[Resource] What is social prescribing and Conceptualizing and Implementing Social Prescribing Programs

Social prescribing is a healthcare approach where professionals refer patients to non-clinical services like exercise, art, or community activities to improve well-being.

About this Report This report presents the perspectives gathered from the Social Prescribing Community of Practice located on Vancouver Island. The aim in presenting these perspectives is to assist with the effective implementation and evaluation of social prescribing in our health region and beyond. By consolidating knowledge and experiences from various stakeholders, this report seeks to enhance the capacity of health and social care providers in leveraging social prescribing as a tool for health promotion and disease prevention. It also aims to provide strategies for overcoming barriers, ensuring uptake, engagement, and adherence, and customizing social prescribing to fit local contexts. The insights, recommendations, and strategies outlined in this report are the result of numerous involving healthcare professionals, community leaders, social workers, and other relevant stakeholders from across Vancouver Island. These conversations provided a platform for sharing experiences, best practices, and challenges associated with social prescribing. The report encapsulates this wealth of shared knowledge and provides a coherent and practical roadmap for strengthening social prescribing initiatives in various settings and among diverse populations. By presenting a synthesis of these discussions, this report holds the promise of informing future practice, encouraging the further integration of social prescribing into healthcare strategies, and fostering healthier communities. About the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health The Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health (CASCH) is an inter-institutional, community-academic alliance of researchers and practitioners committed to addressing loneliness and social isolation through our three pillars: (1) Research and Evaluation; (2) Policy and Program Design; and (3) Knowledge Mobilization. About the Social Prescribing on Vancouver Island Community of Practice The Social Prescribing on Vancouver Island Community of Practice is a community-academic partnership supported through collaborations between Island Health, the Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics, and Society (PIPPS), and the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health (CASCH). The community includes dozens of members from multiple disciplines and includes healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, and other community service practitioners.

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