International Social Prescribing Day:

Celebrating the Transformative Power of Social Prescribing

International Social Prescribing Day was held on March 9th, 2023, and brought together communities, healthcare professionals, and individuals from across the world to celebrate the transformative power of social prescribing. This innovative initiative showcased the remarkable impact of connecting people with non-medical interventions for improved health and well-being.

Throughout the day, various events and activities unfolded, inspiring and empowering participants to embrace social prescribing as a holistic approach to healthcare. Workshops and webinars, including CISP's Celebrating Social Prescribing: A Virtual Tour Across Canada, highlighted the benefits of integrating social, cultural, and community-based activities into healthcare treatment plans, fostering a deeper understanding of the profound link between social connection and overall wellness. To learn more about International Social Prescribing Day, click here.

Celebrating Social Prescribing: A Virtual Tour Across Canada

On March 9th, social prescribing leaders from across Canada came together for a whistle-stop tour across the country to celebrate the current state of social prescribing and emerging opportunities in different regions across Canada. They also made a brief international stop to hear from global leaders gathered in London, UK to mark the day.

This event was jointly hosted by the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, the Alliance for Healthier Communities, the United Way British Columbia, and the Canadian Social Prescribing Student Collective.

Thank You to Our Guest Speakers

The success of this webinar would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of our esteemed guest speakers. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the speakers for taking part in this important webinar and for their commitment to advancing the field of social prescribing.

We are Growing!

We are pleased to introduce Yordanos Woldermariam, new Senior Project Manager who will be leading knowledge mobilization, learning and training, and policy opportunities to advance social prescribing in Canada. Yordanos is an accomplished public health and social service professional.

Her expertise are in community health, health equity, mental health and chronic health conditions with a specialization in design thinking and design research methodologies. She has experience managing complex health systems projects and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to improve population health outcomes. She also brings over 12 years of experience working frontline in the health and social service sectors in Ontario.

Celebrating the Contribution of Social Prescribing Volunteers in Canada

Social Prescribing volunteers across Canada devote their time, energy, and skills to help others in their communities.

During National Volunteer Week (April 16-22, 2023), we celebrated the vital role that volunteers play making Social Prescriptions a success. From navigation, Friendly Calls, caregiver support, to delivering community groups & activities, volunteers positively impact the lives of so many people in Canada.

Thank You to Our CISP Volunteers!
Over the past year, the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing has been making significant strides in improving the health and well-being of individuals in Canada by sharing, connecting, promoting, and celebrating social prescribing practices in Canada. Our efforts would not be possible without the help of our dedicated volunteers who play a pivotal role in advocating for and championing the profound impact that social prescribing has on our communities.

Stay Connected With Us!

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter where we share information, engage with others and collaborate on research, news and trends pertaining to social prescribing!

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Join us on LinkedIn! We've created four LinkedIn groups, with the goal of providing a space to connect, learn and collaborate with others who are working towards the integration of health, social and community care systems through social prescribing in Canada. Join below!

• Knowledge Mobilization Group
• Policy Group
• Clinical Group
• Research Group
  

Call for Papers: Social Prescribing in Canada

While Social Prescribing practices continue to scale and spread across Canada, there is relatively little published literature on Social Prescribing in Canadian contexts and by Canadian researchers, practitioners and participants.

The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice (HPCDP) Journal, a journal of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, will be featuring a special issue on social prescribing with guest editors, Dr. Sandra Allison, Dr. Kiffer Card and Dr. Kate Mulligan, Senior Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing.

The objective of this special issue is to identify and share the most current research and practice on Social Prescribing by and for residents of Canada, particularly those facing inequities in access to health and its social and structural determinants.

Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice is therefore seeking relevant qualitative and quantitative research articles, as well as commentaries, that present new findings, synthesize existing evidence or imagine new ways forward.

Submission deadline: July 31, 2023.

National Seniors' Week is an annual event in Canada that celebrates and recognizes the contributions and achievements of older adults.

Social prescribing can play a significant role in promoting the well-being, social engagement and quality of life of seniors.

From June 5-9, 2023, CISP and other community partners will be joining the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH), as they highlight the resilience of Canadian Seniors during National Seniors’ Week.

Social Prescribing in the News

• Social Prescribing in Canada: A Tool for Integrating Health and Social Care for Underserved Communities. Longwoods.com
• Doctors are slammed with non-medical cases. Some say social prescribing could ease the burden. CBC News
• Interview with Stéphanie Fragman on social prescribing, Director of the Vanier SP Hub, CBC-Radio Canada, Sur le vif radio show (French)

Research & Publications

• The Impact of social prescribing on demand for acute care in West Kent. Charlotte Osborn-Forde, CEO, Involve Kent, 2023.
• Social Prescribing Around the World: A World Map of Global Developments in Social Prescribing Across Different Health System Contexts. Khan & Giurca et al., 2023. National Academy for Social Prescribing.

Community of Practice

The Canadian Social Prescribing Community of Practice is a collaborative, interdisciplinary collective of people in discussion about how to implement and/or embed social prescribing in health and social systems. It's a place where people who implement social prescribing initiatives or advocate for the social prescribing movement, can convene, connect and learn from each other.

With cross-sectoral members from the arts, health care promotion, academia, and other sectors, this Community of Practice is co-hosted by the Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, United Way British Columbia, and the Older Adult Centres Association of Ontario.

Quarterly meetings are recorded and held at 9:30 a.m. PST/12:30 p.m. EST on the second Tuesday of the month in January, April, July and October. Summary notes are provided after each meeting to all members of the CoP. Please email communications@allianceon.org for more info on how to join.