The P.A.R.T.Y. program is based out of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. This valuable prevention program offers education and awareness on important topics affecting youth health such as: alcohol & substance use/abuse, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, texting while driving, injury survivor stories, emergency medical services, morgue and trauma room tours, and a police presentation. The P.A.R.T.Y. program provides youth with information that focuses on issues relevant to their specific needs.
The P.A.R.T.Y. program has many partners in the community and is continually expanding its partnerships. Current community partners include: Sister Margaret Treatment Centre, Ministry Of Transportation Ontario, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, Thunder Bay Police Services, Superior North EMS, Regional Coroner’s office, St. John’s Ambulance, Red Cross, Ontario Provincial Police, and NorWest CHC.
The P.A.R.T.Y. program has presented in a variety of settings including most commonly onsite at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre itself but also in various high schools in the area. The P.A.R.T.Y. program is currently being developed through Telemedicine, which is a telecommunication service used to provide live audio and video feeds in educating remote communities in the region. The program will continue to expand to reach surrounding areas, which include many of our northern communities. The P.A.R.T.Y. program is once again being offered in French. With the help of several bilingual supporters, the program is working towards the conversion of all parts of the presentation and pamphlets into the French format.
Shonath Kajorinne, the program coordinator, has extensive experience as a nurse in the Emergency Department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. She has witnessed youth trauma both on the unit and in her personal life. Her passion and the P.A.R.T.Y. program’s vision are to provide youth education to reduce the number of alcohol- and risk-related traumas that occur each year. By focusing on the prevention, the P.A.R.T.Y. program aims to stop youth injuries and injury-related death as they are both predictable and preventable. Through education, knowledge, and tools, the P.A.R.T.Y. program empowers youth to make wise choices that will encourage a healthier community tomorrow.
