Opioid Pandemic

Fraser Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer’s Report on South Asians1

  • Significant increase in overdose deaths in South Asians males under the age of 40 years old with
    documented mental health conditions and alcohol and substance abuse addictions
  • Drug toxicity deaths increased by 255% from 2015-18 compared to 138% among non-South
    Asians
  • Fatal overdoses 186 per 1,000 (18.6%) in South Asian community compared to 110 fatal overdoses
    per 1,000 (11%) among non-South Asians, a difference of 7.6% higher fatality rate
  • Identified among the community’s most vulnerable populations through a needs assessment report

Anecdotal evidence from service providers and community partners working with vulnerable and
marginalized community desperate for South Asian centered services and intervention

Community Needs

  • South Asians are a racialized community underserved by the current healthcare system; individuals and their families experience significant challenges in accessing services related to substance abuse, mental health, and socioeconomic factors
  • Limited services addressing the South Asian needs, resulting in low engagement in existing services
  • Cultural, linguistic, social, financial and structural barriers to accessing supports
  • Social stigma and biases within the community associated with alcohol and substance abuse and mental health disorders
A critical need for culturally appropriate, low barrier health and social services

Solution: SACH

  • Cross-sector, inter-agency, and collaborative intervention offering wrap around services
  • Located in the Newton neighbourhood of Surrey, BC
  • Provides direct services for those experiencing issues related to substance abuse, mental health, and socioeconomic factors
  • Centralized entry point: a case manager identifies individual needs, advocates for clients and their families, connects to supports on and off site
  • Mobilizes multi-sectoral services for rapid risk mitigation to address both the immediate and long-term needs of clients
  • Low barrier approach: one entry point, single site, culturally and linguistically appropriate