Island Health will be evaluating the impacts their Overdose Prevention Sites are having on the communities in which they are situated in an attempt to improve their services.
The City of Campbell River received word about the upcoming initiative this week from Island Health, which says, “the purpose of the evaluation is to improve our understanding of the Overdose Prevention Services sites in these communities, including who is using, or not using the services, the impact of the services on clients, what elements of the services are working well or could be improved and to improve outreach to non-Overdose Prevention Site users.”
The evaluation, according to the letter from Shelley Tice, project director of Community Health and Care with Island Health, will be “multi-faceted involving surveys of people who use the sites, those who work on the front lines providing services, community partners including local government and residential and business neighbours.”
Coun. Ron Kerr said at this week’s meeting during the receipt of the letter from Island Health, that he encourages everyone who has input to give their feedback, especially downtown businesses.
“It’s a short online survey which gives you an opportunity for input on the existing or potential Overdose Prevention Sites in Campbell River,” Coun. Ron Kerr says. “I urge you all to look up that survey and put down your comments on it.”
Properties within a half-kilometre radius of a prevention site will receive a post card in the mail from Island Health inviting their participation in the survey any day now, and will have three weeks to complete the survey.
Paper copies will be made available to those who would rather provide feeback that way.