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social-impact

Social Impact

GSC is unique because we are a social enterprise. That means we make social impact a priority throughout the organization.

The three pillars below are the basis of our social impact strategy.

We help people and communities live their healthiest lives by giving our expertise, time, and money.

We are committed to driving a sustainable future for individuals, communities, and our planet.

We create shared value by addressing social needs while delivering on our business objectives, purpose and mission.

At GSC, our social impact strategy is the catalyst for a wide range of activities every year &ndash; and we hold ourselves accountable by reporting on our progress and sharing important organizational highlights.
Click here to view the <a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/2022/blog/pdfs/GSC-2021-Social-Impact-Report-Condensed-Summary-EN-Remediated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 summary report</a>.

Reporting on our social impact efforts

At GSC, we believe all Canadians should have access to services they need to improve their health and well-being, but for too many that&rsquo;s not a reality. We&rsquo;re focusing on filling gaps in the Canadian health care system in oral and mental health, two foundational areas that a large number of Canadians struggle to access. By 2025, we will invest $75 million in oral and mental health initiatives that will drive measurable improvements in health outcomes for Canadians. In our business, we will develop services and platforms to also help improve the health and well-being of over four million Canadians who are GSC customers.
In the end, working together, we can help achieve Better Health for All.

Giving back is at the core of

Cares,Health

<h4>Room For Her is providing 10,000 complimentary one-year subscriptions of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy and 1,000 new complimentary counselling hours.</h4>
May 3, 2022 - Inkblot Therapy and Green Shield Association are proud to announce the addition of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) to the groundbreaking Room For Her initiative &ndash; expanding the suite of accessible, effective, convenient, and affordable mental health supports available for Canadian women.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;During the pandemic, one-in-five Canadians report they&rsquo;ve sought professional counselling for mental health concerns &ndash; and over 100,000 Canadian women have been forced to quit their jobs or take a sabbatical&rdquo; noted Harriet Ekperigin, Vice President of Mental Health, Green Shield Holdings. &ldquo;In response, Room For Her, our multi-year women&rsquo;s mental health initiative that launched in November 2021, is stepping up to provide women with access to mental health support &ndash; when and where it works for them.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
The newest dimension to Room For Her comes via 10,000 complimentary subscriptions to the <a href="https://www.tranquility.app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tranquility by Inkblot&nbsp;'s iCBT program</a> &ndash; the gold standard therapeutic approach for helping people with anxiety and depression. Backed by science, the Tranquility platform was co-designed by a team of clinicians and individuals with lived experience of mental illness.
Available online or through the companion mobile app, Tranquility&rsquo;s innovative program includes digital CBT lessons and skill-based exercises to help users reduce and manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anxiety-related conditions. Room For Her is also offering an additional 1,000 complimentary counselling hours.
Users can learn more about the therapy options via the <a href="https://roomforher.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Room For Her digital hub</a>, launched on International Women&rsquo;s Day, as well as access the following resources:
<ul>
<li>Mental Health educational materials: Focusing on enhancing protective factors (e.g. resilience, coping, social support and social networks) and addressing risk factors (e.g. social isolation, discrimination, stigma and substance use), materials also include expert Q&amp;As, videos, quick reads and resilience-building activities. Links to appropriate resources, tools and apps delivered by publicly-funded organizations are also available.</li>
<li>Webinar and podcast series: In the weeks ahead, watch for webinars and podcasts focused on specific issues and topics relevant to women&rsquo;s mental health. Inkblot will engage outside experts in women&rsquo;s mental health, including academics, public policy experts and mental health professionals.</li>
