PATH-Toronto (Promoting Access to Treatment for Toronto’s Homeless Youth in Substance Use and Mental Health)
The PATH project is a short term mixed methods study focused on youth experiencing homelessness, substance use and/or mental health challenges in Toronto. This project aims to empower youth to capture their story through photos. Exploring a deeper understanding of barriers and facilitators of accessing services, to develop strategies to support improved health and wellbeing.
Project Contents
Now Recruiting Participants!
Who is eligible?
If you are between the ages of 14 and 24, have recent or current experiences with homelessness, currently use street drugs (excluding alcohol, cannabis and tobacco alone) or experience mental health challenges, you may be eligible to participate.
What’s involved?
You will complete an initial interview, receive training on photovoice, and be given a disposable camera. You will then have two weeks to take photos capturing your experiences accessing health and social services in Toronto. Once you are finished taking photos, you will be asked to complete a second interview to discuss the photos and experience. You will receive financial compensation for your involvement in the study.
When does it start?
Interviews will begin on November 10th and occur on a rolling basis. We anticipate participation will take a month. If you choose to participate, after your final interview, you will have the option to stay connected and engage with the study’s final outputs.
If you think you are eligible and want to participate, please call 647-286-0341 or email tanisha.palmer@unityhealth.to
Overview
The housing unaffordability, employment insecurity, and overdose crisis have placed youth with experiences of homelessness (YEH) at unprecedented risk of mortality and morbidity in Canada. In Ontario, 40% of 4,060 shelter residents in 2021 were under 25, highlighting a substantial burden of homelessness in youth. From 2014 to 2021, opioid-related deaths among Ontario youth aged 15-24 surged by nearly 370%, with one in eight deaths occurring among YEH residing in low-income neighborhoods.
Despite the urgent need for a response, current strategies are woefully inadequate. YEH living independently without stable, safe, or consistent residence, often experience extreme poverty, and encounter significant barriers to safe, high quality and culturally appropriate care. One major identified barrier to care is the lack of understanding of YEH’s experiences with the mental health and substance use care systems in Toronto.
In response, we propose a novel multi-pronged qualitative study in Toronto to identify barriers and facilitators of substance use and mental health care, and to develop strategies to enhance YEH’s access and retention in these services with support from diverse community partners. This will be achieved through a mixed methods study that combines Photovoice methodology- a powerful participatory and action-oriented research approach – and key informant interviews. YEH will participate in a Photovoice Project to document and share their lived experience through photography, culminating in sharing their photographs in an art exhibit; while in-depth qualitative interviews will be held to capture diverse perspectives among key interest-holders working within the youth homelessness sector. Findings from this research will provide an in-depth understanding of Toronto’s YEH’s diverse lived experience of substance use, identify youth-specific gaps in mental health and substance use care provision, inform harm reduction services, and develop strategies to promote their health and wellbeing.
Youth Advisory
This project has a youth community advisory committee to support the development and direction of the study. This group of youth (16 to 24) who have lived/living experience of homelessness, substance use, and/or mental health challenges and reside in Toronto ensures the study is grounded in community engagement and needs.
The committee works alongside members of the CDPE team throughout the project. Meeting bi-monthly in to work on project materials. If you have interest in joining this committee or questions about it, please connect with Tanisha.
Financial Supporters
This study is funded by the Research Innovation Council at St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation and The Four Oaks Foundation.
Community Partners
Black Coalition for Aids Prevention | Covenant House | Eva’s Initiative | Stolen from Africa | Trip Project, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre | Covenant House | The 519