In 2010, 24 per cent of Canadians over age 14 reported to Statistics Canada that they found most days “extremely or quite a bit stressful”; this figure is up from 22 per cent in 2008. Twenty-five per cent of female respondents and 22 per cent of male respondents fell into this category. StatsCan notes that […]Continue readingStatscan reports 24 per cent of Canadians find most days “extremely or quite a bit” stressful
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Crackdown on illegal OHIP billing
The provincial government is taking action to ensure Ontarians are not being charged extra fees to access health care services that are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). There is a new 1-800 number and email address that is available to any Ontarian who believes he or she has been “extra-billed” for an […]Continue readingCrackdown on illegal OHIP billing
Website provides six new ideas on better workplaces
A new website hosted by the Wellesley Institute, Atkinson Foundation and Metcalf Foundation provides six new ideas to make jobs work better for all Ontarians. Topics include: Local job matchmaking A new and improved Employment Standards Act Partnerships for workplace-based learning The right job for internationally educated professionals The right to choose a union […]Continue readingWebsite provides six new ideas on better workplaces
Report on transitional housing for men leaving incarceration
A cost-benefit meta-analysis on transitional housing for men leaving incarceration was released in April of this year by the John Howard Society of Toronto. The report examines Transitional Housing Supports (THS) for two types of prisoners: homeless ex-prisoners and those required to abide by specific conditions outlined by the courts because they pose a threat […]Continue readingReport on transitional housing for men leaving incarceration
Government of Ontario enacts AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards
On June 3, 2011, the Government of Ontario enacted the finalizedIntegrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) under theAccessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). This regulation harmonizes three accessibility standards that support implementation of the AODA in the areas of information and communications, employment and transportation. The regulation also includes general requirements for all areas including the […]Continue readingGovernment of Ontario enacts AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards
Ontario seeks public input on social assistance review
The Social Assistance Review Commission (SARC), led by Francis Lankin (former head of the United Way) and Munir Sheikh (former chief statistician with Statistics Canada), has launched a website to house its social assistance review material. It has also released a discussion paper that frames the issues around social assistance and invites feedback from the […]Continue readingOntario seeks public input on social assistance review
Study finds adults with developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder are frequent ED users
Researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) recently completed the first Ontario-wide study of emergency department (ED) use by adults with dual diagnosis (developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder), comparing their ED use to those with developmental disability and no psychiatric disorder, to people […]Continue readingStudy finds adults with developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder are frequent ED users
Hate crimes on the rise
Statistics Canada has released a new report on police-reported hate crimes. Hate crimes are defined as criminal incidents based on race or ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Of the 1,473 hate crimes reported in 2009, the greatest increases were those related to religion, which rose by 55 per cent. Racial or ethnic hate crimes went […]Continue readingHate crimes on the rise
Alcohol action plan report
A new report “Alcohol, Cancer and other Health Issues: An Action Plan for Prevention” prepared for the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition has just been released. It addresses alcohol-related risks for cancer and other chronic diseases, and points out the persistent misunderstandings about alcohol and its health impact. The report’s purpose is to develop an action […]Continue readingAlcohol action plan report
Using social media in healthcare
The use of social media to improve healthcare quality is the focus of a guide by two Ontario healthy policy think tanks, The Change Foundation and The Health Strategy Innovation Cell. The first of the two-part guide focuses on current practice in the healthcare sector through a scan of the social media environment and field […]Continue readingUsing social media in healthcare