By Cecilia Nasmith
Street-level outreach in Cobourg could take a giant leap forward, David Sheffield told council at this week's committee-of-the-whole meeting, with a little help from the town.
The Green Wood Coalition community director said it's the kind of work he's been involved in since 2007 on behalf of an agency that is supported by community donations, as opposed to government funding.
“Organizations like Green Wood Coalition usually begin as a grass-roots response to needs that are not being met by the formal system,” Sheffield said.
“The evident increase in homelessness in our community has put many in a precarious position, and pushed some people – who are experiencing drug dependency – out on the street. In turn, Cobourg residents have become fearful.
“At the same time, other community residents are reaching out to find better answers.”
Sheffield said he was inspired by being part of the recent round-table event on the opioid-overdose crisis organized by Councillor Adam Bureau.
“I attended my first Fentanyl overdose seven years ago. That person survived, but the recent increase in opioid overdoses deaths is overwhelming to us who work in the field.”
Sheffield introduced a Green Wood colleague, who expressed dismay over increasing incidences of risky behaviour in people taking drugs.
“We hear them say they don't plan to die by suicide – but they don't care if they live, so they will take their chances,” she said.
Northumberland County has seen 12 such deaths since January, a trend she tries to counteract by harm-reduction measures. These include handing out clothing, food and sleeping bags, as well as returning used needles, connecting people with other services and, in general, just building up a trusting relationship.
Her empathy has a deeper layer, as she was a homeless IV-drug user herself 13 years ago. She had the good luck to gain the support of a church in enrolling in a 13-month rehabilitative program (though she only stayed for seven months).
“Today I do my best to be the trusted support person for people who are struggling,” she said.
“I no longer think of drug use as a bad choice by people who 'should know better,'” Sheffield said.
“Everyone I have met is treating their pain. Sometimes it's physical pain, but always emotional and psychological, typically with roots in childhood and trauma.”
One point of consensus he saw at the round-table event was that the highest priority must be increasing street-level outreach for those most affected by this untenable situation. Green Wood Coalition's workers are willing and able to offer this kind of initiative in Cobourg, Sheffield said, thanks to a partnership commitment from the Northumberland Hills Hospital mental-health centre and Community Health Centres of Northumberland.
What is needed from Cobourg, he continued, is support in obtaining space a half-day per week as a drop-in location to meet with individuals and assist with their practical needs and perhaps offer a fast track to other social and health supports.
“Models of this kind of collaborative outreach, peer navigation, peer support services, are something we have been looking at in other communities. I think the pattern is there,” he said.
The premises he hopes to find would – ideally – be at least 500 sq. ft. in area, broken up into at least several rooms with at least one washroom, in a central downtown location.
It would also be a giant step for the town to provide some kind of financial support to programming, perhaps $500 or $1,000 a month.
“We are doing some of this work now,” Sheffield said.
“We recognize finding a safe and secure spot will take a little bit of time, but within a month, we could be doing this enhanced program.
“We are not necessarily looking at something that is intended to run for years. If there's an opportunity to evolve this into another initiative or a better way to do this...
“We are looking at something that responds to an urgent need with urgent action.”
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin made a motion to come through with the funding requested if it comes through the 2020 budget process. As for the space, Seguin did not make that part of the motion.
“I would leave that up to him to do the legwork,” she said.
“He is well versed with what's available, I think. He indicated he had talked to a few store owners with empty spaces.”
