Social Prescribing connects people with non-clinical programs and services that support their health and well-being. Building bridges between medical, individual, and community support systems, Social Prescribing (SP) is gaining traction globally as an integral aspect of healthcare.
On Tuesday, April 16th the first continuing education workshop at NCDT of 2024, explored social prescribing with guest Rebecca Barnstaple from Chigamik Community Health Center in Midland, Ontario, and a graduate of the first cohort of the Alternate Route Training in Dance/Movement Therapy at the NCDT (2015).
The workshop began by asking participants to consider “what brings you joy?", followed by sharing and discussion, which in addition to recognising commonalities such as relationships, turned our attention to the unique needs and interests of each person. Rebecca asked us whether we felt these were related to our health, and if the absence of them would have an impact on well-being. This is the crux of social prescribing – shifting from the medical model of asking" What’s the matter with you" to asking "What matters to you" – finding and honouring the importance of meaningful activities and relationships for individuals and communities and recognising the vital role these play in supporting health.
In April 2023, Chigamik Community Health Centre (Centre de sante Communautaire Chigamik) was a recipient of a Better Mental Health through Social Prescribing grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada/the Alliance for Healthier Communities, one-time/one year funding which supported the creation of a new role at the organization: a Community Health and Well-being Coordinator (CHWC) with a focus on social prescribing and client navigation.
This role has been instrumental in improving client outcomes through enhanced support and integration across allied health and clinical teams and by connecting clients with community partners, and in April 2024 was converted to a permanent position with the organization.
Rebecca described the function of Social Prescribing at Chigamik, and shared details around processes including intake, data collection, and analysis that have helped demonstrate impact. Metrics include social isolation and loneliness, along with changes in mental and physical health and sense of belonging in the community. We looked at some of the initial results and the trends that Chigamik is tracking in relation to this project. Rebecca also shared a resource developed by the University of Florida (Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities) that provides an overview of various health outcomes that may be measured in relation to Social Prescribing.
Emphasising that Social Prescribing is co-created, person-centred, strengths-based, and community-led, Rebecca suggested that it be considered as an improvisational practice. Differentiating Social Prescribing from Case Management, Rebecca pointed to “the glimmer/la lueur” that arises from venturing into the unknown, to discover what could be present in someone’s life, and how this can contribute to joy, meaning, and transformation.
Rebecca ended the workshop by offering us an example of a Social Prescribing in action. In small groups, our task was to describe a person, a prescription, and a means of assessment – what barriers, facilitators, and impacts are associated with our example? From this activity, key elements of social prescribing for diverse persons such as access and engagement were clear. We each made new connections and left with a sense of meaning and purpose. A good prescription!