</ul>
Room For Her &ndash; The story so far&hellip;
<ul>
<li>Funded by the Green Shield Association and delivered by <a href="https://inkblottherapy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inkblot Therapy</a>, Room For Her is empowering Canadians who identify as women and are age 18+ by providing a choice of therapy options that help users find the care that&rsquo;s right for them:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://inkblottherapy.com/sign_up?company=roomforher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complimentary counselling hours</a> &ndash; available in two 30-minute sessions or one one-hour session &ndash; from Inkblot Therapy</li>
<li><a href="https://roomforher.tranquility.app/onboarding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complimentary one-year subscription</a> to Tranquility&rsquo;s self-guided iCBT program</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>An initial tranche of 10,000 complimentary counselling hours was released in November 2021, followed by the first Room For Her conference.</li>
<li>In the past six months, Room For Her has enabled more than 7,000 women to access mental health support.</li>
<li>The addition of Tranquility&rsquo;s 10,000 hours of iCBT offering now brings the Green Shield Association&rsquo;s investment in Room For Her to over $2M.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
For more information:
Inkblot contact: Sarah Mortimer, Marketing Manager 647-518-7106 sarah@inkblottherapy.com&nbsp;
GSC Media Department <a href="mailto:media@greenshield.ca">media@greenshield.ca</a>
&nbsp;
About Inkblot Therapy
Inkblot is on a mission to improve mental health at home, at work and beyond. From affordable digital counselling services to an innovative EAP program, Inkblot offers effective and accessible solutions for individuals and organizations that care. Inkblot&rsquo;s corporate mental health program focuses on offering secure, easy-to-access video counselling that is available anytime, any place. Through advanced matching technology, individuals can easily find the best counsellors to suit their needs and preferences in just a few easy steps. With mental health insights employers can actually learn from, Inkblot has already helped over a million people start feeling better without the wait.
&nbsp;
About Green Shield Canada (GSC)
Green Shield Canada (GSC) is shaping the health care landscape of the future with a unique brand of expertise and innovation. That starts with decades of health and dental benefits expertise and extends &ndash; through the GSC group of companies&rsquo; strategic investments and commercial partnerships &ndash; to health services delivery, via an ever-expanding digital health ecosystem, and health and benefits administration. GSC believes all Canadians should have access to services they need to improve their health and well-being, but for too many that&rsquo;s not a reality. With a focus on filling gaps in the Canadian health care system in oral and mental health, GSC will invest $75M in oral and mental health initiatives by 2025 to drive measurable improvements in health outcomes for Canadians &ndash; and support a commitment to Better Health for All.
&nbsp;
About Green Shield Holdings Inc.
Part of the Green Shield Canada (GSC) group of companies, Green Shield Holdings Inc. is the primary company used to house subsidiaries.&nbsp; Green Shield Holdings Inc. is itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Green Shield Association.
&nbsp;
About Tranquility Online
Founded in 2017 in Halifax, Nova Scotia by Joel Muise, a former chartered financial analyst, and Dr. Alissa Pencer, a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Instructor with Dalhousie University, Tranquility is an online platform that uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help people with anxiety and depression. The platform uses digital coaching to improve client adherence and create better mental health outcomes. Muise&rsquo;s own experience with anxiety led him to create Tranquility &ndash; with the objective of reducing wait times and improving access to care for all Canadians. Tranquility is a graduate of Volta, the Halifax-based innovation hub, and proud to be working with Dalhousie University and the University of New Brunswick on a research project funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research. Tranquility was acquired by the GSC group of companies in <a href="https://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/blog/post/green-shield-expands-digital-mental-health-impact-with-acquisition-of-tranquility-online">August 2021</a>.

