Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
E209-4500 Oak Street, Box 48 V6H 3N1 Vancouver, BC, Canada

If you missed it: the recording and slides for our recent webinar on Gender-Informed Virtual Interventions Addressing Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence with Canadian Public Health Association for their Substance Use Webinar Series, are now available online: http://ow.ly/wpmW50DvNTe

*Reminder* We are currently recruiting participants for a new study to learn about experiences of vaping cannabis/nicotine during pregnancy/postpartum. Participate in the survey here: http://ow.ly/cwxi50Dqwt3... #VapingInPregnancyStudy

Our latest blog post explores the possibilities for preconception education and support. There are many different and imaginative ways to optimize health during this period; our blog post highlights just a few efforts from around the world: http://ow.ly/gHHW50DptHL

Join Lindsay Wolfson and Canada FASD Research Network this Friday for their first webinar of 2021: Identifying Best Practices for FASD Prevention, Intervention, and Support. Registration is open here: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_C82AGeP-QlGbDlYSJC8_hg

Do you have experiences vaping cannabis or nicotine during pregnancy or postpartum? We want to hear from you. Participate in the survey here: http://ow.ly/KCnv50DhSIt #VapingInPregnancyStudy

#MentalHealthDay is ever important in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and this year the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for increased investment in mental health. There is so much collaborative work needed to address the root influences on women's mental health concerns, such as intersecting challenges of substance use, intimate partner violence, and pandemic policies. Investing in mental health enables advancements in these services, and as a result we have... been working on a rapid review aimed at understanding substance use among women during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing increase in intimate partner violence. Along with our service partners - Canadian Centre on Substance Use / Centre canadien sur les dépendances, Women's Shelters Canada / Hébergement femmes Canada, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia: JIBC we are co-developing materials and resources for first responders, intimate partner violence and substance use workers to address women’s needs during the pandemic. http://ow.ly/phyd50BK3OF We are honoured to be contributing to Canadian Institutes of Health Research's COVID-19 and Mental Health Initiative through this project. Move for mental health: let's invest

We are excited to share our collaborative effort with YWCA Toronto on the Trauma Informed Development and Education (TIDE) project. The TIDE project implemented an organization wide shift to incorporate trauma informed principles in all services and programs at the YWCA Toronto. We have shared resources from this project on our website, offering an opportunity to understand the effects of trauma and implement trauma informed principles into your work. Follow the link below to access these resources: http://ow.ly/sZOw50BG1vI

Join Centre of Excellence for Women's Health Director, Nancy Poole and Senior Investigator, Lorraine Greaves for the Sex, Gender and Cannabis Use webinar organized by CAMH Cannabis Knowledge Exchange Hub - Tuesday October 13th at 1-2pm EDT. Registration is open here: https://bit.ly/2ZszncJ This webinar will be presented in English with simultaneous interpretation in French. To participate in the French presentation, register here: https://bit.ly/33ljfuu

In lead up to #InternationalDayoftheGirl, Centre of Excellence for Women's Health Senior Investigator Lorraine Greaves will be presenting on Women-centered frameworks: Gendered approaches to harm reduction in North America at the Global Citizens Forum hosted by the United Nations Association In Canada. Join the discussion on Oct 7 @ 1 pm ET. Registration is open here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-2nd-global-citizen-forum-le

When Gender Transformative and Sex and Gender Based Analysis+ approaches are incorporated into research, practice, and policy, #EveryoneBenefits For #GenderEqualityWeek, we wanted to share some of our resources that are aimed at integrating sex and gender into our work on substance use. Check out our resource page to explore some of our latest manuals, tools, fact sheets, training modules, and webinars: https://bccewh.bc.ca/publications/reportsresources/

We are very much looking forward to Centre of Excellence for Women's Health Senior Investigator, Lorraine Greaves' virtual presentation 'Sex, Gender and Vaping: Findings and Knowledge Products from a Scoping Review' at Canadian Public Health Association's Tobacco and Vaping Control Forum. Lorraine will be presenting emerging issues with cannabis and nicotine vaping as it relates to sex and gender - and what knowledge products can make a difference when it comes to harm reduc...tion. If you are attending the virtual forum, join Oral Presentation 1 today @ 10amPT/1pmET: https://tvcf.can.chime.live/app/app.html #TVCF20

For #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek, we want to share this 2011 Report on Violence Against Women, Mental Health, and Substance Use by the Canadian Women's Foundation and the BC Society of Transition Houses, which highlights the continued relevance of these intersecting issues: http://ow.ly/hSAe50BG37D 9 years later, we're asking: How are we advancing collaborative service provisions to address these intersections today?

