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Northwestern Health Unit - Prevention of Gambling-Related Harms

In preparation for casino development in the Kenora area, Northwestern Health Unit is targeting Kenora and surrounding communities via a communications campaign to engage the community on a dialogue around gambling harms by developing a series of educational messages that resonate with the local population. 

Through a variety of channels and media tools, key messages that address gambling harm within the context of substance use and mental health issues will be mobilized, creating awareness of gambling harm in the Kenora area. This multidisciplinary team includes partnerships with community organizations across the region and aligns closely with work being conducted as part of the Northern Ontario Wellness project (more details here).

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health - Preventing Cannabis Harms Through a Youth-Driven Campaign (PCHY)

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is spearheading a youth-driven health promotiom campaign to investigate the risk factors associated with cannabis use (including gambling harm). The intent of this youth-driven campaign is to engage youth in the design and delivery of a comprehensive communication strategy that emphasizes key message identified by youth related to cannabis use, risks, and harms. This strategy will be implemented through various avenues of social media, through media advertisement, ongoing outreach, and other approaches.

By engaging youth to co-develop health promotion messaging around cannabis use that addresses risk factors and resonates with youth, it is anticipated that the campaign will enhance decision making skills, resiliency, knowledge, and awareness in this target audience.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health - Mental Illness and Addictive Disorders Prevention Program for Grade 7 Students

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, in collaboration with the Dufferin Coalition for Kids (DuCK), is adapting and implementing a school-based, evidence-informed, mental health, substance misuse and addiction prevention program in Dufferin County classrooms for grade 7 students. 

Given that the determinants that shape an individual's experience with many forms of addiction and mental illness are intertwined, the development of protective factors, as well as cognitive and social skills in youth, can contribute to reducing the harms related to mental health and addictions, substance misuse, and gambling. 

The goal of the program is to enhance knowledge, attitudes and skills important to mental health and resilience among youth. The program seeks to build students' cognitive and social skills (e.g., decision-making, coping skills, problem-solving, listening, and communication skills), and focus on a series of topics that include: 1) attitudes, thoughts and feelings; 2) communication, relationships and social skills; 3) coping with stress and feelings; 4) help and resource-seeking; and 5) self-care. The program is being delivered in schools across Dufferin County, across five lessons in a classroom setting.

Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is a community organization that provides clinics, classes, and information on a variety of health needs. It also happens to be located near one of the largest casino operations in Ontario. As part of their public health mandate they are invested in learning more about the underlying sociocultural determinants that influence the distribution of gambling harm in their community. WECHU is keen to explore ongoing work in other jurisdictions where public health professionals are working to address the harms from gambling. WECHU is also interested in discovering potential opportunities to collaborate with both local community health organizations and public health units in other regions.

WECHU has two ongoing projects targeted toward gambling harm and treatment with the assistance of Greo. One is on tailoring local communications campaigns to target gambling harm, and the other is a student project performing an environmental scan for mental health resources in the area.

Contact Information

Kelsey Chawla
Health Promotion Specialist
Phone: (519) 258-2146
Email

Peterborough is currently undergoing a casino development, one that will see economic benefits for the community, but will also bring the increased risk of problem gambling at the population level. Peterborough Public Health is invested in better understanding the harms from gambling and the impact on their community and using a preventative approach to address these harms. Recognizing that casino development is an ongoing issue in other jurisdictions, the health unit is also interested in looking for ways to facilitate program development and coordinating across communities to share ideas.

Contact Information

Hallie Atter
Manager, Community Health
Phone: (705) 743-1000, ext. 380
Email

In response to a recent proposal for and currently planned expansion of gaming operations in the community, Ottawa Public Health unit prepared and submitted a report to the Board of Health. The report, titled “A public health approach to reducing harms from gambling in Ottawa”, underscores the importance of supporting gambling harm prevention at the population level, and proposes an evidence-informed 4-point plan to address the harms from gambling using a public health framework. The health unit has also led the formation of the Ottawa Gambling Harm Prevention Network (OGHPN) - a joint committee comprised of local stakeholders from organizations throughout the community. Ottawa Public Health is interested in working alongside other members of the Community of Practice to share knowledge and resources related to gambling harm prevention.

Supported by Greo’s BET: System Impact funding program, Ottawa Public Health is building upon the existing OGHPN initiative by strengthening outreach and increasing prevention messages of the harms from gambling to vulnerable populations by embedding gambling harm reduction strategies in existing community services and mental health, substance use and addiction initiatives. 

Contact Information

Susan Phypers
Public Health Nurse
Phone: (613) 580-6744, ext. 25421
Email

North Bay is one of several communities in central/Northern Ontario slated to receive a casino in the next few years, and developers have moved towards considering sites for development in the near future. As part of the Community of Practice, NBPSDHU is interested in the intersection of addressing gambling harm within mental health promotion, considering suicidality, self-harm, substance misuse, and addiction as well. The health unit is interested in engaging with community stakeholders and partners to form a joint committee for assessing local needs, improving gambling harm prevention, as well as sharing information and resources with other members of the Community of Practice.

