Casey House Impact Report 2020

Impact Report 2020

A Message from
The CEO and Board Chair

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Joanne Simons
Chief Executive Officer

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Jennifer Dewling
Chair, Board of Directors

While Casey House continues to tackle new challenges and initiatives in our quest to transform lives, it feels good to stop and celebrate some of the achievements of the past year; first and foremost developing a dynamic new strategy for the organization. We look forward with resolve and commitment, to continue to drive care that is compassionate and socially just. 

There are two items we want to highlight from the past year: we were proud to be named as one of Maclean’s top 10 Canadian health charities; and we launched our first podcast. It was thrilling to listen to clients share their stories in Positively Speaking. The six-episode season exemplifies the value of lived experience and gives listeners the opportunity to connect and engage with the clients you support. We encourage you to listen; their stories are powerful.  

Finally, we want to recognize that while the hospital has been heavily impacted by COVID-19, this report documents results from our fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2020, and only the last few weeks were affected by the pandemic.

Planning for the Future

This year, the board of directors, staff and stakeholders came together to craft a new strategic plan for the future of Casey House.

The strategy creates a foundation to strengthen our organization, drive to a promising future and galvanizes our purpose of transforming lives and health care through compassion and social justice. 

Increase financial resilience

Strengthen how we access and manage our financial resources

Articulate how lives are changed through our model of care

Communicate what makes us unique and vital

Transform lives and health care through compassion and social justice

Nurture the physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of clients

Amplify our purpose with aligned organizations

Cultivate strategic relationships that enable us to do together what we cannot do alone

Measure the value we bring to the world

Evaluate the holistic impact our care brings to the lives of our clients, our community, health care and society

Continuously refine how we deliver care

Develop practices that improve our services and the supporting operations, infrastructure and strategy

Increase financial resilience

Strengthen how we access and manage our financial resources

Articulate how lives are changed through our model of care

Communicate what makes us unique and vital

Transform lives and health care through compassion and social justice

Nurture the physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of clients

Amplify our purpose with aligned organizations

Cultivate strategic relationships that enable us to do together what we cannot do alone

Measure the value we bring to the world

Evaluate the holistic impact our care brings to the lives of our clients, our community, health care and society

Continuously refine how we deliver care

Develop practices that improve our services and the supporting operations, infrastructure and strategy

Peer Support

Casey House launched an innovative peer support program, which provides clients with meaningful opportunities for peer connections and additional support.

The program matches individuals who have lived experience of HIV with clients who could benefit from additional support. It gives clients an opportunity to make meaningful connections with someone who has been in their position.

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Peers work directly with an assigned client to support aspects of living with HIV, such as having to adhere to a strict daily regimen of medications.

In the program’s first few months, 6 peers contributed an average of 50 hours per month supporting clients.

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= 50 hrs / month

Being a long-term survivor myself, and with the guidance of my new found family at Casey House, I am able to listen, to help, and assist clients in my role as a peer.

The greatest moments I have in any day, is walking in through the front door of Casey House knowing I can make a difference in someone’s life.

Rick Skimmings
Casey House peer

…to have a peer to support me during the time I was hospitalized was very important and very helpful because I could no [sic] speak English well and with the help of the peer who speaks English and Spanish everything became much easier. Any time I didn’t understand anything because of my language barrier, the peer was always there to help me to translate and explain things I need to know about my health…I could not have done without him.

Miguel
Casey House client

Smash Stigma 

The third iteration of #smashstigma explored the power of pop culture to change perceptions and help people understand and empathize with those living with HIV/AIDS.

Episodes from two iconic sitcoms, Friends and The Office, were rewritten, making a lead character HIV+ to expose and amplify stigma, and to tackle disclosure with family and friends, and in a workplace.

Alongside the new ‘never before seen’ TV episodes were six short documentaries of people living with HIV talking about their experiences with stigma amongst family and friends.

Both were available exclusively online. During the campaign, the website garnered over 26,000 sessions, almost 10,000 plays of Friends and The Office, more than 3,000 views of the testimonial videos and 88% of those who viewed an episode felt more empathetic to those with HIV afterwards. See them for yourself at smashstigma.ca

 

Head over to smashstigma.ca

The campaign really makes you take stock and consider what if the TV shows that defined the cultural zeitgeist of the time could have helped improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS today, decades later? There is a disturbing gap in the conversation that is being ignored between the incredible strides we have made in the medical treatment of the disease and the startling lack of progress in society’s treatment of those living with HIV. Casey House is working to bridge that gap, but we can’t do it alone.

Joanne Simons, CEO

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There was a full house at the AGO and terrific energy in the room before, during and after the live auction at Art With Heart, presented by TD Bank Group. Every single lot sold, which contributed enormously to the record revenue of $976,000.

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June’s HIV+ Eatery, presented by RBC Royal Bank was an amazing three nights of food, fun and stigma smashing in support of judgement-free health care at Casey House.

A delicious six-course meal made collaboratively by a team of 14 HIV+ chefs and the professionals from Fidel Gastro’s impressed 240 guests, raised over $190,000 and enlightened many about the pervasive nature stigma continues to play in the lives of people living with HIV.

The venue was alive each night with bustling conversations and full bellies, get a taste of it here.

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In December, Casey House launched a podcast called Positively Speaking, which gives voice to people living with HIV by sharing their diverse and compelling stories.

