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The META:PHI conference brings together people from across Ontario for two days of collaborative learning and discussion about health care for people who use substances. Please plan to join us on April 4-5, 2025!

April 4-5, 2025

META:PHI is a provincial initiative to support health care providers working with people who use substances through education, mentorship, advocacy, and clinical tools. Our annual conference is one of the highlights of our year, as it presents an opportunity for members of our community across the province and beyond to come together and learn from each other. The theme of this year’s conference is Substance use health is community health.

This year’s conference sessions will be delivered virtually, with two days of interactive learning for clinicians, community workers, administrators, researchers, learners, community members, and advocates. To bring an in-person element to the virtual conference this year, we’re excited to announce that there will be social hubs held in Hamilton, London, Peterborough, and Toronto; if you'd like to attend a virtual hub, please visit the hub sign-up page after you've registered for the conference!


Agenda

All Sessions

time icon4 April, 2025 08:30 am to
10:00 am

Welcome and Opening Keynote

1. Welcome and Introduction

Presented by Jennifer Wyman

2. Opening Keynote: TBD

time icon4 April, 2025 10:15 am to
11:15 am

Session 1A: Managing Opioid Withdrawal in the Emergency Department

Presented by Tali Magboo Cahill and Justin Koh

Learning objectives:

  • -Understand how to recognize and monitor opioid withdrawal in the ED
    -Develop approach to treating opioid withdrawal using short-acting opioids
    -Identify patients who require additional treatments, opioid agonist therapy, and/or outpatient follow-up
time icon4 April, 2025 10:15 am to
11:15 am

Session 1B: The Substance Use Health Initiative: Enhancing Hospital Care for Youth with Substance Use

Presented by Karen Leslie, Trish Tulloch, and Lauren Morris

Learning objectives:

-Describe a hospital-based approach to enhancing care for patients with substance use and substance use disorders.
-Identify challenges with and strategies for introducing new clinical practices to health professionals in various clinical settings within a hospital.
-Discuss how some of these strategies might be applied in their own practice settings.

time icon4 April, 2025 10:15 am to
11:15 am

Session 1C: Research Snapshots

a) What Matters Most When Visiting a Rapid Access Addictions Medicine (RAAM) Clinic in Canada: A National eDelphi Study Amongst People Living with an Alcohol Use Problem
Presented by Mackenzie Dowson
b) A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Characteristics and Perspectives of Patients Utilizing the Virtual Health Addictions Care In-Reach Model
Presented by Sarah Mark and Inderpal Dosanjh
c) Youth-Centered Buprenorphine Induction in the Emergency Department: A Critical Scoping Review
Presented by Erin Grennell

time icon4 April, 2025 11:30 am to
12:30 pm

Session 2A: Buprenorphine XR: Alternative Induction Strategies for Challenging Cases in the Age of Fentanyl

Presented by Monique Moller, Tianna Costa, and Jessica Munro

Learning objectives:

-Understand key pharmacological parameters of (partial) opioid agonists and how to leverage these in treatment decision making.
-Review standard and off-label options for starting the buprenorphine extended-release (BUP-XR) injection.
-Apply novel strategies to start BUP-XR in clients using fentanyl.

time icon4 April, 2025 11:30 am to
12:30 pm

Session 2B: Involuntary Treatment Legislation in Ontario and Substance Use Disorders: Fit for Purpose?

Presented by Angie Hamilton and Valerie Primeau

Learning objectives:

-Understand the current involuntary treatment legislation in Ontario in the context of SUDs.
-Discuss shortcomings of the legislation, as drafted or applied, from the perspective of families/psychiatrists/physicians.
-Discuss recent approaches in other Canadian jurisdictions.

time icon4 April, 2025 11:30 am to
12:30 pm

Session 2C: Snapshots from BC

a) Exploring Motivations: Lived Experiences of Stimulant Safe Supply and Homelessness in British Columbia
Presented by Audi Lewis and Caytelyn Koelewyn
b) Early Impacts of British Columbia’s Drug Decriminalization Policy on Harm Reduction Site Operations: Findings from a Provincial Survey
Presented by Farihah Ali
c) The Impact of Decriminalization of Personal Possession of Illegal Drugs on Drug Poisonings in British Columbia, Canada (2015-2023)
Presented by Sameer Imtiaz

time icon4 April, 2025 01:30 pm to
03:30 pm

Workshop 1: Basics of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for the Addiction Medicine Clinic

