Item - 2019.HL7.3

The Board of Health:

1.  Requested the Medical Officer of Health to work with the Toronto Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Network to:

a.  Develop an FASD-specific e-learning module to raise awareness about FASD, FASD prevention, and how to most appropriately deliver services to people living with FASD, post this module on Toronto Public Health's website, and promote this module to City of Toronto staff and community organizations; and
 

b.  Develop an inventory of successful national and international FASD-specific supportive housing services and post this inventory on Toronto Public Health's website and promote it to relevant organizations.

2.  Directed that the report (May 30, 2019) from the Medical Officer of Health be forwarded to the Interim Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, for consideration in their ongoing review of programs, policies, and processes in their mandates.

3.  Directed that its decision and the report (May 30, 2019) from the Medical Officer of Health be forwarded to all Toronto school boards.

This report responds to direction from the Board of Health (BOH) in July 2018 to consult with the Toronto Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Network (the Network) and report back on potential measures the City of Toronto could undertake to improve prevention, access to services, and access to supportive housing for people living with FASD. Toronto Public Health (TPH) is an advisory member of the Network and has been working with the Network since the summer of 2018 to address the BOH request.

FASD is a neuro-developmental disability that occurs in individuals who were exposed to alcohol prenatally. There is no cure for FASD and it is a lifelong disability. It can be prevented by avoiding alcohol during pregnancy. As mandated, TPH engages in a wide range of activities to raise awareness about and prevent FASD. Prevention is also supported by ensuring compliance with Sandy's Law, a provincial requirement for establishments selling or serving alcohol to post signs warning of the risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Policy measures to mitigate the impacts of alcohol retail expansion can also play a role in preventing alcohol-related harms, including FASD.

Early diagnosis and appropriate interventions improve the long-term outcomes for people living with FASD. Diagnostic, health, and social services for people living with FASD are limited in Toronto or not sufficiently tailored to the specific needs of this population. Supportive housing is also required, as the majority of people living with FASD are unable to live independently. Toronto's current supportive housing options are challenged to meet the specific needs of people living with FASD. Long wait lists for supportive housing spaces pose a further barrier.

To respond to challenges in accessing tailored, adequate, and lifelong services and supportive housing for people living with FASD, the Network has developed a Case Coordination Model for Adults 16+ Affected by FASD and a housing model called Housing to Effectively Support Adults 16+ Affected by FASD. TPH has connected the Network with City Divisions, in particular, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the Housing Secretariat so that they may engage in further consultation to advance services for people living with FASD in Toronto, where feasible and within the mandates of these divisions.