Stigma Intervention Among Primary Health Workers in Toronto

The Office of Transformative Global Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), with funding provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), has developed and will be implementing a three year anti-stigma study. This project is a randomized control study which compares the effectiveness of an anti-stigma intervention in three Toronto community health centres. Six centres were selected and randomized so that three receive the intervention and the other three do not. The goal is to determine if the intervention impacts service providers' attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental health problems and addictions. Additionally, the study measures client's perceptions of stigma in order to see if they believe stigma has been reduced or eliminated. The interventions incorporate the following components: innovative contact-based training, raising awareness, recovery-based arts, and a thorough analysis of each centre's policies and procedures.

Innovative contact-based training utilizes an adult education model and focuses on the results of a preliminary situational assessment conducted at each site. Emphasis is placed on concurrent disorders, cultural issues, and inter-professional collaboration. Four three-hour workshops were held at each intervention CHC throughout the project period and included a needs-based curriculum, contact-based education to reduce prejudice and social intolerance, and culturally competent care for vulnerable populations. Raising awareness includes various forms of media such as posters to increase awareness about stigma.

Recovery-based arts was geared towards a local team of leaders who selected one art form for their CHC and were taught by an art expert. Approximately ten service users with a mental health and/or substance abuse problem were invited to participate along with three staff members. After 10 bi-weekly art workshops, staff and clients will showcase their work at each CHC. Finally, an analysis of policies and procedures have been conducted by research staff. This determines what already exists and using an anti-stigma/pro-recovery approach to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Program and policies were studied to identify unintended positive and negative impacts using a modified version of the Health Equity Assessment Tool. Features of the Quality Rights Tool Kit were also used. Recommendations from this process will be developed and shared with each CHC.