Kílala Lelum has the mandate to enact the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action in Health which includes establishing measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes for Indigenous peoples and to recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, First Nations, and off-reserve Aboriginal peoples. To this end, Kílala Lelum acknowledges its duty to participate in research that aims to promote health equity and Indigenous Peoples health and wellness. We are inclusive to all research ideas.
Do you have a project you would like to collaborate with us on?
Please see our Research Charter and Research Application Form below for more information or contact [email protected] for all inquiries.
Kilala Lelum Research Charter:
Kílala Lelum Research Application Form:
- Kílala Lelum acknowledges its mandate to participate in research that aims to promote health equity and promote Indigenous Peoples health and wellness.
- Research conducted at Kílala Lelum complies with the CIHR (2007[1]) ethical considerations for research involving Indigenous people in Canada, and Chapter 9 of the Tri-council Policy Statement on Research involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada (2010[2]).
- We have ethical principles that have been developed specific to research conducted in the Downtown EastSide as outlined in the Manifesto for Ethical Research in the Downtown Eastside[3]. Specifically, Kílala Lelum supports research that is informed by the following principles:
Equity: Research focused on addressing the differences in health status or access to health care that result from inequitable structural and social arrangements. Such research recognizes that Indigenous peoples in Canada have been disproportionately affected by health and social inequities, and that manifestations of these inequities may differ by gender, age, ability, community context, etc.
Action-oriented: Research that aims to generate knowledge that can be used to improve health, health care and health policies for Indigenous peoples and the Kílala Lelum client-population as a whole. Opportunities to capitalize on synergies across research projects should be sought, including opportunities for policy-oriented, social or political actions. Research should endeavor to strengthen relationships between governments, policymakers, other community agencies, funders and Kílala Lelum.
Participatory Approaches: Research that: (a) is conceptualized and designed in partnership with leaders at Kilala Lelum to ensure maximum relevancy, and/or (b) involves leaders, staff, advisory committees, members, or paid peer workers in aspects of the research. Activities to share and mobilize knowledge must be integrated throughout the research activities including, for example, engaging staff, members, and community advisory committees.
Capacity-Building: Research that contributes to research capacity at Kílala Lelum, for example, providing resources for research assistants, peer workers, or other staff; providing training and support to peer workers employed as research assistants; providing opportunities for client-groups, staff or Elders to orient and educate researchers, among other opportunities for multi-way capacity building.
Accountability: Research that integrates accountability mechanisms such as: the use of meaningful engagement of community-advisory committees to guide aspects of research; regular reporting of research activities and findings to Kílala Lelum and the client-population; meaningful knowledge translation activities. This also includes attention to strength-based representations of Indigenous peoples in all communication, reports and presentations. More specifically, any communications that pathologize or stigmatize Indigenous peoples, or that reflect a deficit approach, must be actively avoided. As noted above, knowledge translation and exchange activities must engage staff, patients, community advisory committees, and other groups as appropriate.
GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIVITIES
| Goals | Objectives | Activities |
| 1)Research conducted with Kílala Lelum reflects the needs of the DTES community and is conducted in accordance with the Principles of Research outlined in section 2. | 1. That all research conducted with Kílala Lelum be first approved by the Kílala Lelum Research Committee, and progress/challenges will be reviewed at quarterly committee meetings. | All parties interested in conducting research with Kílala Lelum will complete the pre-application checklist and request form (see appendix) and pay a non-refundable sliding scale administration processing fee. |
| 2) That the outcomes of research conducted at Kílala Lelum be appropriately cataloged and made accessible to the DTES community | 2. That all final outcomes of research be collected by the Kílala Lelum research committee and archived on the Kílala Lelum website. | Upon completion of the research process at Kílala Lelum a “final report” (in the form of a poster, manuscript or report) will be submitted to the Kílala Lelum Research Committee Coordinator and will be posted in the “research” section of the Kílala Lelum website, at the discretion of the research committee. Knowledge translation and exchange activities must be completed within a reasonable time frame. |
Current Research at Kilala Lelum Health and Wellness Cooperative:
- A National Evaluation of Safer Supply Pilot Programs in Canada
Principal Investigator: Dr. Dan Werb.
