Browsing by Author "Zaretsky, Lisa"

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    Centering Indigenous Voices to Inform the Delivery of Culturally-Appropriate Mental Wellness Services
    (2021-06-28) Zaretsky, Lisa; Katrina, Milaney; Roach, Pamela; El-Lahib, Yahya
    Colonization and ongoing colonial policies and practices have shaped a mental healthcare system rooted in racism. A systemic lack of awareness and response to the transhistorical impacts of colonization have resulted in the perpetuation of mental wellness services that are not culturally-appropriate. Utilizing an anti-colonial theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to explore if Indigenous peoples were receiving mental wellness supports that were responsive to their needs. A storytelling methodology was used with five participants from permanent supportive housing (PSH) buildings to share their experiences of mental wellness including homelessness and alcohol use. The stories revealed profound resistance to ongoing colonization. Further analysis of stories identified the absence of available supports, cultural connection, and supportive staff relationships in PSH buildings. Together, these results suggest participants are not receiving mental wellness supports that are culturally-appropriate. Using the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action as a framework for change, agencies can actively work towards providing culturally-appropriate mental wellness supports by: 1) increasing the availability of supports; 2) ensuring access to culture and connection; 3) re-evaluating hiring policies; 4) providing ongoing training; and 5) transforming to relationship-based care. Ultimately, this shift towards anti-colonial mental wellness services will result in disrupting colonial systems, policies, and practices; however, without the leadership and self-determination of Indigenous peoples themselves, there will be no real change in the provision of culturally-appropriate services.
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    Drug use, homelessness and health: responding to the opioid overdose crisis with housing and harm reduction services
    (2021-08-26) Milaney, Katrina; Passi, Jenna; Zaretsky, Lisa; Liu, Tong; O’Gorman, Claire M.; Hill, Leslie; Dutton, Daniel
    Abstract Background Canada is in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis and Alberta has one of the highest opioid use rates across the country. Populations made vulnerable through structural inequities who also use opioids, such as those who are unstably housed, are at an increased risk of experiencing harms associated with opioid use. The main purpose of this study was to explore if there was an association between unstable housing and hospital use for people who use opioids. Methods Analysis utilized self-reported data from the Alberta Health and Drug Use Survey which surveyed 813 Albertans in three cities. Hospital use was modeled using a logistic regression with our primary variable of interest being housing unstable status. Chi square tests were conducted between hospital use and variables associated with demographics, characteristics of drug use, health characteristics, and experiences of receiving services to establish model inclusion. Results Results revealed a significant association between housing instability and hospital use with unstably housed individuals twice as likely torequire hospital care. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of concurrently addressing housing instability alongside the provision of harm reduction services such as safe supply and supervised consumption sites. These findings have significant implications for policy and policymakers during the opioid overdose epidemic, and provide a foundation for future areas of research.