Major Themes

1. Determinants of health and criminalization that impact LEPH; criminalization of communities and public health issues: the role of the law enforcement sector

  • Poverty, homelessness, reproductive justice issues incl abortion, sex work, drug use, LGBTQI+ communities
  • Decriminalization of drugs for personal use: evidence, context, issues, over/under-policing, community perception
  • Forgotten and overlooked e.g. literacy
  • Commercial determinants
  • law enforcement and public health across systems – health, social welfare, CJS, economic, etc.
  • intersectionality

2. Communities and context supportive of the law enforcement and public health partnership

  • Data-informed community safety and wellbeing
  • Understanding the current funding landscape and solving for long term funding
  • Narrative change: generating greater public awareness and support
  • Law and regulation: what does a proactive legislative framework look like?
  • LEPH policy
  • Leadership and Governance in LEPH partnerships

3. Recruiting, training and education of law enforcement and public health personnel: for public health policing, and for engagement of police as public health stakeholders

  • changing expectations concerning the role of law enforcement/policing in society
  • resources devoted to problem-oriented outcomes-focused collaborative research

4. Trauma-informed approaches to policing, public health, childhood adversity and early intervention: what does trauma-informed awareness mean for practice?

  • Developing trauma-aware and trauma-informed communities
  • Adverse childhood experiences and their impact on substance use disorders and criminal behaviour along with mechanisms, services, referrals to stop the cycle
  • Children and young people – role of policing for best start in life

5. Police health, mental health and wellbeing: wellness and resilience of police and other first responders

  • Specific harm reduction strategies
  • impact of crises and contexts, such as the overdose crisis
  • Neurodisability and police wellness: military service, deployment and TBI

6. Neurodisability and law enforcement: early identification, support, and interventions to prevent harm

  • Neurocognitive disorders: ‘Hidden in plain sight’ e.g. epilepsy, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Acquired/Traumatic Brain Injury, autism spectrum

7. Violence prevention: LEPH systemic approaches to prevent violence

  • Gender-based violence, violence against women and girls, youth violence, sexual violence and intimate partner violence
  • The public health approach to gun violence, and how each discipline can play a part while working in concert
  • Technological facilitation of GBV/IPV
  • Policing violence

8. The challenges and successes of partnering for whole systems change

  • Which systems, policies, procedures, and cultural aspects act as barriers to effective partnerships? How are these overcome?
  • What works in building trust-based, sustainable partnerships – and what might the roadmap to achieve them look like?
  • Policing and public health service redesign to enable LEPH working.
  • Especially emphasising real partnerships at the local level: the role of local government
  • Language and perspective:
    • Nomenclature: with public health focus, move to person-centred
    • Examine issues from contrasting perspectives, and how to marry them

Marginalisation is an enemy of security and health: inclusive policing and public health partnerships to overcome marginalisation are key. Extra weight will be given to proposals and abstracts that consider equity or are viewed through an equity lens – especially with regard to:

  • Indigenous/First nations communities
  • Black/racialized minorities
  • People with lived experience
  • Relevance to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Presentations on addressing and overcoming Racial/ethnic disparities in access to health and involvement with criminal justice are especially sought.

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