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On June 26 and 27, the BC Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) had the privilege of attending the CAT (Community Action Teams) Convening 2025, hosted by Community Action Initiative (CAI), a nonprofit organization transforming mental health and substance use (MHSU) support across British Columbia.

As connectors between grassroots organizations and government, CAI plays a critical role in supporting locally led initiatives and aligning them with broader provincial strategies. BCHPCA was proud to participate and reflect on how our work in grief, bereavement, and hospice-based services contributes to this shared vision of community wellness.

Key Takeaways and Connections to Our Work

1. Expanding the Conversation Beyond the Drug Crisis

While the convening's initial focus was on the toxic drug crisis, discussions increasingly emphasized a broader understanding of substance use, particularly in northern, rural, and Indigenous communities. This shift, backed by the Ministry of Health and local health authorities, resonates with our approach to grief and bereavement: understanding local contexts, meeting people where they are, and supporting holistic, culturally aligned care.

2. Building Strong Relational Foundations

It became clear that community trust and facilitation are crucial for sustainable impact. The example of Nanaimo's local facilitator model, designed to convene community dialogue and chart a new direction, echoes our own interest in supporting hospices as local hubs for healing. As BCHPCA continues to explore collective impact models, we find alignment with efforts to empower local leadership in addressing community grief and loss.

3. Collective Impact as a Framework for Change

One presentation that stood out was on Collective Impact, a model in which community members, organizations, and institutions work together to achieve systems-level change. The work of the Cowichan Community Action Team, shared by Mayor Michelle Staples of Duncan, demonstrated how partnership and coordination can lead to meaningful outcomes. This mirrors our ongoing collaborations within the Grief and Bereavement Funding Strategy Working Group, where we strive to support and amplify locally relevant grief supports.

4. Engaging Communities with Purpose

A session on Community Engagement, supported by Yulu Impact Consultants, introduced a flexible toolkit to help raise awareness, reduce stigma, and tailor communications to community needs. BCHPCA sees communication not just as outreach, but as a means to inspire compassion and normalize conversations around grief, loss, and support.

5. The Data Behind the Crisis

The update from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) highlighted current trends in drug poisoning events and deaths. While data suggests a decline, it’s important to recognize this may be due to tragic factors, including high death tolls and underreporting. Of particular concern is the disproportionate impact on First Nations communities, with 2024 data showing First Nations people dying at 6.7 times the rate of other BC residents. BCHPCA is committed to ensuring that data-informed service planning remains sensitive to these disparities and supports equity across the province.

6. Understanding the Cost of Substance Use

A powerful presentation by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction emphasized the economic and social burden of substance use in Canada—estimated at $49.1 billion in 2020, largely from productivity losses and healthcare costs. BCHPCA believes that strengthening grief and bereavement services not only promotes healing but also alleviates pressure on other parts of the system, particularly healthcare and mental health services.

7. Youth Grief and Healing: Voices from the Field

A moving panel, “What Support Really Looks Like: Youth Grief and Healing,” revealed deep gaps in grief support for youth. Long waitlists, inconsistent age cutoffs, stigma, and a lack of immediate, accessible care all create barriers. Panelists called for partnerships with culturally competent organizations, drop-in counselling models, and greater attention to the wellness of care providers themselves—themes that align closely with our advocacy for funding, training, and community-rooted services.

Next Steps: Sharing Learnings and Strengthening Community Support

BCHPCA’s participation in CAT Convening 2025 was driven by a commitment to learning from diverse community initiatives and bringing valuable insights back to our hospice societies. Our goal is to ensure that hospice-based grief and bereavement services are connected to broader efforts addressing substance use, mental wellness, and community healing. As we move forward, we are focused on:

• Sharing Key Learnings with Hospice Societies
• Developing Tools for Community Engagement
• Fostering Partnerships for Education and Capacity Building
• Encouraging Dialogue with Hospice Societies

Moving Forward Together

The CAT Convening 2025 reaffirmed the vital need for collaboration across sectors to ensure that grief, substance use, and mental wellness are addressed not in silos, but as interconnected parts of a healthy community. We see strong alignment between the work of CAI, the Ministry of Health, Indigenous organizations, and local CATs with our mission to support hospice-led grief and bereavement services across British Columbia.

As we continue to expand our collective impact and develop sustainable funding strategies, we thank CAI and all the community members, presenters, partners, and organizers who made this convening a space for learning, reflection, and connection. We are honored to contribute to the conversation and look forward to deepening our partnerships to ensure that no one faces grief alone.

