Thunder Bay hospital launches anti-stigma campaign to better support patients with addictions
Workers asked to sign a pledge against stigma
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has launched an anti-stigma campaign designed to bring awareness to the stigma associated with substance use and addiction, which confronts some patients accessing healthcare services.
The launch brought together healthcare staff and the leadership team at the hospital, along with invited guest speaker Kyle Arnold, who shared his story.
"For the longest time, people believed that addiction happened with those folks that were on income assistance or, you know, what would be deemed a lower class," Arnold said.
"But I want it to be clear that [experiences of] stigma – they happen in the boardrooms, they happen in the real estate offices, they happen in the hospital, they happen everywhere."
All in attendance were invited to take a pledge against stigma, which will later circulate through the inpatient units. Frontline workers will have the opportunity to sign the pledge showing their commitment to the campaign.
"Stigma could potentially be a barrier to people accessing services....so the hospital wants to start a conversation about it." said Joelle Macey, one of the leads for the Training and Education Group for the Substance Use and Addiction project at the hospital.
Macey is also the manager of adult mental health, inpatient and outpatients.
"We're starting the conversation with stigma because we want to get our staff together and start talking about the language used in healthcare and understanding that substance use and addiction is a medical condition and not a moral failing or a choice," said Macey.
The anti-stigma campaign is the start of the training for staff at the hospital, she added.
Next they plan to focus on harm reduction and trauma-informed care.
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