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Opioids

As the opioid crisis in Canada continues to escalate, youth need information to make informed decisions about harm-reduction substance use strategies versus an abstinence only approach.

Resources & Information for:

Lessons and Activities

  • Substance Use- Interactive Jenga Trivia Game: Students remove the blocks and answer questions about substance use. Have students play 1:1 or in teams to earn points.
  • Refusal skills Activity: Classroom activities which allow students to practice their refusal skills when being faced with challenging situations related to substance use.
  • OPHEA Healthy Schools Certification- (French Version) Certification is a way to help promote the health and well-being of students, staff, and the school community. Contact your schools nurse for more information on how they can support your school in achieving a Healthy Schools Certification.
  • RNAO’s-Youth Mental Health & Addiction Champion Toolkit - Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) partnered with public health units, School Boards, SMH ASSIST and provincial youth based organizations to develop a peer based youth mental health initiative. The partnership resulted in the development of the toolkit to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, youth-led mental health promotion and substance misuse prevention initiatives in school settings. The toolkit, includes guiding frameworks, how to build your team, youth training content, event planning, and evaluation tips.
  • Jack.org – Aims to improve the mental health of young people across Canada and to help youth recognize struggle in both themselves and their peers’ and how to support one another through mental health. Students can start a local Jack Chapter, host Jack Talk presentations at their school, and participate in Jack Summits.
  • Be There – Learn how to support others through mental health struggles.  Get certified through a ‘free online course to learn how to recognize when someone is struggling, safely support them, and maintain your own mental health.’ Follow and learn about the 5 Golden Rules for responding to someone struggling with mental health and help them get the support they need.

School Campaigns and Social Media

  • Blueprint for Action: Preventing substance-related harms among youth through a Comprehensive School approach – This toolkit is for school communities, those working in the education system, and those who support youth, in addition to Canadian school stakeholders. The Blueprint model supports school community members in planning and carrying out a wide range of strategies for preventing substance-related harms among youth.  These strategies include upstream prevention, harm reduction, stigma reduction, and equity-oriented approaches.

