Projects
Projects
Embedded Files
A resume (or at least an attempt to save) many of the incredible projects Open Heart has had a chance to work on, alongside those whose work inspires us, keeps us imaginative, collaborative and moving forward.
CARE AND CONNECT KIOSKS
CARE AND CONNECT KIOSKS
24/7 FREE HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES FROM EMERGENCY ROOM VENDING MACHINES!
Making news around Canada, Island Health has installed Care and Connect Kiosks at Emergency Rooms in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Campbell River. These machines, act as a vending machine that allows the dispensing of harm reduction supplies, such as pipes, needles, smoking kits, narcan, drug testing kits. Island Health not only took bid for artists who identified themselves as PWLLE, but took feedback wonderfully. This allows dignity for those accessing supplies to mitigate risks due to toxic drug supplies, but can be essential for those who need supplies like needles for at home medical injections (insulin comes to mind), but cannot afford cost of needles. A wonderful step forward!
Click here or the image to your right to see the Times Colonist Coverage of this program
Visions Magazines - Intergenerational Trauma
Visions Magazines - Intergenerational Trauma
Visions_IntergenerationalTrauma_18-2_2023_04_05.pdfCheck out Poetry and Art by Lenae about intergenerational trauma. Visions Magazine.
See Page 2 and 3. Also check out a deer friend, Aimee Chalifoux on page 16, overcoming her shadow stealer. A big thanks to her for her never ending knowledge sharing of our lost cultures, her bravery, and endless kindness. There really are true superheros in this world.
PEER ASSISTED CARE TEAMS - CMHA-BC
PEER ASSISTED CARE TEAMS - CMHA-BC
CMHA BC is leading and advocating for a mobile civilian response to mental health crisis calls known as PACT “Peer Assisted Care Teams.” The aim of a PACT is to provide an alternative to police and shift BC’s crisis care to a community-led, client-centered, trauma-informed response centered on the mental health and well-being of the affected individual, their family, and their community.
INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY 2022
INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY 2022
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO IOAD EVENTS!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO IOAD EVENTS!
This years International Overdose Awareness Day in Nanaimo was put on by the Nanaimo CAT team, which Lenae holds a leadership position in as a Peer Liaison. CHLY Community Radio was kind enough to record the events at Maffeo Sutton Park and present it on their show People First Radio.
GETTING TO TOMORROW EVENT
GETTING TO TOMORROW EVENT
Getting to Tomorrow, a community project by SFU, held a 2 day event in Nanaimo for Services Providers, PWLLE, Peers, Drug User Groups, and Community Members to discuss what can be done about the Drug Poisoning Crisis and it's impact on community.
Open Heart Collaborative participated in the event. The days events, findings and such can be found HERE.
Lenae Silva wrote a blog post for the Getting to Tomorrow event about her experiences growing up in Nanaimo, and accessing services that are supposed to be available to all people who are experiencing a substance use disorder. You can click the image beside to read or HERE.
HOMELESSNESS ASSOCIATION OF BC: LEARN + CONNECT SERIES ON SYSTEM CHANGE 2022
HOMELESSNESS ASSOCIATION OF BC: LEARN + CONNECT SERIES ON SYSTEM CHANGE 2022
You can find Lenae Silva's Impact Panel video, speaking alongside Kali Sedgemore
You can find Lenae Silva's Panel Video speaking on Health Based Approaches to Safe Supply
You can also find Jessy Knight's Panel Video speaking on Providing Health Care in Community
ACES.mp4(UNLISTED) ACES
(UNLISTED) ACES
You can find Lenae Silva's educational video on how adverse childhood experiences effect a persons future. And ways to mitigate those effects
From the Art Exhibit
From the Art Exhibit
From the Art Exhibit is a showcase of artists who have had Lived and Living Experiences. They showcased art from all over B.C. Online!
