Community Forum Events
Both the community conversations were held in the evening in late October 2017. The WECOS-LC members, along with senior municipal officials supported these events and were an opportunity for members of the community, including families and people with lived experience, to learn more about the proposed strategy and provide input into potential actions and needs for Windsor-Essex.
Both evening events included an overview of the local opioid picture, a summary of the proposed strategy, and a presentation from the keynote speaker, Michael Parkinson, Community Engagement Coordinator, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.
Following presentations, attendees participated in facilitated table discussions with members of the WECOS-LC. Attendees had the opportunity to provide input on any or all of the four pillars by responding to two questions:
- Based on what you heard today, what stands out for you the most as it relates to the [PILLAR NAME] pillar?
- Are there any points that you thought were missing from the strategy, under the [PILLAR NAME] pillar?
Community Feedback Survey
The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid Strategy Feedback Survey (see Appendix C) was also disseminated for those who were not able to attend the forums or who did not feel comfortable providing feedback related to lived experience in a public setting. The survey was primarily disseminated online through WECOS-LC partners’ social media accounts, but paper copies of the survey were also available at key organizations which serve people who use drugs throughout Windsor and Essex County. A mixed methods approach was embedded in the survey design. Respondents were asked to indicate the perceived benefit of specific strategies under each pillar and offered the opportunity to provide general feedback in the form of open-ended questions.