School Board Policies

  • School boards can set policy that influence the social & environmental norms students’ experience. Please refer to your specific school board and/or school’s policies and code of conduct on substance use for further information. Individual schools should speak to their school boards about whether they can develop individual school policies.
  • Mental Health and Addiction Nurse: 519-258-8211 or 1-888-447-4468- Students can call to talk about alcohol, cannabis, opioids, or other substances. A school, hospital, or community agency can also refer online or by calling the number above.
  • Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Use Strategy (WECOSS) – Information about the local strategy to address opioid use can be found on this website. There is also information on where to get help in Windsor-Essex county, local statistics, fact sheets, videos, and where to find a free naloxone kit.
  • Youth Wellness Hub – For youth aged 12-25 offering walk-in mental health services, substance use and addiction services, access to a Nurse Practitioner for primary care, and community social services.  The Youth Wellness Hub also offers recreational activities and peer support. Services available in Windsor and Leamington locations.
  • SAPACCY Program- The Substance Abuse Program for African, Caribbean, and Black Canadian Youth: Mental health and substance use services for individuals who identify as black and between 12-29 years of age. Call 519-253-8481 or visit wechc.org.
  • WEConnectKids: a partnership between the five core service providers for child and youth mental health and addiction services in Windsor/Essex.
  • ConnexOntario – Mental health, addiction, and problem gambling services.  Call (1-866-531-2600), email, chat or search for services in your community. ConnexOntario can also provide basic education about mental health, drug, alcohol, and problem gambling treatment services.
  • Kids Help Phone at 1 800 668-6868. 24 hours/7 days a week telephone or web chat service for children and youth. *Services in English and French.
  • Pozitive Pathways – Serves Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, which ‘provides support, education and outreach services.
  • Drug Free Canada- Parent Support Hub: 24/7 access to support from Drug Free Kids Canada to help you prevent/address/overcome a young persons problematic substance use by phone or online chat.
  • Youth and Prescription Pain Killers: What parents need to know- CAMH- Information for parents about prescription opioids, how to prevent and recognize signs of problems, what to do if a parent has concerns and signs & symptoms of an overdose. 
  • The ACT Foundation – Offering CPR, AED, and Opioid Response Training free to high schools across Canada.
  • Health811: Call 8-1-1 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007), a free, secure, confidential service Ontarians can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive health advice from qualified health professionals, such as registered nurses, locate local health services. Can access resources or chat live online.
  • Mental Health and Addiction Nurse: 519-258-8211 or 1-888-447-4468- Students can call to talk about alcohol, cannabis, opioids, or other substances. A school, hospital, or community agency can also refer online or by calling the number above.
  • Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Use Strategy (WECOSS) – Information about the local strategy to address opioid use can be found on this website. There is also information on where to get help in Windsor-Essex county, local statistics, fact sheets, videos, and where to find a free naloxone kit.
  • Youth Wellness Hub – For youth aged 12-25 offering walk-in mental health services, substance use and addiction services, access to a Nurse Practitioner for primary care, and community social services.  The Youth Wellness Hub also offers recreational activities and peer support. Services available in Windsor and Leamington locations.
  • SAPACCY Program- The Substance Abuse Program for African, Caribbean, and Black Canadian Youth: Mental health and substance use services for individuals who identify as black and between 12-29 years of age. Call 519-253-8481 or visit wechc.org.
  • WEConnectKids: a partnership between the five core service providers for child and youth mental health and addiction services in Windsor/Essex.
  • ConnexOntario – Mental health, addiction, and problem gambling services.  Call (1-866-531-2600), email, chat or search for services in your community. ConnexOntario can also provide basic education about mental health, drug, alcohol, and problem gambling treatment services.
  • Kids Help Phone at 1 800 668-6868. 24 hours/7 days a week telephone or web chat service for children and youth. *Services in English and French.
  • Pozitive Pathways – Serves Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, which ‘provides support, education and outreach services.
  • Drug Free Canada- Parent Support Hub: 24/7 access to support from Drug Free Kids Canada to help you prevent/address/overcome a young persons problematic substance use by phone or online chat.
  • Youth and Prescription Pain Killers: What parents need to know- CAMH- Information for parents about prescription opioids, how to prevent and recognize signs of problems, what to do if a parent has concerns and signs & symptoms of an overdose. 
  • The ACT Foundation – Offering CPR, AED, and Opioid Response Training free to high schools across Canada.
  • Health811: Call 8-1-1 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007), a free, secure, confidential service Ontarians can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive health advice from qualified health professionals, such as registered nurses, locate local health services. Can access resources or chat live online.
  • RNAO’s-Youth Mental Health & Addiction Champion Toolkit - Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) partnered with public health units, School Boards, SMH ASSIST and provincial youth based organizations to develop a peer based youth mental health initiative. The partnership resulted in the development of the toolkit to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, youth-led mental health promotion and substance misuse prevention initiatives in school settings. The toolkit, includes guiding frameworks, how to build your team, youth training content, event planning, and evaluation tips.
  • Jack.org – Aims to improve the mental health of young people across Canada and to help youth recognize struggle in both themselves and their peers’ and how to support one another through mental health. Students can start a local Jack Chapter, host Jack Talk presentations at their school, and participate in Jack Summits.
  • Be There – Learn how to support others through mental health struggles.  Get certified through a ‘free online course to learn how to recognize when someone is struggling, safely support them, and maintain your own mental health.’ Follow and learn about the 5 Golden Rules for responding to someone struggling with mental health and help them get the support they need.

