Strengthening Social Determinants of Health through Collaborative Continuum of Care within CRC Community Health Programming

Responding to intersectional needs of the people/communities it serves, the Canadian Red Cross adapted its Community Health model to provide support across the continuum of care. Enhanced collaboration, integration of Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and inclusion of promising practices like social prescribing, resulted in measured impact on volunteers and participants. Background: CRC expanded its Community Health vision to provide culturally safe, trauma-informed, low-barrier access to support across the continuum of care and better address social determinants of health and health inequities. The approach is based on promising practices identified through greater collaboration among national and provincial programs, interoperability during community/climate crises, incorporation of social prescribing and community connectors, and adapting international training through a community health lens. Impact of these efforts on participant and volunteer health and well-being, sense of connection and meaning, capacity to cope and heightened healthy habits has been measured. Promising practices will be shared with the audience to apply to their own context. Audience: This workshop will engage with sectors playing a role in advancing better health and wellbeing through integrated care. We would like to engage with the following groups: government/policy influencers, health and clinical care providers, social and community care providers, researchers and academics, and recipients of care and caregivers. Approach: The workshop will engage participating groups in a collaborative overview of pan-Canadian continuum of care approach to community health programming, explore promising practices, community health tools for training and evaluation, and lessons learned. In this manner, the audience will have the opportunity to collaboratively explore and apply integrated community health approach, promising practices and tools to their own context. The following structure will be followed. Introduction of Organizational Approach (0mins): The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) will share the continuum of care approach taken to better integrate community health programming across diverse contexts, engage partnerships, identify referral pathways, and strengthen personal and community resilience. Programming highlights include pan-Canadian Friendly Calls (first national Community Health program of the CRC), Health Equipment Loan Program, Hospital-to-Home, Social Prescribing and Community Connectors, and collaboration with Indigenous Relations team. Presentation to explore Promising Practices Learnings from the model/approach (5 mins): CRC will share key learnings in the evolution of the vision and continuum of care approach to address social determinants of health and health inequities through community health programming as part of an integrated care team. Includes the expanded integration of Indigenous Relations department, development of new tools, interoperability within community/climate crises, and capacity building among CRC community health participants and personnel to strengthen resilience, improve health well-being, and better navigate the stressors and intersectional needs. Interactive Group Exercise (20 min): The audience will have the opportunity to explore the approach and tools by dividing into small groups to engage case studies and brainstorm opportunities to integrate continuum and tools across health and community care needs in their own context. Share back (0 mins): Each group will share their experience, highlight opportunities for further integration and key take-aways. Closing and final remarks (5mins): CRC will share final remarks on next steps and links to shared toolkits. Outcomes: After attending the workshop, the audience will have; - A community health model to enhance participant outcomes in addressing social determinants of health and health inequities; - Awareness of barriers experienced in integrating community health and resulting learnings; - Interactive experience with promising practices in creating accessible and integrated community health programs, and evaluating their impact. A virtual toolkit will be shared with broader NACIC24 audience based on the initial promising practices and the workshop audience experiences.