Financially Assisted Social Prescribing in Hamilton, Ontario

The Canadian Red Cross has been collaborating with the Greater Hamilton Health Network to develop Financially Assisted Social Prescribing (FASP), an innovative approach to bring social prescribing to community organizations providing support to citizens residing in Municipal Wards 2, 3, and 4 in Hamilton Ontario.
 
The goal of the initiative is to increase health equity and informed care and services in the Hamilton region by bringing the health and social sectors together.


Get involved


What is Social Prescribing? 

Social prescribing is a holistic approach to healthcare that reduces barriers to health, wellbeing, and support services. This approach brings community capacity and health-care services together by considering the social determinants of health.

It allows healthcare providers to support a diverse range of patients by connecting them to appropriate resources and organizations that address social factors such as poverty, loneliness, housing, and much more.
 


Financially Assisted Social Prescribing Community Collective 

The Financially Assisted Social Prescribing Community Collective will serve as a network for healthcare professionals to connect directly with community organizations, support services available in the region, and share expert knowledge.

By joining the collective, you can help your community build a collaborative network of social prescribing services and referrals. Members will gain access to: 
  • Inventory of social prescribing services in wards 2-4 in Hamilton, Ontario
  • Inventory of financially assisted services in wards 2-4 in Hamilton, Ontario
  • Online learning portal for members to access important social prescribing resources 
  • Take-home social prescribing training toolkit to train your organization 
  • Link worker competency framework 
  • Social prescribing experts and facilitator knowledge 
  • Take-home financial assistance toolkit to support clients 
  • $2M granting available for members only to support clients when accessing social prescribing referrals and/or services 
  • Low-barrier grant entry and application process 
 

Join Us and Get Involved in the Financially Assisted Social Prescribing Community Collective

The Social Prescribing Service Coordination Community Collective is now open to organizations who provide social prescribing to citizens of Municipal wards 2, 3, and 4 in Hamilton, or are interested in doing so.

Organizations interested in joining the Financially Assisted Social Prescribing Community Collective can apply by submitting an application below.
 

Apply Now


If you’re interested in joining as a volunteer, advisory committee member, or a working group member, you can apply by submitting a member application below. 


Apply Now


Please note: Applications close early October 2024.
 


Information and Resources on Financially Assisted Social Prescribing

Download a copy of our Financially Assisted Social Prescribing information sheet.

If you would like to receive updates about Financially Assisted Social Prescribing, you can subscribe to our mailing list

If you require additional information or have questions about Financially Assisted Social Prescribing, please contact Project Manager, Mirela Marceta, PMP at Mirela.Marceta@redcross.ca.