In addition to providing an opportunity to share personal experience, it also engages clients to address stigma and build community. Twenty-seven clients were guests in the first season and a 15-member client advisory committee provides guidance to the staff team. The professionally produced six-episode series is available online and wherever you find podcasts.

Caring for Our Clients

As an independent sub-acute hospital caring for people with HIV/AIDS and their complex health needs, Casey House has a holistic approach. The health care we provide is tailored, comprehensive and emphasizes harm reduction and quality of life.

Inpatient

14

private rooms

24

health care from physicians, nurses and social workers

sub-acute
care

for illness and infections, stabilization, respite, and palliative care

Day health

  • Outpatient goal-focused program for people at risk for, or experiencing, deteriorating health not requiring 24-hour care
  • Provides a combination of one-on-one and group clinical programs and services
  • Programming includes a lunch program, clinical groups, wellness activities, and social and recreational programming.
  • Access to inter-disciplinary clinicians, including: nurses, social workers, physiotherapist, registered massage therapists, recreational therapists
  • Clients range between 21 and 87 years old

Community Care and Outreach

  • In-home nursing, social work and case management for those not able to travel to Casey House to: manage symptoms, regain strength, prevent hospital stays or provide end of life care
  • Skilled HIV nurses at outreach clinics care for vulnerable people

Financial Highlights

Casey House Foundation Revenue Sources

Art with Heart
Individual Donations
Bequests
Other Fundraising Events
Foundations
Corporations
Third Party Fundraising
Investments

In 2019-20 Casey House Foundation granted $985,000 to Casey House in service of clients across a broad spectrum of programs.

For full financial statements, visit Accountability, accessibility and freedom of information

 

We provide clients with innovative comprehensive health care:

Inpatient
Programs

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Day Health
Programs

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Community
Care & Outreach

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Research and Education

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Basic operating costs are funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care.

Generous Donations
to Casey House Foundation

There is no cost to our clients for
Casey House’s services.

We provide clients with innovative comprehensive health care:

Inpatient Programs

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Day Health
Programs

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Community
Care and Outreach

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Research
and
Education

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There is no cost to our clients for Casey House’s services.

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Basic operating costs are funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Generous
Donations
to Casey House Foundation

Accomplishments

CARED FOR 

409

clients 

 who came for

13,530

visits

PROVIDED

4,214

days 

of inpatient care for

131

people

TOURED

almost

1,000

visitors

in our first year participating in Doors Open Toronto; heard great feedback about the building, the care we provide, and our display of memorial quilts.

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LAUNCHED

an innovative
peer support program

ASSEMBLED & DISTRIBUTED

29,362

free safer injection and inhalation kits to clients and members of the public, including

105,915

clean needles

HOSTED

Minister of Health and
Deputy Premier

Christine Elliot

who marched with Casey House in the Pride Toronto parade

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LISTED 

13th

amongst top 355 brands by Strategy ahead of TD, Tim Horton’s and Loblaw 

REMOUNTED

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June’s HIV+ Eatery as an annual fundraising event

BUILDING HONOURED WITH

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)

National
Urban Design
Award

BUILDING HONOURED WITH

Canadian Institute of Planners and Canadian Society of Landscape Architects’

Urban Architecture
Award of 
Excellence

FACILITY INCLUDED

in Azure magazine’s top 10 projects that defined a decade of Canadian architecture.

HOSTED

#smashstigma
campaign

resulted in 165 million media impressions

PRIMARY SITE

for an NIH-funded research study (which is not easy for a non-US organization!).

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FEATURED ON 
MacLean’s magazine list of

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100

CANADA’S

best charities  

 and

TOP 10

best health charities

LAUNCHED 

Positively Speaking Podcast

a podcast that gives a voice to people living with HIV/AIDS about issues like mental health, long-term survivorship, isolation and relationships

MENTORING 

5

Physio students

3

second year
Med students

INVOLVED IN

5

Peer reviewed
research publications 

PROVIDED CARE 

Donor funds allowed Casey House to admit and provide care for 4 clients who did not have OHIP coverage

SELECTED BY THE

Musical Therapy Association

to receive extremely discounted music therapy for clients in the day health program

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ACCESSED OVER 

$ 11,000

from our care and comfort fund to meet needs of clients who could not afford necessities in life, such as a mattress, a cell phone to remain connected with their community workers; and home cleaning for hoarding and bedbugs so they can move back into a safe and healthy space.

PARTICIPATED IN 

Creating and continue
to provide expertise for

Blue Door Clinic

HIV care for people with no health coverage in Ontario with partners such as Sherbourne Health, PWA, Regent Park Community Health Centre and the Hassle free clinic.

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RECEIVED

$ 100,000

generously donated  by

Mawer
Investment Management


the entire proceeds of their 4th annual Jamboree for Charity to Casey House Foundation

PILOTED

a community reinforcement approach program with St. Michael’s Hospital for individuals who want to address substance use by exploring engaging in other activities to redirect them from using

Transform lives and
health care through
compassion and social justice

Casey House

Unequivocal compassion

Informed, client-driven care

Deliberate inclusivity

Creative, mindful collaboration

Courageous advocacy

Responsive innovation

We rely on the generous donations of our supporters to enhance our health care programs and capital projects. 

Support
Casey House today

416-962-7600 |  119 Isabella Street, Toronto, ON  M4Y 1P2

Charitable Registration No. 10687 8374 RR0001

I would like to [take this opportunity to] acknowledge the work of Casey House and the important contribution you are making to improve the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS and reducing related stigma.

The Honourable
Patty Hajdu
Minister of Health

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