Daniel Ordonez Mantilla
BCHPCA Data & Research Coordinator

The BCCPC is pleased to announce the release of a key deliverable from their ongoing Quality Outcomes in Palliative Care project. 

“Essential Outcomes of Palliative Care in BC”, a checklist of nine (9) quality outcomes agreed upon by a wide-ranging province-wide advisory panel, including strong representation from people with lived experience. In addition to the nine outcomes, the report includes validated, reliable tools for measuring these consensus-driven outcomes. 

These Essential Outcomes mark an important step toward standardized, reportable palliative care outcomes for people in BC.

Full Report

2-page Summary

Key themes
The nine Essential Outcomes transcend care settings – whether the person is receiving care at home, in hospital, or with a hospice. The outcomes are grouped to address four key themes: 

• What a person experiences
• How a person and family are cared for
• What a person and family know and share
• How a person gets the care they need. 

Collective voices for an identified need
The project was initiated in response to Health Canada’s Framework on Palliative Care in Canada, which identified developing and standardizing person- and family-reported outcomes and experience measures as one of its four priorities for action. In 2024, BCCPC convened an advisory panel to develop recommendations for measuring palliative care outcomes in BC. 

This collaborative panel was drawn from the BC health system, hospice sector, Family Caregivers of BC, other key community organizations, and most importantly people with lived experience, who made up over 40% of the participants and played a critical role in shaping the outcomes.

The work continues
BCCPC’s work in this field will continue – they are now exploring opportunities to move forward with standardized reporting of palliative care outcomes in BC across settings, including Long Term Care homes.

Over 70 hospice societies across British Columbia deliver grief and bereavement services that reach more than 120,000 people each year, yet most operate without stable, designated funding. National data shows that 1 in 3 Canadians are navigating significant grief without adequate support, and BC hospices are seeing rising demand, longer waitlists, and growing complexity in the needs of those they serve. In response, BCHPCA has convened a provincial working group to develop a unified funding proposal to government, one that reflects the urgency, value, and community impact of these essential services.

On May 27, our first working group meeting brought together hospice leaders, providers and volunteers from across the province for a powerful discussion about the realities, gaps in funding, and shared priorities. Together, we began building the foundation for a unified provincial ask rooted in the voices and expertise of local communities.

Next Steps:

• The group meets again in late June 2025, expanding the conversation to explore regional delivery models and funding strategies.
• A shared drive of resources, research, and policy alignment has been created to support collaborative work.
• Regular updates will be shared with members, board representatives, and partners throughout the process.

This work is not just about funding, it’s about ensuring the services hospices deliver in community like grief and bereavement supports are seen as core health and mental health services, not charitable add-ons.

Thank you to all the hospice societies participating in this important work. Your leadership is helping shape a more equitable and sustainable future for grief care in BC.

Want to stay in the loop, provide feedback or learn more? Contact daniel.mantilla@bchpca.org or pablita.thomas@bchpca.org

This year, BCHPCA has been focusing on integrating key elements, including evidence, voices, strategy, and heart.

As we prepare to present our first-ever provincial business case for hospice societies and funding ask, I’ve found myself sitting with a deeper truth. One that has emerged not just from the numbers and reports, but from listening, really listening, to hospice providers, volunteers, and the people they walk alongside.

And that truth is this:

The Grief that hospice societies support is not just about death. It’s about the loss of meaning.

When someone loses the person they have shared a home with for years, a relationship, a sense of belonging, or a vision for the future, they are grieving. When that grief is unsupported or unacknowledged, it doesn’t fade away, it festers. It can lead to despair, disconnection, and sometimes harm.

What hospice societies do, quietly, consistently, and often without recognition, is help people rebuild meaning. They create spaces where grief is named, where stories are held, and where life can be reoriented.

"When a caregiver loses the partner they’ve spent decades supporting, the absence of daily purpose can be devastating. Hospice societies quietly step in, holding space for grief, honoring stories, and helping people rebuild meaning in a life forever changed."
- Health care provider in community

That’s not merely a “nice to have.” It represents public health infrastructure, mental health care, and prevention!

I wanted to share a reflection that was brought forward at the Budget 2026 consultations this month. It’s not a formal pitch. It’s a reminder of what’s at stake and what’s possible when we choose to invest in care that's relational, responsive, rooted in community, and, yes, evidence-informed.

“The Absence of Meaning is a Public Health Issue”

When people experience grief, trauma, or chronic disenfranchisement without support, they lose their sense of meaning and purpose….

In today’s world, people aren’t just struggling with symptoms, they’re struggling with meaning. When someone loses a partner, a job, a home, a community, or even a vision of the future, what they’re grieving is not just the event. They’re grieving the loss of who they are and why they matter.