Funded by a BET: System Impact grant, North Bay – Parry Sound District Health Unit is engaging with local health and social service providers to develop a sustainable Gambling Harm Reduction Partnership of community based organizations that will develop and launch a Casino Gambling Harm Reduction Plan for Nipissing District and an educational campaign in response to the development of a casino in North Bay. 

Contact Information

Tawnia Healy
Community Health Promoter, Healthy Living
Phone: (705) 474-1400, ext. 5224
Email

NHU is keen to share the outcomes from their initiatives across the province to further the development of best practices around gambling harm prevention through community outreach and communication. With a casino currently under development in Kenora, Northwestern Health Unit is taking an active stance towards gambling harm prevention at the community level. Northwestern Health Unit is employing a variety of channels and media tools, key messages that address gambling harm within the context of substance use and mental health issues to be mobilized through a multidisciplinary team that aligns closely with work being conducted as part of the Northern Ontario Wellness (NOW) project.

In addition, Northwestern Health Unit is being supported by GREO’s BET: System Impact funding. Through this grant NHU will, in partnership with other community organizations, develop and pilot a regional communications campaign to caution the risks of problematic gambling and its related harms (Prevention of Gambling-Related Harms). 

Contact Information

Shannon Robinson 
Manager, Chronic Disease Prevention
Phone: (807) 468-3147
Email

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph is involved in the conversation with other community health professionals working in the public health forum, hoping to share resources and knowledge across jurisdictions to take a proactive approach to addressing gambling harms. WDGPH is aiming to share community knowledge and resources across jurisdictions to better understand gambling harms and the association with comorbid conditions.

WDGPH has been awarded two BET: System Impact funding grants to integrate gambling harm reduction into their existing operational strategy. Their first BET project is exploring cannabis-gambling messaging development through a youth-driven campaign, driven by emerging evidence that gambling harms often co-exist with cannabis misuse (Preventing Cannabis Harms Through a Youth-Driven Campaign). Their second, newly-funded BET project is focusing on developing and piloting workshops to build resilience and coping mechanisms among Grade 7 students through teacher-led sessions in Dufferin County classrooms. Emphasis is on mental health and addiction, with a focus on gambling harms as well. WDGPH is interested to learn how to integrate gambling-related messaging, themes and material into mental health and substance addiction programming (Mental Illness and Addictive Disorders Prevention Program).

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In response to proposed casino development in the Toronto area, Toronto Public Health provided an extensive technical report and supporting documentation to underscore the health impacts of expanded gambling in 2013 and 2015. These reports formed the basis for many jurisdictional literature reviews and impact assessments throughout Ontario, during the provincial modernization and expansion of gaming and gambling in 2012. This work cited many prevention-focused strategies and recommendations to reduce the harmful impact of casino development and gambling at the community-level. Through the Community of Practice, Toronto Public Health is hoping to stay involved in the conversation with other community health professionals working in the public health forum, as well as share resources and knowledge across jurisdictions.

Contact Information

Phat Ha
Health Policy Specialist, Healthy Public Policy
Phone: (416) 338-0932
Email

Sudbury & District Health Unit is invested in learning from other health units and sharing community knowledge and resources across jurisdictions to better understand gambling harms within the broader spectrum of harms from mental health and substance misuse. With the emphasis placed on mental health under the new Ontario Public Health Standards, a new team has been developed to collect local data and identify communities’ needs and priorities for the health unit. With a new casino slated for development in the region, the health unit is in the process of developing their position on the project and determining how gambling harm reduction will fit within their operational strategy. SDHU is interested in learning from others’ experiences, sharing ideas and knowledge, and seeking out and establishing best practices at the provincial level with other public health professionals of the Community of Practice.

Contact Information

Debbie Digby
Public Health Nurse, Mental Health and Addictions
Phone: (705) 522-9200, ext. 260
Email

As a leader in provincial public health advocacy, research and innovation, Public Health Ontario is interested in supporting public health initiatives to address gambling harms through greater connection with public health organizations. PHO is keen to participate in Greo's Community of Practice to gain perspective on what jurisdictions throughout the province are doing and what develops from conversations about gambling harm reduction.

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The Jean Tweed Centre is an organization devoted to addressing women’s addiction, mental health, and problem gambling issues in Ontario. They provide counselling, treatment programs, and outreach services to support women and their families in treating these health issues. As part of their mandate, Jean Tweed Centre offers residential or day programs, counselling, and a support group to reduce harm from problem gambling.

The Jean Tweed Centre is currently working to build a network of social and health organizations to reduce harms from gambling and problem technology use in Ontario women.

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