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. Mohammad Karamouzian, Eleanor Boyle & Carol Hopkins.
- Implementing iHEAL/Reclaiming Our Spirits (ROS) in Health Care Settings: Women’s Experiences and Outcomes.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Annette Browne.
Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Marilyn Ford-Gilboe and Dr. Kelly Scott-Storey.
Co-Investigators: Dr. Nadine Wathen, Dr. Victoria Smye, Dr. Tara Mantler, and Dr. Karen Campbell.
ROS Practice Consultant: Dr. Colleen Varcoe.
- Providing Insight into and Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Occurrence, Severity, Complications, and Long-Term Health Effects of Drug Overdoses in People Living With and Without HIV in British Columbia.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert. S. Hogg.
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. Rolando Barrios, Dr. Katherine Kooij, Dr. Viviane Dias Lima, Dr. Julio S.G. Montaner, Dr. David Moore, Dr. Surita Parashar, Dr. Kate Salters and Paul Sereda
Elder: Sandy
- Evaluation of British Columbia’s Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse Prescribing Initiative
Principle Investigators: Samantha Robinson RN MPH, Project Lead, Sarinn Blawatt PhD(c), Qualitative Researcher, Kaitlin Callegari MPH, Project Coordinator and Knowledge Translation, Huiru Dong PhD, Quantitative Researcher
- Partnering With Indigenous Elders (PIE) Study
Principle Investigator: David Tu
- Indigenous Peoples’ Positive Experiences with Culturally Safe Health Care
Principal Investigator: Dr. Esther Sangster-Gormley
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Jillian Harding, PhD Candidate
- Provincial Evaluation of Prescribed Safer Supply
Principle Investigators: Dr. Karen Urbanoski, Dr. Bernie Pauly, Dr. Bohdan Nosyk, Dr. Brittany Barker
- Learning What Matters: Care Planning with People Experiencing Inequities
Principle Investigator: Dr. Rose Hatala
Co-Principle and Co-Investigators: Barb Eddy, Wallace Robinson, Umilla Stead, Rachel Carter.
- BCC3 – Biological & Clinical Perspectives of Women & Children Living w/ HIV
Principal Investigator: Dr. Melanie Murray.
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. Helen Cote, Dr. Angela Kaida, Elder Valerie Nicholson, Dr. Neora Pick.
- PORTIA (Program Outcomes Research on Treatment with Injectables for Addiction)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes.
- CARE: Community, Aboriginal, Relationships, Experiences. A qualitative study of patient and provider perspectives on overcoming barriers to HIV and retention.
Principal Investigator: Dr. David Moore and Dr. Kate Salters.
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. Valerie Nichsolson, Dr. Rolando Barrios, Dr. Karin, Dr. Goodison, Dr. Brittany, Dr. Bingham, Dr. Rakel Kling, Dr. Robert Hogg, Dr. Dee Hoyano, Dr. Meaghan Thumath.
Dr. Surita Parashar, Dr. Katherine Lepik, Dr. Aamir Bharmal, Dr. Mathew Moher.
- Per-SVR: Towards the Development of a Treatment as Prevention for HCV Strategy in BC.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Julio Montaner and Dr. Kate Salters.
- Is Safe Supply Negatively Impacting Youth in Our Community? A Qualitative Analysis of Youth’s Understanding of and Attitudes Towards “dilly8’s”
Principal Investigator: Dr. Emily Green
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. David Tu and Mathew Fleury
14. The STOP HIV/AIDS Program Evaluation (SHAPE) Study 2.0
Principal Investigators: Dr. Rolando Barrios, Dr. David Moore, and Dr. Kate Salters.
Co-Principal and Co-Investigators: Dr. Robert Hogg, Dr. Viviane Dias Lima, Dr. Surita Parashar, Dr. Julio Montaner, Dr. Junine Toy, Mr. Rakel Kling, Dr. Maulik Baxi, Mr. Scott Emerson, Ms. Robin Yates, Dr. Meaghan Thumath and Dr. Matthew Moher.