Presented by Wiplove Lamba, Tim Guimond, Edwin Wey, Christine Vogt, and Perri Deacon

Learning objectives:

-Describe the key components of dialectical behavior therapy.
-Engage in a discussion on how to implement these skills in day-to-day substance use health care.
-Practice psychoeducation and/or a behavior chain analysis with feedback from colleagues.

time icon4 April, 2025 01:30 pm to
03:30 pm

Workshop 2: The Moss Park Model: Community-Driven Integrated Care with People who use Drugs

Presented by Sarah Greig and Erin Telegdi

Learning objectives:

-Describe the Moss Park Model and how it is different from the medical model approach.
-Identify examples of relational practice to support community-driven integrated care.
-Reflect on how to apply aspects of community-driven integrated care into their own work/practice.

time icon4 April, 2025 03:45 pm to
04:45 pm

Session 3A: Management of Acute and Subacute Alcohol Withdrawal in RAAM Clinic Settings

Presented by Meldon Kahan

time icon4 April, 2025 03:45 pm to
04:45 pm

Session 3B: Care Snapshots

a) BIRCH: Developing a Virtual Hub for Substance Use Treatment Programming within First Nations Communities
Presented by Kate Turner
b) Nurse Prescribing of Buprenorphine
Presented by Katie Dunham
c) Substance Use Health Competencies for All Prescribers
Presented by Miguel Andres Hernandez-Basurto

time icon4 April, 2025 03:45 pm to
04:45 pm

Session 3C:

Presented by Dan Werb

time icon5 April, 2025 08:30 am to
09:30 am

Session 4A: Engaging in Substance Use Healthcare During Pregnancy: If Rapport is a Two-Way Street, Can Clinicians and Patients Meet in the Middle of the Road Without Getting Run Over?

Presented by Adam Newman and Charlotte Munro

Learning objectives:

-Understand the stigmata inflicted on pregnant people with a substance use history in the obstetrical care system.
-Consider the importance of establishing a therapeutic alliance in order to provide and receive optimal care.
-Reflect on ways to prevent providers' preconceptions from interacting with patients' lived experience of trauma in order to avoid barriers to effective care.

time icon5 April, 2025 08:30 am to
09:30 am

Session 4B: Navigating Cannabis Use in Addiction Medicine Practices within a Legalized Era

Presented by Melissa Snider-Adler

Learning objectives:

  1. -Examine the recent data of cannabis use 6 years post-legalization. 

  2. -Demonstrate an understanding of the literature pertaining to cannabis for medical purposes and use within Addiction Medicine treatment.

  3. -Assess mental health risks patients encounter with the use and misuse of cannabis.

  4. -Identify tools to aid discussions with patients including types of cannabis, routes of administration and amount of cannabis used.

time icon5 April, 2025 08:30 am to
09:30 am

Session 4C: Pearls and Pitfalls of Virtual RAAM Care: Practical Tips from Real-World Stories

Presented by Jason Perfect, Sydney DeGuzman, and Katie Dunham

Learning objectives:

  1. -Understand the expansion and impact of virtual care provision in substance-based care since COVID-19.

  2. -Identify Stonehenge Therapeutic Community as a rapidly growing community-based agency offering both in-person and virtual RAAM services.

  3. -Identify challenge and successes of integrating peer support, counselling, and nurse practitioners into a virtual RAAM setting.

  4. -Understand our approach to managing unique aspects to digital substance-based care including confidentiality, safety, reporting, prescribing, and documentation.

time icon5 April, 2025 09:45 am to
10:45 am

Session 5A: New Guidelines for Methadone Prescribing

Presented by Jennifer Wyman and Andrew McLeod

time icon5 April, 2025 09:45 am to
10:45 am

Session 5B: Engaging Your Hospital in Substance Use Health Care: Beyond the Addictions Medicine Consult Service

Presented by Kim Corace and Tali Magboo Cahill

Learning objectives:

-Apply the principles of community engagement to support culture change at your hospital.
-Identify barriers to providing quality substance use health care and strategies to overcome them.
-Create opportunities to incorporate substance use health care into existing hospital initiatives.

time icon5 April, 2025 09:45 am to
10:45 am

Session 5C: Slow-Release Oral Morphine as Opioid Agonist Therapy in the Fentanyl Era: A Qualitative Study of Client Experiences

Presented by Pamela Leece and Ashley Smoke

Learning objectives:

-Describe the sample of people interviewed about SROM, including the various patterns of prescribing SROM as monotherapy or combination therapy.
-Summarize qualitative themes about the experience of treatment with SROM, including medication effects, clinic and pharmacy practices, and other perspectives of SROM use in care for opioid use disorder.
-Discuss implications of these preliminary findings for clinical and policy changes to promote retention in OAT care.

time icon5 April, 2025 11:00 am to
12:30 pm

Panel Discussion: Enhancing Health Outcomes Through Connection: Peer Support and The Neighbourhood Group

Facilitated by Jean-Paul Michael

Presenters: Florencia Leston, Andre Nash, Nerissa Maclean

time icon5 April, 2025 01:30 pm to
02:30 pm

Session 6A: Opioid Use Disorder in the Inpatient Setting: 5 Common Conundrums

Presented by Sarah Whynot and Jennifer Ng

Learning objectives:

-Outline practical approaches to manage Opioid Agonist Therapy in hospitalized patients with acute illness
-Describe an approach to multimodal analgesia for patients with Opioid Use Disorder experiencing acute pain
-Understand challenges people who use drugs face when admitted to hospital and describe opportunities to promote high-quality, patient-centred inpatient care

time icon5 April, 2025 01:30 pm to
02:30 pm

Session 6B: Substance Use and Brain Injury: What You May Be Missing and What to Do About It

Presented by Wiplove Lamba and Carolyn Lemsky

Learning objectives:

-Understand and appreciate the value of training addictions providers to recognize neurocognitive impairments.
-Identify recommendations for accommodating the impact of brain injury in ongoing programming, especially the addiction medicine context
-Describe resources for staff training and program development.
-Engage in a discussion on adaptations that will allow them to implement suggestions locally  

time icon5 April, 2025 01:30 pm to
02:30 pm

Session 6C: Evaluation of the Impact of Peer Support in the Substance Use Service at Women’s College Hospital

Presented by Pamela Leece, Walker Akhlaghi, and Susan Dobson

Learning objectives:

-Describe the mixed-methods design to evaluate the Peer Support Program in the Substance Use Service, informed by peers and community partners.
-Summarize initial evaluation findings from clinical administrative data and clinician perspectives, as well as service user and medical learner data in progress.
-Discuss implications of the evaluation for understanding and strengthening peer support available to people seeking care for substance use.

time icon5 April, 2025 02:45 pm to
03:45 pm

Closing Keynote: Creating Your Own Community Strategy to Address the Drug Poisoning Crisis

Presented by Esther Tailfeathers

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this conference for?

The META:PHI Conference is for anyone who is interested in improving the quality of care for people who use substances. Our audience is usually a mix of nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners, peer support workers, counsellors, administrators, pharmacists, researchers, and other people who care about issues related to substance use and addiction. While META:PHI is based in Ontario, we welcome participants from across Canada and beyond! You can view previous META:PHI conference presentations on our Conferences page at https://www.metaphi.ca/events/conferences.

Is there a conference code of conduct?

META:PHI is dedicated to providing a respectful and collaborative conference experience for all participants. The conference code of conduct is intended to support an environment for learning and sharing. By attending the META:PHI conference, you agree to abide by the following guidelines:
  1. Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. All attendees should communicate with respect and consideration for others and differing perspectives.
  2. META:PHI does not tolerate harassment in any form. Harassment is understood as any behaviour that threatens another person or group or produces an unsafe environment, including intimidation and disruption of talks or other events.
  3. The use of discriminatory language or behavior based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or any other characteristic will not be tolerated.
We encourage attendees to bring a spirit of curiosity and open-mindedness for what will surely be two days full of collaboration and learning.

Is there financial aid for the conference?

A limited number of bursaries are available for individuals who would benefit from financial assistance to attend the conference. To apply for financial assistance, please fill out the bursary application form by March 14. Applicants will be notified the week of March 17 and can register for the conference at that time.

What should I do if I have technical difficulties during the conference?

There will be technical support available during the conference. If you’re having any technical difficulties, look for the Help Desk counter in the main lobby of the virtual platform, and a representative will be able to help you.

How do I sign up to attend a hub?

Once you have registered for the conference (click the "Register Now" button above), please visit the hub sign-up page if you are interested in attending a virtual hub in Hamilton, London, Peterborough, or Toronto. Hub sign-up will be available until February 28.

Will the presentations be available after the conference?

Yes! All the presentations that we have received permission to share will be posted on our website after the event. We will send out an announcement when the presentations are available.

Will the conference be accredited?

We will post accreditation information as soon as it’s available.