Visit the website at From the Art Exhibit
You can visit Lenae Silva's Art page here:
https://fromtheartexhibit.com/artists/lenae-silva
You can visit Lenae's Artist Story here:
https://from-the-art.artfundi.tech/news/artist-story-lenae-silva
HOMELESSNESS ASSOCIATION OF BC: LEARN + CONNECT SERIES ON SYSTEM CHANGE 2021
HOMELESSNESS ASSOCIATION OF BC: LEARN + CONNECT SERIES ON SYSTEM CHANGE 2021
Listen to Lenae Silva and Jessy Knight discuss our experiences as people with lived experiences with substance use, mental health concerns, homelessness, and how having hidden disabilities affected our journies
ISLAND HEALTH'S PEER EMPLOYMENT LEARNING SERIES
ISLAND HEALTH'S PEER EMPLOYMENT LEARNING SERIES
pef-module-1.pdfOpen Heart Collaborative and Island Health worked in collaboration to create a framework on the best way to employ People with Lived and Living Experiences in Mental Health, Homelessness, Precarious Housing, and Substance Use.
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO PEER EMPLOYMENT
MODULE 2: PRINCIPLES OF PEER EMPLOYMENT
MODULE 3: PRACTICES FOR INCLUSION & INFLUENCE
FINDING A FIX - INTERVIEWS FROM THE STREET
FINDING A FIX - INTERVIEWS FROM THE STREET
Finding a fix was a project dreamt up by Jessy and Lenae as a way to collect the stories of our amazing friends to share with the world. So often people feel they don't have a voice. That feeling is multiplied drastically when you're a Person Who Uses Drugs, Un(der) Housed, or dealing with Mental Health Concerns. So we wanted to give our friends a voice and tell their stories. This project was created with funding from the Nanaimo CAT small grant award. There are dozens more to add, so subscribe and keep watch!
ISLAND HEALTH: TRAUMA + VIOLENCE INFORMED PRACTICE TRAINING FOR E.R. STAFF
ISLAND HEALTH: TRAUMA + VIOLENCE INFORMED PRACTICE TRAINING FOR E.R. STAFF
in page 24 of Island Health's 2020 Fall Magazine, is a review of one of our first projects and closest to our hearts. Open Heart Collaborative was created through this project as a way to represent our peers and acknowledge the barriers we face in employment and recognize ourselves as an autonomous group. Nevertheless, with people willing to take on allyship, perseverance, and the changing tides of recognizing lived experience we were able to participate from the very beginning of this project.
For many months we created a program together that helped teach the basics of Trauma and Violence Informed Care in the ER. We sat around a table and created draft after draft with our new (and still) favourite people and mentors. Eventually, we brought it full circle and hit every hospital on Vancouver Island with this program. There were tears, relief, debates, questions, and all of us healed some past traumas. I still never know how to describe the events, other than what a nurse said as the day wrapped up "I have no idea what happened here today.... but something good happened." And reflecting on it as we are moving into 2022, something good really did happen.
WESLEY STREET FIRE
WESLEY STREET FIRE
On December 3rd, 2020 a fire was reported at the Wesley Street Encampment. This location was on a dead end road next to a low barrier housing facility and safe consumption site. We serviced this area for many months providing supplied when we could and connecting doctors and clients together or just hanging out and lending a listening ear.
When the fire happened, those in charge of Bylaw and Fire showed up and evacuated the locations. Open Heart put out an Emergency Informational Release and sent it to Media, Activists, Local Government and Service Providers in Nanaimo. The City of Nanaimo put out a response. Both are below.
Wesley Street Fire Release.pdfOpen Heart was on site for both days. We quickly released an update to inform those interested on witnessed actions. We tried to take an unbiased approach. What we saw was both heart breaking and loving. Community coming together, while being torn down.
We included a link to resources, why you may encounter temporary encampments and how to respond, and what to do to help.
statement_bylaw_department_account_of_wesley_street_fire_december_2020.pdfNanaimo's City Council was quick to release a response to Open Hearts account of what was witnessed. We have not yet been invited to any open tables or advisory comitees
Link to news page: https://www.nanaimo.ca/your-government/news-events/news/2020/12/15/account-of-wesley-street-fire-from-bylaw-department
Link to response: https://www.nanaimo.ca/docs/default-document-library/statement_bylaw_department_account_of_wesley_street_fire_december_2020.pdf
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