Bulletin 24

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Looking back

The Knowledge Hub received a contribution agreement from the Public Health Agency of Canada in September 2015 to connect innovative trauma and violence-informed health promotion projects through the “Supporting the health of victims of domestic violence and child abuse through community program” investment.

Since 2015, the Knowledge Hub has been pleased to connect 17 community-based projects for knowledge mobilization, translation and exchange opportunities. Two people from each project came together to form a Community of Practice which met virtually and in-person to exchange ideas, knowledge and information.  These community-based projects focused on women, men, adolescents, and children and provided various kinds of trauma-informed programming through arts-based expression, physical activity, and/or educational programming.

Highlights from the past seven years: 

  • A series of in-person knowledge exchanges where Community of Practice members came together to discuss their work, share ideas, solve problems
  • A set of common outcome indicators was developed based on the research questions developed by each project
  • A website was developed to promote the work of the Knowledge Hub and Community of Practice members - Knowledge Hub - Western University (kh-cdc.ca)  
  • Project videos – brief 3-5 minute videos describing the interventions
  • Research briefings –15 -minute online presentations that were recorded and focused on the results of the research conducted related to the intervention
  • A working group explored and addressed the topic of trauma and violence-informed research ethics 
  • Lessons learned video series – focussing on insights from CoP members and project members related to the realization of trauma-and violence-informed principles when conducting intervention research
  • Webinar series – more than 40 webinars have been hosted in collaboration with the Learning Network which have addressed various topics related to trauma and violence-informed health promotion, intervention, and gender-based violence.
  • Subscribers that follow or participate in Knowledge Hub activities has grown to over 28,000 people

 

Looking forward - Extension of the Knowledge Hub 

We are pleased to announce that we have received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue the work of the Knowledge Hub until March 31, 2026. This additional financial contribution will allow the Knowledge Hub to continue to connect trauma and violence-informed intervention projects funded through the investment for people who have experienced family and gender-based violence across the lifespan.

“Since 2015, the Knowledge Hub has successfully been connecting and enhancing the work of projects funded through PHAC's Family Violence Investment. PHAC is pleased to continue to support the Knowledge Hub to facilitate knowledge sharing, while strengthening the capacity of service providers, researchers, and communities to prevent and address family and gender-based violence.”

-          Karen McKinnon, Director General, Centre for Health Promotion, Public Health Agency of Canada

Conducting trauma and violence-informed interventions and research during a pandemic

Since March 2020, Canada and the world has been surviving the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has brought many challenges to individuals personally, and in their trauma and violence-informed work.   Over the past two years, Community of Practice members have discussed the challenges of discontinuing service provision or continuing data collection during mandatory lockdowns and the continuing shifting that occurred when restrictions were lifted or enhanced at various times since March 2020.

Some of the challenges or questions which have been raised and discussed:

  • Is it safe to move from in-person to online programming with people who may be vulnerable to ongoing violence or abuse? 
  • How do we provide trauma and violence-informed programming in an online environment? Or in-person when public health guidelines allow for this? 
  • Can we continue to collect research data during a pandemic in a trauma and violence-informed manner?
  • Should we reconsider our research program given the constraints of the pandemic?

This information sharing has led to the development of a Tip sheet that is being reviewed by Community of Practice members and will hopefully be available soon.

 3 new Lessons Learned videos

Three new videos have been developed based on interviews with Community of Practice members. Themes of these videos:

  1. Creating organizational change
  2. Value of a Community of Practice
  3. Collaboration

Farewell to outgoing projects

Funding for the following projects concludes at end of March 2022:

  • STEP
  • MindUP for young children
  • Inunnguiniq
  • Sole Expression 

 

Thank you to all Community of Practice members who have supported the Knowledge Hub over the past seven years.