B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Carleton University, 2020
M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2022
Hannah is an incoming doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program at the University of British Columbia in sociology and epidemiology. She is originally from Ottawa, Ontario and moved to BC in 2020 to complete the Master of Science program at the University of British Columbia. Since graduating, she has been working as a research coordinator at the BC Centre on Substance Use with a research focus on evaluating harm reduction services and health systems services for people who use drugs. Hannah’s doctoral research aims to assess the impact of low-threshold employment on the health and well-being of people who use drugs.
Despite the implementation of numerous public health interventions, morbidity and mortality among people who use drugs (PWUD) continue to rise. Unemployment and poverty have been identified as key drivers of health-related harms among this population, yet many barriers to meaningful employment exist (e.g., discrimination, criminal history, education). Additionally, social forces such as globalization and technological advancements have increased inequities and generalized flexible labour markets, resulting in new forms of work characterized by wage inadequacy and precarity. To date, research has focused on the negative impacts of employment precarity, ignoring the potential for innovative employment models to support the health and well-being of people facing barriers to employment. Within Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a community with disproportionately high levels of substance use, poverty and inadequate housing, an ecosystem of low-threshold economic engagement opportunities has emerged for individuals who face barriers to employment. Low-threshold employment models are adapted to consider individual characteristics and provide improved support for workers. This may include roles that prioritize flexible hours, value lived experience, do not require abstinence from substance use and provide wrap-around supports. However, little is known about how participation in these employment models affects individual health. My overarching aim is to assess the impact of low-threshold income generation on the health and well-being of PWUD in British Columbia using a mixed-methods approach.
4 Year Doctoral Fellowship, University of British Columbia (2024-2028)
Cordula and Gunter Paetzold Fellowship, University of British Columbia
Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s Award, University of British Columbia
Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award, University of British Columbia
Senate Medal of Outstanding Academic Achievement, Carleton University
Low-threshold employment; Substance use; Health; Employment precarity; Mixed methods
Crepeault H, Ti L, Jutras-Aswad D, Wood E, Le Foll B, Lim R, Bach P, Brar R, & Socias ME. Correlates of nonfatal overdose among treatment-seeking individuals with non-heroin opioid use disorder: Findings from a pragmatic, pan-Canadian, randomized control trial. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. 2023 Dec;155:209158. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209158
Crepeault, H, Socias, ME, Tobias, S, Lysyshyn, M, Custance, A, Shapiro, A, et al. Examining fentanyl and its analogues in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia, Canada using drug checking technologies. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2023; 42(3): 538– 543. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13580