Healthy Communities Consortium

For more information, please visit the Healthy Communities Consortium website at www.hcconsortium.ca

In May 2009, the Ministry of Health Promotion launched its new Healthy Communities Ontario approach which is part of an evolving process that is committed to implementing a holistic and integrated approach. Healthy Communities Ontario encourages the development of new partnerships and strengthens existing ones, resulting in improved access to priority health promotion programs and services for Ontarians. This new approach will be mobilized by the Healthy Communities Fund and a planning stream which will support provincial and community organizations to plan and deliver integrated initiatives that address multiple risk factors and promote health and wellness, at all levels, across the province.

As a part of this new design, the Ministry of Health Promotion brought together a consortium of several health promotion resource centres to provide support to those working within the new Healthy Communities Ontario approach. The Healthy Communities Consortium consists of five organizations:

• FOCUS Resource Centre
• Health Promotion Hub
• Heart Health Resource Centre
• OHCC Healthy Communities Support Services
• Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership

The Consortium will provide a comprehensive mix of supports such as training, consultation, print and electronic resources, network building strategies and referrals for local Healthy Communities Partnerships and Healthy Community Fund grant applicants.

The Ministry and Consortium will continue to provide updates as its plans are further developed.

The Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership (ODAP) will continue to support the work of Drug Awareness committees and coalitions. ODAP will communicate changes to ODAP programming through communiqués and direct contact with Drug Awareness committee/coalition contacts.

For information about ODAP and/or the Healthy Communities Consortium, please contact Joanne Brown at 416-395-4970 / 1-877-265-9279, or visit the Healthy Communities Consortium website at www.hcconsortium.ca