Don't forget to register for Acute Care and Addiction Treatment for Mothers and Children. This is the third webinar in the series Learning and Acting Together - Perinatal Substance Use, and will be taking place Thursday October 22 at 11amPT/2pmET - 12pmPT/3pmET. Led by a dynamic group of panelists including physicians and community organizers, this webinar will examine interdisciplinary approaches that honour mother-baby togetherness and women's voices in addiction treatment.... Registration is open here: http://ow.ly/1YsT50BEGXU Thank you to the Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project at BC Women's Hospital, Provincial Health Services Authority - PHSA for sponsoring this webinar series.

The Benefits of Wraparound, Multi-Service, Community-Based Programs webinar will cover wraparound service approaches that support women who are pregnant and new mothers with substance use and interrelated concerns. Participants will learn about the implications for research, policy, and most importantly practice in communities, that have been identified in the Co-Creating Evidence evaluation research. This national evaluation of multi-service programs offers directions forwar...d based on: local priorities from the perspectives of the service users, service providers and community partners, the service elements found helpful that can be built upon, and where we need to expand action. Please join our wonderful group of presenters, panelists, and facilitators for a one-hour webinar this Thursday September 17 at 11amPT/2pmET. Registration is still open here: http://ow.ly/O0i150BrfxX

Check out our latest blog post about the Indigenous and women-centered approaches to pregnancy care being implemented by the Innu Round Table Secretariat in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, two Innu communities in Labrador. Cultural safety, self-determination, and holistic support are important components of FASD prevention and the projects highlighted in this blog post incorporate them extraordinarily well: http://ow.ly/PwsI50BFNeV

Please join us and the Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, Provincial Health Services Authority - PHSA next week for Benefits of Wraparound, Multi-Service, Community-Based Programs, and learn about the Co-Creating Evidence Project. This is the second webinar in the Learning & Acting Together series, taking place Thursday September 17 11amPT/2pmET-12pmPT/3pmET. Registration is open here: http://ow.ly/xVnP50BleRk

Check out our latest blog post in honour of #FASDAwarenessMonth: http://ow.ly/3ecm50BldNS In the blog we highlight how #FASD is a woman’s health issue, and the toolkit Canada FASD Research Network released which includes information about FASD, speech-writing tips, and images that are strengths-based, non-judgmental, and person-centered to reduce the stigma around FASD, alcohol, and pregnancy.

Prevention of #FASD is a Women’s Health Issue: http://ow.ly/rJzq50BmiNt #FASDAwarenessDay

Nancy Poole & Lorraine Greaves talk alcohol use and pregnancy, how COVID has made some things worse for women, and how men can help. This Op-Ed in The Province highlights FASD awareness day Sept 9. Read it here: http://ow.ly/iFPY50BipkG #FASDAwarenessMonth #ThinkFASD

Thank you to everyone who attended Reducing Stigma, Supporting Parenting! We had a great session with engaging panelists and participants. Don’t forget to sign up for our second webinar of the series: ‘Benefits of Wraparound, Multi-Service, Community-Based Programs’ coming up on Thursday, September 17 at 11amPT/2pmET-12pmPT/3pmET. Register here to join the conversation: https://bccewh.hostedincanadasurveys.ca/

Registration is still open for our upcoming webinar with the Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, Provincial Health Services Authority - PHSA: Reducing Stigma, Supporting Parenting on Thursday, August 27 at 11amPT/2pmET-12pmPT/3pmET: https://bccewh.hostedincanadasurveys.ca/886948?lang=en We are excited to share the great group of panelists who will be joining us for this first webinar in the Learning & Acting Together series. We look forward to connecting with you!

Centre of Excellence for Women's Health researchers have been involved in a research project with Nota Bene Consulting group and 8 multi-service programs across Canada who serve pregnant and parenting women who use substances. This recently published article describes how the programs are structured and funded, provides a powerful graphic of the many services that are/can be offered in wraparound programs, as well as how women saw the need for and benefits of the various comp...onents of wraparound programming. It is interesting to see how these programs have evolved to respond to the needs of the women in different locations across the country, and reduce barriers to care. This article underlines how the programs have blended primary and social care in order to reach and engage women in services related to the many issues facing them, in a paced and achievable way. It can be an inspiration to health authorities and non-profit community organizations to see the ways in which the funding for such programming can be structured, and the need for this funding to be sustainable. https://rdcu.be/b53XJ See more

We are excited to share that we are partnering with the Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, Provincial Health Services Authority - PHSA on the upcoming webinar series Learning & Acting Together. This series will provide insights from a diverse group of presenters and panelists on promising programming and actions designed to reach and support pregnant and parenting women who use substances. Topics include reducing stigma, the benefits of wraparound support, attachment oriented parenting programming, family-based treatment, and tools to guide practice and policy. Join us for our first webinar on Thursday, August 27 at 11amPT/2pmET-12pmPT/3pmET: Reducing Stigma, Supporting Parenting. Register here: https://bccewh.hostedincanadasurveys.ca/

