Research Studies
Black Creek Community Health Centre is committed to engaging in research geared at generating knowledge, community capacity and advocacy for overcoming health disparities and improving health outcomes.
We promote community-based participatory research as a way to empower residents to become agents of change in their own communities.
Over the years, we have had the pleasure to collaborate with researchers, local organizations and community members on research issues that are important to the health and wellbeing of our community.
Interested in doing research with Black Creek Community Health Centre?
Please visit our Research Activities page to view our Research Policy and Approval process.
2011:
A research project in partnership with York University, City of Toronto Parks and Recreation and Black Creek Community Health Centre. This project used “photovoice”, a technique were members of the community can tell their stories and experience using photography and creative writing. . Participants were able to share how things in the community affect their sexual decisions.
2012:
This research project was conducted by the Research Committee of the Mental Health Network (NWCMHN) through a grant from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
2014:
A review of the history and existing practices of mental health / consumer survivor advocacy. This review was a part of the “Health Equity Action Group” (formerly called “Advocacy for Change”), a resident-led consumer survivor advisory group focused on improving local services and supports for people living with mental health challenges.
2015:
A Report and Executive Summary produced as a Jane-Finch led response to the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 (TSNS). The goal of the project was to define what “improvement” should look like, from the perspective of community residents, along the City’s key indicators of Healthy Lives, Economic Opportunities and Social Development.
Clients with Type 2 Diabetes were provided with support for managing their conditions from Health Coaches, trained by York University and the use of innovative smart-phone software that helped them track their eating habits, exercise, mood and blood sugars. This project was part of a 3-year funded initiative from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario (FEDDev) as part of the Connected Health and Wellness Project: http://www.chwp.org/
2016:
Fighting for Food Justice in the Black Creek Community: Report, Analyses and Steps Forward: Summary
The Black Creek Food Justice Network recently released the report “Fighting for Food Justice in the Black Creek Community: Report, Analyses and Steps Forward.” This report was generated through resident led community-based research processes, which sought to respect and highlight the voices of Jane-Finch residents on food justice in the Black Creek Community. Residents shared their time, perspectives, lived experiences and wisdom on difficult topics, including poverty, racism, migration, policing, and mental health. The purpose of this report is to start conversations, to be shared widely, and to further food justice work in its many forms, benefiting the people most impacted by the inequities in the food system. Thus, we ask that anyone who uses this report do so in a way that honors this process, the residents who participated, and the Jane-Finch community. In that spirit, if you use this report to apply for grants or for academic purposes, please consider how you can use the report to further food justice work, mobilizing your resources to work towards our demands. If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to contact us, please email us at blackcreekfoodjustice@gmail.com.