What is the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing?
The Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP) is a national collaborative anchored by the Canadian Red Cross. At CISP, we bring together a diverse network of Canadian and international voluntary sector partners, health practitioners, researchers, academics, system leaders, funders, and others to connect people and practices, foster knowledge, build evidence, and influence policies to strengthen health and community care systems.
Through social prescribing, our vision is to empower individuals and communities to lead their own health and wellbeing, bridge connections across health and social sectors, and collectively build more resilient and connected communities.
What we offer
Connect
We convene and collaborate with an intersectoral network of stakeholders focused on health equity, community leadership, and collaboration over competition. Using a co-creative approach, CISP supports program design, shares lessons learned, connects subject matter experts and resources, and collaborates on innovative ways to improve wellbeing.
Knowledge
We raise awareness and mobilize knowledge about social prescribing. By working with partners to develop educational tools, training programs, events, and resources, we enhance our collective understanding and capacity to deliver high-quality and impactful social prescribing practices across Canada.
Evidence
We continuously strengthen the social prescribing evidence base by supporting research and evaluation projects, sharing global best practices, and highlighting the operation and impact of social prescribing initiatives. Our efforts ensure that social prescribing practices are grounded in robust evidence and continuously refined.
Policy
We build momentum for practice and policy change by engaging with government stakeholders and system influencers, sharing evidence to advocate for sustainable investments in social prescribing and community-based services. Our advocacy aims to integrate these practices into a healthy and comprehensive health and social care system, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
