UOIT and NPRAC to investigate mental health service improvements in Northumberland County
Project to help reduce poverty
October 15, 2010
Port Hope, ON - The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and the Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee (NPRAC) signed a memorandum of understanding today, linking both organizations and allowing for collaboration on projects intended to improve poverty reduction efforts in Northumberland County using community-based research methods.
"Today's announcement is a wonderful example of UOIT's commitment to partner with community organizations and make a difference within the region and beyond," said Dr. Ronald Bordessa, president, UOIT. "This partnership will create tremendous opportunities for our students to gain valuable hands-on experience while supporting local agencies. We look forward to building on this collaboration with NPRAC as we work together to develop solutions that help to address poverty issues in Northumberland County."
The objectives of the agreement will be fulfilled by UOIT's University-Community Link Unit (CLU). The first objective involves a year-long research project that will investigate the current status of and make recommendations on how to improve mental health services located in the area. NPRAC's objective for this research is to generate specific action items in the mental health and addictions fields that would, if implemented in Northumberland, demonstrably improve the mental health of those living in poverty. Northumberland County Community and Social Services, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, Northumberland Child Development Centre and the Northumberland Community Legal Centre have provided funding support including a graduate research award to Ben Earle, a Master's student in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities working with CLU, who is helping facilitate the first project. Additional funding for this project may be provided by other NPRAC partners, such as the Northumberland United Way.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr. Bordessa and Lois Cromarty, chair, NPRAC and executive director, Northumberland Community Legal Centre during the Northumberland Community Legal Centre's 8th annual Justice Forum. The guiding principles of the collaboration and partnership between UOIT and NPRAC are community involvement, poverty reduction, action-oriented research, integrity and excellence, commitment to student success, and the broadening of academic networks to support excellence in teaching and research.
"NPRAC's partnership with UOIT is a great fit," said Cromarty. "Having access to the research expertise of the university will help the committee further its efforts to reduce poverty and create a healthier community."
Co-directed by Dr. Shanti Fernando, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, and Dr. Clemon George, Faculty of Health Sciences and Canadian Institutes of Health Research new investigator, CLU is a campuswide organized research unit that conducts collaborative, interdisciplinary applied research with various stakeholders in Durham Region and Northumberland County to support the needs of those working to build sustainable communities and cities. Its goal is to help scholars, students and stakeholders in the Durham Region and Northumberland communities and beyond to understand the dynamics of communities, cities, and regions while informing public policy at local, regional, provincial, national and international levels. CLU's offices are located in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities' new building at 55 Bond Street in Oshawa, Ontario.
Established on October 25, 2007, NPRAC is a coalition of local agencies, groups and individuals who expressed an interest in working towards developing a strategy to reduce poverty in Northumberland County during the Northumberland Community Legal Centre and the Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty Justice Forum entitled Developing a Poverty Reduction Strategy.
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