Item - 2024.HL11.3

The Board of Health:

1. Approved the Terms of Reference attached as Attachment 1 to the report (March 11, 2024) from the Medical Officer of Health, for the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel.

2. Appointed Director Ausma Malik to be the Chair of the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel for the remainder of the 2022-2026 Toronto City Council term, and until a successor is appointed.

3. Directed the Medical Officer of Health to initiate a process to recruit candidates for the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel in consultation with the Chair of the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel, and to report back to the Board of Health in the third quarter of 2024 with the recommended candidates for appointment.

4. Concluded the Toronto Drug Strategy Implementation Panel and replaced it with the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel. 

5. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to report to the Board of Health – Budget Committee as part of the development of the 2025 Operating and Capital Budget Submissions on the costs of expanded drug checking services in all parts of the city where evidence and community needs dictate.

The Medical Officer of Health, the Director, Toronto Public Health, the Associate Director, Strategy and Clinical Services, Toronto Public Health, and the Associate Medical Officer of Health gave a presentation on Our Health, Our City: Updates.

In November 2023, the Board of Health endorsed Our Health, Our City: A Mental Health, Substance Use, Harm Reduction and Treatment Strategy for Toronto. Our Health, Our City (OHOC) presents a city-wide, comprehensive, population-level approach to help address both mental health and substance use related issues in Toronto. It offers recommendations for all levels of government, City divisions, community partners, and health and social organizations across Toronto.

A key guiding principle in the development of OHOC and its implementation is the meaningful inclusion of people with lived and living experience. The participation of people who use drugs and people with lived/living experience of mental health challenges and illnesses, as well as frontline service providers who work with these communities, is integral to the success of OHOC. 

In support of OHOC, the Board of Health directed the Medical Officer of Health to establish an implementation panel and to report back to the Board of Health in the first quarter of 2024 with recommendations on the panel terms of reference and membership selection criteria.

This report outlines a process for establishing and convening the Our Health, Our City Implementation Panel that will ensure inclusion of people with lived and living experience and frontline service providers in guiding the implementation of the OHOC.