And when that grief is unsupported, unspoken, or unseen, it doesn’t disappear, it festers. It shows up in depression, substance use, suicide, isolation, chronic illness, and even disengagement from work, education, or community life.

That’s why I’m saying: The absence of meaning is a public health issue. It’s what underlies so many of our crises, mental health, toxic drug deaths, aging in isolation, and youth despair.

“Grief-Responsive Care IS System Transformation”

Hospice societies are not only about end-of-life. They are anchors of meaning-making. They help people:

• make sense of what they’re going through,
• reconnect with identity,
• build resilience, and
• take the next step forward, whatever that may be.

This is what grief-responsive care looks like. It is non-clinical, often volunteer-driven, and embedded directly in community. It reaches people where they are, and often prevents their need to enter the formal mental healthcare system.

And that’s what makes it system-transforming. It reduces crisis interventions, delays deterioration, and brings relief to an overwhelmed health system at a fraction of current healthcare costs.

If we fund grief-responsive, meaning-restoring supports, such as those delivered by BC’s 70+ hospice societies, we are not just being compassionate; we are being fiscally responsible.

We are investing in the emotional infrastructure of this province.

We are addressing mental health/mental wellness at its roots, not at the ER doors.

Your Perspective - Grief, Meaning, and Why It Matters Now

Donor habits are shifting — and not just in how much people give, but in how they give. With rising economic uncertainty, many donors are giving differently, or not at all. For charities and non-profits, including hospice societies, this is a signal to rethink traditional fundraising models.

BCHPCA recently completed a 10-year CRA analysis comparing government funding to other sources like donations. Between 2018 and 2023, donations to hospice societies declined by as much as 16% year-over-year. This ongoing drop highlights an urgent need to explore new, more resilient ways to generate funding.

In response, BCHPCA is exploring innovative fundraising models to better support hospice societies. Emerging trends include:

• Reducing large-scale in-person events that carry high costs
• Expanding low-barrier options such as raffle ticket, 50/50, etc. sales
• Exploring partnerships with builders, contractors to launch home lotteries, a model that has gained popularity and proven success in other sectors

Why home lotteries? Research shows that during economic downturns, people are more inclined to purchase lottery tickets. Home lotteries, in particular, offer wide appeal and strong returns when done strategically — especially because they provide the chance to win a tangible, life-changing item that people can dream about and invest hope in.

As we adapt to this changing landscape, BCHPCA remains committed to supporting our members with tools, partnerships, and shared learning. Have you explored new fundraising approaches? We’d love to hear from you.

Resource you might find helpful

On June 16, 2025, our Executive Director, Pablita Thomas, represented the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) at the 2026 Budget Consultation in Victoria. Speaking directly to members of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, Pablita delivered a powerful message: hospice societies are delivering critical health and mental health services across BC, but they are under-recognized and under-resourced.

Pablita’s presentation called on the provincial government to take bold, necessary action in three key areas:

1. Make End-of-Life Care a Provincial Priority
   She emphasized the need for a renewed, equity-informed end-of-life care strategy—one that includes community hospice societies as true partners in delivering care across urban, rural, and Indigenous communities.
   
   
2. Recognize Grief and Bereavement as Public Health Priorities
   Grief affects every part of our society, from those mourning the loss of loved ones to those grieving due to trauma, addiction, and social disruption. Yet grief remains largely unsupported in the public system. Pablita called for grief-informed approaches to be embedded across ministries and service models.
   
   
3. Stabilize Hospice Societies Across BC
   Despite reaching more than 120,000 people annually, most hospice societies operate without sustainable core funding. BCHPCA is recommending a modest $3.3M annual investment to stabilize existing services, a move projected to protect $145M in health system costs.

BCHPCA Budget 2026 Recommendation

We ask that MLAs and ministries:

• Recognize hospice societies as essential health and mental health partners
• Champion core operational funding of $3.3 million in Budget 2026
• Prioritize grief and bereavement and invest in low-cost, high-value services rooted in compassionate, community-based care

Pablita closed by reminding committee members that grief, dying, caregiving, and loss are universal experiences. They are not partisan issues—they are public health priorities. She urged government to recognize and invest in the compassionate, community-rooted work already being done by hospice societies across BC.

We are proud to have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of our members and the communities they serve. Stay tuned for updates as we continue advocating for meaningful investment and recognition of hospice palliative care across British Columbia.

BCHPCA 2026 Budget Estimates - Poster

Douglas College, in collaboration with the BC Hospice and Palliative Care Association, is preparing to launch an innovative education initiative aimed at supporting healthcare professionals who care for patients approaching the end-of-life. This program will emphasize the development of practical skills and emotional resilience through End-of-Life Doula training. Our goal is to equip workers in long-term care and other settings to provide compassionate, culturally responsive, and comprehensive support.

