Illustration of an individual holding a phone while on a call with a healthcare provider, and another healthcare provider standing nearby.

Paramedics and Social Prescribing

Paramedics and Social Prescribing helps paramedic teams use social prescribing to connect clients with local, non-medical community services that improve health and well-being, ensuring people receive the right care and support, in the right place.

This program supports up to 30 teams to systematize social prescribing within their service. Through this offering, participants from across the country can collaborate, share knowledge and explore approaches for integrating social prescribing into their service.

"This program is a great opportunity for paramedicine in Canada to formalize and further solidify its role in addressing unmet social needs - paramedics already do this in their everyday practice, and this program will help us to share best practices and improve service delivery."

- Alan Batt PhD, Associate Professor of Paramedicine

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribing connects people with community support and services to address non-medical needs that impact their health and well-being. It brings healthcare workers and community members together with the individual to co-create a personalized plan or "social prescription" for better health. This could include connections to a food bank, senior centre, class, recreational activity, legal support, and more.

Paramedics are in a unique position to support social prescribing. They meet people where they are—at home and in the community—and can leverage these touchpoints to make connections with essential resources.

In some paramedic services, over 50 percent of 911 calls are for non-emergencies. Social prescribing, led by paramedics, can help. It has been shown to improve mental health (PDF), reduce repeat emergency department visits (PDF) and deliver a strong return on investment.

How we’re supporting teams:

Teams include paramedic services and teams across Canada, supported by:

Seed funding up to $30,000.
Small group coaching on implementing and sustaining a social prescribing pathway, led by experts in social prescribing, community paramedicine and change management.
Proven tools and evidence-informed resources that help implement and measure what works.
Virtual and in-person* learning and networking to share knowledge, learn from peers and achieve more together.

Teams will be supported to pursue their goals while building essential skills in equity, cultural safety, patient engagement and safety. They’ll also explore key topics like quality improvement and working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

Featured content

Social Prescribing and Community Paramedicine in Canada: Guide

This guide is designed to help paramedics across Canada use social prescribing. It includes real-world examples and practical strategies from across Canada that inspire and support action.

Explore the guide

The Community Paramedicine Needs Assessment Tool

A comprehensive tool designed to aid the development of community paramedicine programs.

Paramedics and Social Prescribing

Discover how social prescribing in paramedicine works in practice through real-life examples, shared in this article in Canadian Paramedicine by Cheryl Cameron, Sarah Olver, Kate Mulligan, PhD, and her team.

Expand your participation—and your impact

This offering is part of Care Forward, a larger initiative that provides funding and learning supports to drive impact on four key priorities: expanding care access, supporting aging in place, advancing person-centred long-term care and strengthening the health workforce. Register for Right Care Challenge and explore offerings that are already underway.

Enhancing Integrated Care

Organizations working to strengthen integrated team-based care, including virtual care.

Learn more

Primary Care Access Improvement

Team-based primary care organizations create efficiencies and optimize team functioning so they can provide timely access to care.

Learn more

Right Care Challenge

Open to health and social care teams ensuring people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place —all while helping reduce avoidable emergency department visits.