What We Do
In response to the opioid crisis affecting communities across Canada, our community health research focuses on Brantford and Hamilton, Ontario — two cities with some of the highest rates of opioid poisoning in Canada. We organized two-day creative workshops known as game jams, where 21 adults with lived experience of opioid addiction created digital games to tell their life stories.
Study Objectives
Our game jam research explores how adults with a history of opioid addiction navigate the healthcare system, experience their recovery process, and build resilience through game-based storytelling. Instead of emphasizing traditional evaluation metrics or clinical health interventions, we position the game jam as an inclusive platform that values creativity and social connection.
This research is essential for academia, policymakers, and the public to learn more about how game design can be a creative tool for fighting stigma, supporting recovery, and restoring the dignity of people using drugs.
About Us
Our research team comprises researchers and student research assistants from Wilfrid Laurier University and OCAD University. Students in Community Psychology, Social Work, and Inclusive Design assisted with data collection and game jam organization; Music Therapy students composed music for our participants’ games; Game Design & Development students mentored novice learners in the game design process; and Computer Science students provided technical support in disseminating research.
We collaborated with three community partners — Brantford’s Grand River Community Health Centre, Hamilton’s Canadian Mental Health Association(CMHA), and the Keeping Six Collective — to recruit participants and organize three game jams for adults recovering from opioid addiction.
Our Values
- Equity-centered practice
- Empowering disenfranchised communities
- Championing creativity and inclusion
- Supporting resilience and well-being
Special Thanks
This research is supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC Insight Development Grant, file # 430-2020-00624) and Wilfrid Laurier University. We thank our community partners—Brantford’s Grand River Community Health Centre and Hamilton’s Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Keeping Six Collective.
Special mentions go to Kim Sheehan (Grand River Community Health Centre), Sue Phipps (CMHA Hamilton), Dr. Matt Wyman-McCarthy, Tracy Woodford, and Dr. Bruce McKay.
We are deeply grateful to all our game jam participants for courageously sharing their wisdom, stories, and imaginations to advance knowledge.