As we shape this initiative, we are actively seeking input from healthcare professionals throughout BC. Your firsthand experiences are crucial in ensuring that the training addresses the realities of your daily work such as navigating grief, managing stress, and addressing the emotional complexities inherent in end-of-life care in ways that are both meaningful and relevant. This initiative will complement Douglas College’s existing suite of End-of-Life Studies programming.

We invite you to contribute to this vital endeavor. Your insights will directly influence the delivery of training and the prioritization of support. Together, we can develop resources that enhance the quality of patient care and promote the wellbeing of healthcare providers.

Please reach out to Jennifer Mallmes (mallmesj@douglascollege.ca) to join the conversation and help shape the future of end-of-life care education.

We’re excited to share that today marks the official launch of AboutGrief.ca | LeDeuil.ca — Canada’s new national grief portal. Led by the Canadian Grief Alliance (founded and administered by Canadian Virtual Hospice), this bilingual platform is accompanied by the release of The Next Steps Action Plan: A Strategic Approach to Grief Literacy and Grief Support in Canada, developed with support from Health Canada.

AboutGrief.ca | LeDeuil.ca: A Central Resource for Grief in Canada

This mirrored bilingual website supports Canadians experiencing all forms of loss — both death and non-death related. Key features include:

• 33 original articles developed with grief experts and individuals with lived experience
• Curated databases of over:
• • 400 resources across multiple formats
  • 400 grief programs and services across local, regional, and national levels
  • 100+ innovations and research initiatives
• Grief Assistant: A safe and structured AI chatbot that guides users to tailored resources
• Video gallery with over 1,000 searchable clips of lived experiences and expert guidance
• Windmail: A secure feature allowing users to send private messages to those they miss

The Next Steps Action Plan (NSAP)

In response to Health Canada’s request for a national grief strategy, the NSAP offers five key recommendations for improving grief literacy and support across Canada.

Why it matters:

• Canada currently lacks a cohesive grief support system
• Post-COVID, grief is more widespread and complex
• Many Canadians cannot access the help they need, leading to downstream impacts on mental health and community well-being

The NSAP is built on:

• Insights from 300+ informants, 44 organizations, and 55 focus groups
• Over 4,000 survey responses — 500+ of whom formed the “Great Big Grief Focus Group”
• 4,500+ hours of volunteer support
• Guidance from a National Consultation Committee of 33 members

This is a much-needed and highly anticipated resource for grief practitioners, community members, and policy makers alike.

How You Can Engage

• Visit AboutGrief.ca | LeDeuil.ca and explore the tools and resources
• Read the NSAP (available in English and French)
• Share the site with your staff, clients, residents, and networks
• Amplify the launch on your social media platforms
• Request content for newsletters or communications — we’re happy to support

We are grateful to Health Canada and the many individuals and communities who made this possible. This is a big step forward in supporting grief across Canada.

Sector Report Highlight: Aging in Place in Canada

Published by Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) 

This national evidence review explores the barriers and enablers to aging in place across Canada. While the report doesn’t specifically mention hospice or palliative care, its themes strongly reinforce the importance of community-based, integrated, and person-centred supports, the very principles at the heart of hospice society work. Key findings include: Limited access to home-based health services, especially in rural and remote communities Increased social isolation among older adults The need for caregiver support and coordinated care systems The role of local, culturally appropriate services in enabling people to age safely and meaningfully at home Why this matters for us: Hospice societies are already filling many of these gaps, supporting isolated seniors, providing non-clinical grief care, and easing the strain on families. This report offers a valuable policy lens to position hospice work as essential to the aging-in-place strategy. READ FULL REPORT

The NVAS is a co-created strategy, and we need your input to ensure it reflects the voices and experiences of everyone invested in the future of volunteering in Canada. We want to be able to share the data and analysis with our partners and members based on their geographic location and subsectors - and so, getting a sample that is representative of the population is deeply important. By participating in the survey, you will help us:

• Create a representative data sample that tells the story of volunteering and community participation across the country.
  
• Strengthen our advocacy and policy propositions with robust data collection.
  
• Share valuable data with our partners to support their work and projects.
  
• Gather insights that address the concerns of your subsector, city, province, or territory.
  
• Build a national volunteer action strategy backed by data and the voices of the country

To learn more about the NVAS and  participate in the survey, check out volunteerstrategy.ca/get-involved. There are surveys for Individuals, as well as for Organizations and Non-Profits.