Simon Hatcher

Dr. Hatcher is interested in exploring how the intersection between care, teaching, and research can provide better experiences to those living on what some might consider the margins of society. His research interests focus on the social determinants of health and how they affect individuals from disenfranchised backgrounds, those who are part of vulnerable populations, and other often-excluded members in the fabric of our society. The national, regional, and local systems we've put in place to assist our most at-risk community members can sometimes further perpetuate or worsen trauma that these individuals have experienced. His work gives a voice and meaning to people who are suffering from mental health disorders.

1. Improving Transitions From Hospital For People Who Are Homeless Or Vulnerably Housed: People experiencing homelessness attend hospital emergency departments five times more often than those who are not homeless, are admitted to hospital three times as often, and stay three times longer. This creates poorer health outcomes and leads to illness, substance use, and even death. Understanding the experiences of people who are unhoused or unstably housed and healthcare workers providing services to these individuals is key to designing service improvements that may improve outcomes for this population. This study aims to gather information about these experiences by interviewing three key interest groups about how to improve transitions from hospital. Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with people who:

   1. Are currently or who have lived experience with homelessness;
   2. Are healthcare providers (e.g. clinicians, peer support workers) who provide care to people experiencing homelessness;
   3. Are in formal and informal leadership positions within the healthcare community.

   From these interviews, we hope to be able to create a comprehensive picture of the problem, current barriers and facilitators, the needs to be met, and to describe potential solutions to the issue.
    

2. Public safety personnel (PSP) suicide: PSP face mental health challenges related to repeated exposure to potentially traumatic events, which can increase their risk of suicide. These PSP groups include first responders (firefighters, paramedics, police, etc.) and other public safety personnel (border services, correctional workers, public safety communicators, etc.). This project has four parts which build on one another to evaluate the risk of suicide and suicidal behaviours among PSP as well as provide possible solutions and methods of implementing these solutions:

   1. A systematic review that will help identify risk factors for suicide and suicidal behaviour among PSP and subgroups among PSP who may be at greater risk;
   2. A realist review that examines the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes unique to the environments and types of work being done by PSP;
   3. A systems dynamic model which will assess the effectiveness of interventions for suicidal behaviour and components of these interventions among PSP;
   4. A response guide to inform how resources and strategies should be developed and mobilized to best support PSP.

    

3. Climate Change: A combination of extreme temperatures and the worsening toxic drug crisis in Canada has created a dangerous situation for people who use drugs and who are experiencing homelessness. People who use substances compound the dangers of the already-significant hazards to their health from using drugs and the risks associated with sleeping outdoors or in shelters. During episodes of extreme temperature and weather, these individuals must rely on respite centres (cooling and warming centres) and other means to escape sweltering or freezing temperatures while trying to balance their drug addictions. The potential dangers of fatal or non-fatal overdoses for people experiencing homelessness may worsen not only during episodic extreme temperature events but also during the ever-warmer Canadian summers and winters. This project has two parts:

   1. Interviews with people who are homeless and use substances during extreme temperatures as well as interviews with leaders/staff at community organizations which provide services to people experiencing homelessness and substance use during extreme weather;
   2. A chart review looking at the changes in demographics of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses as a function of seasonal temperature changes among a population of people experiencing homelessness.

    

4. Transitions From Incarceration: Individuals released from incarceration face many difficulties finding and maintaining housing for a variety of reasons. Community housing services can bridge the gap during this transition phase but additional barriers exist for people using drugs and for those who used drugs prior to their incarceration. These groups face additional challenges, as those with a history of substance use or who are currently using substances often require additional supports in order to acquire or maintain housing. This is a quality improvement study which explores the experiences individuals face when seeking housing after being released from provincial incarceration. It has three parts:
   1. Interviews of people with lived experience to understand their needs, which will inform the co-design of an intervention that will improve the transition process from incarceration to other housing;
   2. Involving people with lived experience in co-designing an intervention to improve the transition process. Researchers, experts, and the broader community will also be involved in the co-design process;
   3. Implementing the co-designed trial and evaluating outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, etc.