Re-Establishing Social Connection as a Key Driver of Prevention and Collective Action
Brief submitted to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) as part of the national consultation for future directions process.
The YMCAs of Québec submitted a brief as part of “Toward a Renewed, Integrated and Coherent Vision for Mental Health, Homelessness and Addiction,” a national consultation process led by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS). This brief draws on our extensive field experience and an internal consultation, which aimed to identify concrete findings and courses of action to improve collective responses.
Re-Establishing Social Connection as a Key Driver of Prevention and Collective Action
Social isolation is a cross-sectional factor that impacts people’s life trajectories and must be recognized as a central lever in prevention and collective action.
Our 5 Recommendations:
1. Make fighting social isolation a pillar of public policy.
Recognize social connection as a cross-sectional and structuring determinant of overall health and make it a central focus of interministerial action plans.
2. Create inclusive environments and spaces that promote socialization
Invest in developing inclusive physical and social environments that facilitate socialization, cohabitation, and participation in community life, including transitional housing to support the transition out of homelessness.
3. Ensure seamless, accessible, and person-centred service pathways
Establish a system of integrated and seamless services focused on people’s life trajectories, which enable ongoing and tailored interventions.
4. Reinforce the coordination, governance, and capacity of players
Improve the consistency of actions through clear governance, improved coordination, and capacity building for players on the ground.
5. Support lasting, integrated, and community-centric approaches
Adopt long-term, integrated, and financially supported approaches to provide sustainable solutions to issues of vulnerability.
We firmly believe that, collectively, we have the means to achieve our goals and that the expertise exists to reverse the trend and build a bright future.
Consult the brief (in French only)
Document produced in May 2026 by Isabel Gervais, Senior Advisor, Exclusion Prevention in collaboration with Vanessa Forgues, Senior Director, Expertise and Social Impact, Adeline Grigorescu, Specialized Consultant, Toxico and Back on Track, Marc-Olivier Lacroix, Senior Advisor, Youth Programs, and Roberto Mormina, Senior Advisor, Intervention and Prevention.