School Campaigns and Social Media

  • Blueprint for Action: Preventing substance-related harms among youth through a Comprehensive School approach – This toolkit is for school communities, those working in the education system, and those who support youth, in addition to Canadian school stakeholders. The Blueprint model supports school community members in planning and carrying out a wide range of strategies for preventing substance-related harms among youth.  These strategies include upstream prevention, harm reduction, stigma reduction, and equity-oriented approaches.
  • Mental Health and Addiction Nurse: 519-258-8211 or 1-888-447-4468- Students can call to talk about alcohol, cannabis, opioids, or other substances. A school, hospital, or community agency can also refer online or by calling the number above.
  • Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Use Strategy (WECOSS) – Information about the local strategy to address opioid use can be found on this website. There is also information on where to get help in Windsor-Essex county, local statistics, fact sheets, videos, and where to find a free naloxone kit.
  • Youth Wellness Hub – For youth aged 12-25 offering walk-in mental health services, substance use and addiction services, access to a Nurse Practitioner for primary care, and community social services.  The Youth Wellness Hub also offers recreational activities and peer support. Services available in Windsor and Leamington locations.
  • SAPACCY Program- The Substance Abuse Program for African, Caribbean, and Black Canadian Youth: Mental health and substance use services for individuals who identify as black and between 12-29 years of age. Call 519-253-8481 or visit wechc.org.
  • WEConnectKids: a partnership between the five core service providers for child and youth mental health and addiction services in Windsor/Essex.
  • ConnexOntario – Mental health, addiction, and problem gambling services.  Call (1-866-531-2600), email, chat or search for services in your community. ConnexOntario can also provide basic education about mental health, drug, alcohol, and problem gambling treatment services.
  • Kids Help Phone at 1 800 668-6868. 24 hours/7 days a week telephone or web chat service for children and youth. *Services in English and French.
  • Pozitive Pathways – Serves Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, which ‘provides support, education and outreach services.
  • Drug Free Canada- Parent Support Hub: 24/7 access to support from Drug Free Kids Canada to help you prevent/address/overcome a young persons problematic substance use by phone or online chat.
  • Youth and Prescription Pain Killers: What parents need to know- CAMH- Information for parents about prescription opioids, how to prevent and recognize signs of problems, what to do if a parent has concerns and signs & symptoms of an overdose. 
  • The ACT Foundation – Offering CPR, AED, and Opioid Response Training free to high schools across Canada.
  • Health811: Call 8-1-1 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007), a free, secure, confidential service Ontarians can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive health advice from qualified health professionals, such as registered nurses, locate local health services. Can access resources or chat live online.

Ontario Naloxone Program (ONP)

As part of the Ontario Harm Reduction Program Enhancement, the ONP has expanded access to free naloxone nasal spray kits for clients who are at high risk of an opioid overdose as well as their friends and family.

Naloxone is a fast-acting medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.  The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is committed to increasing access to harm reduction services to prevent opioid overdose-related deaths.

Starting June 1, 2023, employers must provide naloxone in the workplace if certain circumstances described in the Occupational Health and Safety Act apply. To learn more, visit the Government of Ontario’s Naloxone in the Workplace webpage.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible organizations include Community Health Centers, Outreach Organizations, Shelters, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, HIV/AIDS service organizations, Withdrawal Management programs, and organizations eligible through expanded access who work directly with clients who may be at risk of an opioid overdose.  To determine if your organization falls into the outreach or withdrawal management program categories, your organization must meet the following criteria:

  • Work directly with drug-using populations at risk of opioid overdose through harm reduction programming, outreach and/or social determinants of health;
  • Reach a difficult to reach (priority) population not otherwise served where there is known drug using/opioid activity.

If you are interested in becoming an ONP Community partner, please submit an online Statement of Need.

Agency Requirements

  • Enter into a Service Agreement with WECHU, after consulting with their own experts about distributing naloxone kits;
  • Need to have a general liability insurance coverage of a minimum of $5,000,000;
  • Develop and/or adopt program related policies and procedures related to naloxone kit distribution, storage and training; and,
  • Arrange training and education for staff with support from WECHU and/or other community partners.

Training

The Health Unit will provide free training and resources to administer and dispense naloxone to your clients. This means that a minimum of one staff member from each agency must receive training from WECHU. The remaining staff must be trained using the train-the-trainer guide provided by WECHU. The training provided by WECHU will encompass recognizing and responding to an overdose, naloxone administration, naloxone distribution, online data entry, storage and handling of naloxone and ordering protocols.

Agency Commitments

By signing a Service Agreement for naloxone distribution, an agency is committing to:

  • Dispensing naloxone kits to eligible clients
  • Ensuring that at least one staff is trained by WECHU and then all other staff involved with the distribution of naloxone are trained utilizing the train-the-trainer model
  • Ensuring that protocols are followed (including the use, storage and distribution of naloxone)
  • Collecting and reporting data to WECHU on a quarterly basis

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the WECHU, at 519-258-2146, ext. 3100, or email naloxone@wechu.org.