Workshops 

Covers HIV & HCV transmission, prevention and treatment basics, an overview of systemic risk factors related to the socio-determinants of health & connecting to WHAI’s priority areas of focus, a brief overview of WHAI & WHAI workshops/resources. Includes handouts and information sheets on topics covered as well as a statistical summary capturing the picture of women & HIV in Ontario. Concludes with a brief discussion to introduce topics of disclosure, stigma, mothering & HIV, LPW, WHAI’s collective art projects, Change maker’s postcard project.

Using the Women and HIV: A Disclosure Toolkit as a guide, this workshop walks through information about HIV disclosure, privacy legislation, policies, and guidelines for handling personal health information and the importance of these in building positive relationships with women. These include tips and strategies on how to create a welcoming and supportive space for disclosure, that build’s on women’s autonomy and sense of respect. It provides a space for discussion that covers strategies for the journey of support, before during and after HIV disclosure. In addition, the presentation concludes on an interactive component that incorporates learnings to be applied to a scenario-based discussion activity.   

Designed to help build and strengthen an organization or professional’s response to working with women who use drugs. The key audience being service providers and organizations with existing harm reduction services/practices in place. It can also be a helpful starting point for agencies that would like to learn more about how they can adapt services using a harm reduction-based approach to service delivery. Some of the discussion topics include: defining harm reduction, tips and strategies for service providers by and for women who use drugs, tips and recommendations on harm reduction kits and supplies, how to create an open welcoming space for women who use drugs.

• Introduction to HIV/HCV, transmission, testing, treatment, prevention (PEP & PrEP)
• Best practices for sexual health
• Harm reduction & overdose prevention.  

–Women are Change Makers; Interactive health and wellness arts-based workshop that encompasses identifying and celebrating strengths and connection to the community.

–Smashing Stigma: Creative button making; arts-based interactive health and wellness workshop where participants share and learn and about the impacts of stigma while having the opportunity to create there own anti-stigma or positive message button/pin.

-Community and Social Unity at a Time of Physical Distance: interactive arts-based health and wellness activity that can be facilitated from a distance. Participants can also choose to share there completed work with WHAI, who will be displaying submissions in a digital gallery.