Today is the last day of National Addictions Awareness Week, an opportunity to highlight solutions to address drug-related harms. Something that’s barely been mentioned in this sector during the last seven days is the ongoing drug poisoning epidemic, declared a public health emergency over eight years ago. 

When the drug poisoning epidemic is brought up in the media, it mentions the number of people who have died, and it is always important to emphasize this. However, what is almost never mentioned are the tens of thousands lives being saved because someone was right there with a naloxone kit and was able to use it in time.  

One of the ways this is accomplished is by Peer Witnessing. 

The RainCity Peer Witnessing Program started as a pilot project in 2016 at three sites and quickly grew to nine sites in 2017. People were dying from poisoned drugs was because they were using them on their own, with no one there to help or intervene. The Peer witness program was designed by folks with lived/living experience to witness people living in RainCity buildings use substances safely in designated rooms. 

The program provides peer-based support and witnessing of use in the places drug users live to increase safety and comfort for those most directly affected by overdose. It also reduces the pressure on the support staff and provides opportunities for connecting with people. A lot of folks use the rooms not to use substances but to talk to someone who can relate to what they may be going through. The most positive aspect of this program is how peer workers enrich the community within the whole building. 

When people in other places like New York and Australia first heard about Peer Witnessing, they were amazed and at the same time realized how much sense this made – having someone there who can provide an intricate, skillful, life-saving response, and “showing up in the face of despair.”  

The theme this year for National Addictions Awareness week is Forging Connections, which can mean working together with people from other backgrounds or different opinions and approaches. It can also mean someone making a connection while they sit next to someone else, maybe for the first time, maybe they’re longtime friends, both of them knowing they are the better for it. And they’ll both be around tomorrow. 

Tell us what you think of the Peer Witnessing Program.

This past Wednesday RainCity was invited to attend Pomerleau’s grand opening of its new office in Vancouver. Pomerleau showed attendees how they develop and adopt innovative technology by providing virtual reality goggles for an exclusive walkthrough experience of some of Pomerleau’s key projects. Bill, our Fund Development and Comms person, tried the VR goggles and we’re happy to say he didn’t faint.

At the event Pomerleau presented us with a HUGE cheque – both in size and dollars – for $20,000! We were selected by the employees of this new Vancouver office as part of an internal contest. It feels wonderful that the people who work and play right here in Vancouver got to choose a Vancouver based non-profit! Thank you, Pomerleau!!

Gordon R. Mann, Senior Vice President, Construction, shared how important it is for Pomerleau to be giving back to the communities where they work.

“Establishing ourselves in the BC community means more to us than just doing business. It also means giving back and playing a key role in making our community a better place. The special alignment between RainCity Housing and Pomerleau’s values were key to our employees’ choice, and we couldn’t be prouder to support them as they strive to reach new heights,” concluded Mr. Mann.

We hope to live up to their support. And while it may seem strange to hear someone say that the values of a non-profit align with a large corporate construction company, it’s true! Like them, we work closely and creatively with people, are able to adapt to new situations, and determine the best solution for each person’s unique situation. It’s important to both organizations to establish strong relationships with people we work with in order to build trust and earn respect. And we both seek ways to innovate how we do our work in order to contribute to more positive outcomes throughout our respective sectors.

Two entities, different sectors, but both trying to provide the best possible work, support and service that they can.  

RainCity Housing is excited to announce we are partnering with Vancouver Coastal Health to embed peers in nine care teams in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The peers will be hired, managed and supported by us at RainCity and hired over the next few months.

RainCity defines Peers as people who are representative of the diverse population of people we serve. Our Peer Specialists offer mutual learning and support from a lens that reflects distinct experiences and voices often unheard in society. They may have lived experience of recovery from homelessness, substance use, mental illness, or bring other relevant lived experience that can benefit communities and marginalized groups accessing our services.

Read the CBC story for the perspective from Peer Support Worker Erika Weikle.