Research Assistant Position: An excellent opportunity for an organized and energetic research assistant to join our talented team of women’s health policy researchers. This is part-time contract starting immediately, until March 31, 2021 and possibly renewable. You must be comfortable with working virtually (from any location) with a distributed team. You will be responsible for a range of tasks including: assisting with research literature searches and reviews; assisting wit...h participant recruitment and retention; drafting applications for ethical review; entering and updating research data; assisting with data analysis and report preparation; and supporting grant applications processes. Interest and capability in supporting the Centre’s communication and social media efforts is an asset. Your education includes a degree in Social Sciences and experience in a research environment, or the equivalent. Expertise with data analysis and bibliographic management software is required. Familiarity with Wordpress an asset. Interested candidates please send an email to Nancy Poole at [email protected] See more

On Self Care Day, we want to highlight that self care for service users and service providers is a key element of trauma informed practice. Grounding activities as a self-care practice can increase awareness of trauma responses, help build therapeutic relationships, facilitate inclusion in safety plans and offer validation for service users. For service providers, grounding activities can help to remain present when working with service users and can be used for their own se...lf-care practices. Read about Grounding Activities and Trauma-Informed Practice here: http://ow.ly/9Uwl50AHwzk

Along with Canada FASD Research Network, in order to continue to support FASD prevention efforts, we are excited to share "Integrating Messages about Alcohol Use in Pregnancy and FASD: Guidelines for Pregnancy Application (‘App’) Developers". This resource was created to support pregnancy app and online content developers in integrating alcohol- and FASD-related content that is clear, up-to-date, and nonjudgmental. This way pregnant women families can get the support they may need to have a healthy pregnancy. Read the guidelines here: http://ow.ly/bsnn50AFpZe

Language, culture, ceremony, and teachings from Elders are foundational to supporting healthy beginnings and community-based FASD prevention. On National Indigenous Peoples Day we celebrate the incredible work, wisdom and resiliency of Indigenous women and communities. http://ow.ly/EMxE50AcLwp

For #WorldNoTobaccoDay, take a look at our Tobacco, Girls and Women projects. We remain concerned about the impact of tobacco, and now vaping, on women's and girls' health. We have created guides for supporting smoking cessation efforts that shift the conversation from quitting to helping women build on their strengths to make changes. Our recent work examines the sex & gender related factors that affect smoking, and the various ways of consuming tobacco, including vaping and electronic nicotine delivery systems. Get these resources here: http://bccewh.bc.ca/recent-work/tobacco-girls-and-women/ #WorldNoTobaccoDay #INWAT

Each year, along with Canada FASD Research Network, we compile the research articles related to FASD prevention published in English over the previous year. We organize the articles according to the levels of FASD prevention, to support those working at each level of prevention to consider how to bring the latest evidence to their practice. In addition we discuss examples from this literature at a monthly webmeeting of the Prevention Network Action Team on FASD Prevention (pNAT), a forum where researchers, service providers, policy analysts and women with lived experience can collectively discuss the application to practice and policy. View the 2019 Annotated Bibliography here: http://ow.ly/zKmr50zKyj0 Learn more about our Women, Alcohol and FASD Prevention projects here: http://ow.ly/2mzp50zKyok

We are excited to release a new handbook 'Integrating Sex and Gender Informed Evidence Into Your Practices: Ten Key Questions on Sex, Gender & Substance Use'. This is the latest resource from a large project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It assists practitioners and policy makers in acting on the implications of sex and gender in substance use prevention, treatment, program and policy design to tailor responses and improve services for clients. View the handbook here: http://ow.ly/4ncL50zGtHM. For more information on the larger project click here: http://ow.ly/W1N550zGtJt

Now more than ever people are appreciating the work nurses do every day. At Centre of Excellence for Women's Health we have worked closely with nurses on integrating trauma informed approaches in their practice, especially in their work with pregnant women and new mothers who use substances - whether in community based pregnancy outreach programs (such as those linked to Bcapop https://www.bcapop.ca/Perinatal-Substance-Use-Resources), in hospitals (like at the Fir Unit at BC Women's Hospital http://www.bcwomens.ca//pregnancy-/pregnancy-drugs-alcohol) or in the transitions between the two. See http://bccewh.bc.ca//po/maternal-health-and-substance-use/ Thank you nurses, on International Nurses Day and every day.

Our latest blog sheds light on what the research shows when it comes to alcohol and cannabis use when breastfeeding. Read more here: https://fasdprevention.wordpress.com