BRAVE: Expanding Sunnybrook Hospital's Innovative Program
The first of its kind in Canada, Sunnybrook Hospital's Breaking the Cycle of Violence with Empathy (BRAVE) Program has received renewed funding from the City of Toronto and will expand to an additional two hospitals this year. This strategy is used in many jurisdictions across North America to help break the cycle of violence by intervening the moment a victim enters the healthcare system.
More than 17% of all trauma patients admitted to Sunnybrook Hospital are victims of violence. In many instances, the same patient will return for multiple injuries of similar cause, sometimes years apart. Using a trauma-informed approach, the BRAVE program connects victims of violent crimes with social workers who provide continuous support, including necessary aftercare and referrals to community services, even after the patient has been discharged from the hospital.
In addition to providing enough funding to operate BRAVE at Sunnybrook Hospital for one year, the City of Toronto is also enabling the Program to expand to the Scarborough Health Network and Humber River Hospital. You can learn more about the program, here.
On-site at Sunnybrook Hospital's new Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre with CEO Andy Smith. Once construction is completed this year, the Centre will focus on revolutionizing the future of brain health.