. Incarceration is not rehabilitation, and that is the reason for Peer Mentors within the housing environments of jails, prisons and detention centres. Peer Mentors have healed from the trauma and core reasons of why individuals offend in the first place. A Peer Mentor as a model of recovery, hope, encouragement, empathy and understanding allows the healing process to become self-determined, self-actualized change.

High Value Benefits

Traditional strategies for dealing with people who have experienced homelessness and incarceration often address the problem after it happens, rather than create systems of prevention.

• If Toronto can reduce by 1% the number of people who return to prison, taxpayers can save 1.5 million dollars.

•  How many people is 1%? 46.

• Individuals’ mental, emotional and physical benefits.

• Post traumatic stress syndrome reduction.

Homelessness crises and incarceration continue to challenge the city of Toronto both financially and in human welfare.

Toronto, Ontario spends approximately 7.8 million dollars per year in health and criminal justice costs on the chronically homeless – including those aging out of foster care. 7.8 million dollars per year that could be added to increasing available affordable housing.

Imagine the future of judicial costs of $114,000+/year saved per one individual per year through Peer Specialist Mentoring - and ending a cycle out of recidivism, and mainstream systems.

3. Peer Investigators, Advisors and Researchers involved in Impact - across sectors.

A New Normal: Integrating Lived Experience into Scientific Data Synthesis.

The results are in on Lived Experience People in research, and on advisories, across mainstream systems in healthcare and housing. Research leadership throughout Covid-19 has involved lived expert people in transformative community developed research. One study from the Mental Health wellness sector shares the findings of the importance, benefits, and outcomes in including Lived expertise in mainstream system investigation:

"Lived experience perspectives can be used to collaboratively identify gaps or problem areas, formulate research questions, interpret empirical findings, comment on empirical gaps, evaluate what implications mean for them and whether they are practically relevant, and help to form a judgment about whether future research on a topic is worthwhile."

"There are many benefits to including lived experience perspectives in mental health research in general. These benefits include the production of higher-quality research, relevant outcomes with greater practical impact for the target population, increased likelihood that products or treatments will be accepted, increased trust in research and organizations, and increased empowerment and hope within those individuals who contribute (19, 21–24)."

“…Across the commissioned projects in 2020, research teams used unique applications of lived experience perspectives (30). This included involvement in making decisions about the project (e.g., research questions), defining the review process and reviewing the evidence, analysis and evidence synthesis, and reporting and dissemination. Incorporating lived experience perspectives at the outset of the integrative review process may facilitate more timely development of fit-for-purpose interventions."

- Psychiatric Times, 6(35), 1-16. Davidson, l., Bellamy, C., Chinman, M., Farkas, M., Ostrow, L., Cook, J.A., Jonikas, J.A., Rosenthal, H., Bergeson, S., Daniels, A.S., Salzer, M. (2018). Available at:

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/revisiting-rationale-and-evidence-peer-support