Inkblot Therapy and Green Shield Association announce an additional $1M in complimentary therapy through Room For Her initiative

Cares,Health,Plan members,Plan sponsors

TORONTO, ONTARIO (APRIL 7, 2022) &ndash; Green Shield Canada (GSC), in partnership with Toronto Foundation, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation and the Ottawa Community Foundation, is proud to announce the launch of a new series of social impact reports called Left Behind: The State of Oral Health. The three reports available here:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/attachments/pdfs/oral-health-reports/KW-OralHealthReport-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Left Behind: The State of Oral Health in Waterloo Region</a></li>
<li><a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/attachments/pdfs/oral-health-reports/TO-OralHealthReport-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Left Behind: The State of Oral Health in Toronto 2022</a></li>
<li><a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/attachments/pdfs/oral-health-reports/OT-OralHealthReport-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Left Behind: The State of Oral Health in Ottawa</a></li>
</ul>
Or, on our Foundation partners&rsquo; sites, delve into the local state of oral health in Toronto, Waterloo Region and Ottawa, exploring the social issues that impact access to oral health care.
This analysis comes at a critical time. In Canada, one in three people lack coverage for dental care, while low-income Canadians are four times more likely to avoid seeing a dentist because of cost and two times more likely to have poor dental outcomes.
In creating the Left Behind: The State of Oral Health series, GSC and its Foundation partners uncovered more alarming trends, including:
<ul>
<li>Dental care is increasing in cost faster than nearly every other type of cost. From 2001 to 2020, dental care services have grown by 81 per cent, twice as fast as inflation overall at 41 per cent. This exceeds nearly every other category of goods and services.</li>
<li>There is strong racial inequity present in access to care. In all three communities studied, racialized residents were significantly less likely (between 15 per cent and 39 per cent) to have dental coverage than white residents.</li>
<li>Precarious employment is making things worse. With the rise in self-employment and the increase in low-paying precarious jobs, the odds of a full-time, low-income worker not having employer-sponsored dental insurance has increased by 56 per cent in ten years (Waterloo Region).</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;These statistics reveal large gaps in the Canadian health care system and highlight how access to dental care is an issue that is too often rendered invisible or overshadowed in the busy public health landscape,&rdquo; explains Mila Lucio, GSC&rsquo;s Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Social Impact.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;As these reports unveil, access to care is deeply intertwined with complex social issues, from the rise of precarious employment to increasing food insecurity. These observations also underscore the importance of the commitments being made at both federal and provincial government levels for expanded care and make the case for urgent deployment of funds to close the obvious gaps.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
The reports outline the challenges faced by many residents in Toronto, Waterloo Region and Ottawa in accessing affordable dental care &ndash; and the ripple effects of these challenges. Whether it be the association between oral inflammation and heart disease, or findings that employment opportunities decrease for those with worse oral health, or that tooth loss can contribute to locking individuals in a cycle of homelessness &ndash; the numbers indicate that poor oral health is a pressing and underserved health care issue which can be linked to worse physical, mental and social outcomes.
&ldquo;One thing is clear: for many of the most vulnerable people in our communities, the current system has left them behind and without support,&rdquo; adds Lucio. &ldquo;This series on oral health is intended to equip health care providers and community advocates with the information they need build support for community oral health care. &ldquo;By demonstrating that access to dental care is not only a health concern, but also represents a significant social issue that is intricately connected to broader wellbeing, we hope to spur increased action, attention and investment in the issue of oral health.&rdquo;
These reports represent GSC&rsquo;s latest advocacy efforts in the oral health space, building on the momentum of its innovative Green Door Project. Visit <a href="http://www.greendoorproject.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greendoorproject.ca</a> to learn about GSC&rsquo;s commitment to transforming access to oral health care in Canada or the organization&rsquo;s <a href="https://torontofoundation.ca/green-shield-canada-and-toronto-foundation-partner-on-new-research-and-funding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest oral health grants in partnership with Toronto Foundation</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information:
GSC Media Department 1.800.268.6613 ext. 3409 <a href="mailto:media@greenshield.ca">media@greenshield.ca</a>
&nbsp;
About Green Shield Canada (GSC)
Green Shield Canada (GSC), one of the country&rsquo;s largest health benefits carriers and uniquely structured as a social enterprise, has been shaping the health care landscape for 65 years with a unique brand of expertise and innovation, and currently serves over 4.5 million Canadians across health and dental benefits and pharmacy benefits management. Through the GSC group of companies&rsquo; strategic investments and commercial partnerships, GSC is also able to provide clients with an integrated experience that includes delivery of health care via an ever-expanding digital health ecosystem and full benefits administration support.
GSC believes all Canadians should have access to the services they need to improve their health and well-being, but for too many that&rsquo;s not a reality. With a focus on filling gaps in the Canadian health care system in oral and mental health, GSC and the Green Shield Association will invest $75M in oral and mental health social impact initiatives by 2025 to drive measurable improvements in health outcomes for Canadians &ndash; and support GSC&rsquo;s commitment to Better Health for All.

GSC and community partners launch new reports uncovering the social impact of oral health

Cares,Plan members,Plan sponsors

Imagine, for a moment, that every company invested 1% of its profits back into the community. What kind of impact could we have? Back in 1988, when the Imagine Canada Caring Company program was created, this was just a bold dream, but now it is a reality for many organizations, including GSC.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re very proud to share that GSC is now officially certified as a Caring Company with Imagine Canada, a designation recognizing companies that contribute at least 1% of their pre-tax profit (or equivalent) to community impact. The <a href="https://imaginecanada.ca/en/caring-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caring Company program</a> is viewed as the gold standard for community investment in Canada and brings together companies that demonstrate excellence in corporate giving and corporate social responsibility.
And while the standard is 1%, GSC is committed to leading the way in social impact, which is why in 2020 we invested over 5% of our surplus in initiatives that supported our communities. This includes everything from signature programs focused on oral and mental health, such as our Community Foundation partnerships and the <a href="https://www.greendoorproject.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Door Project</a>, all the way to local granting and our support for employee giving through matching and volunteer grants.
We are honoured to join the ranks of Caring Companies. For a deeper dive into how GSC invests in the health and well-being of our communities, take a look at our newly-released <a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/About%20GSC/csr/GSC-2020-Social-Impact-Report-EN-Remediated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 Social Impact Report</a>.
<a href="https://imaginecanada.ca/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imagine Canada</a> is a national, bilingual charitable organization that helps strengthen Canadian charities, nonprofits and social entrepreneurs so they can better fulfill their missions. In addition to the Caring Company Program, Imagine Canada also provides accreditation for charitable organizations and pioneers advocacy and research within the non-profit sector.

GSC certified as an Imagine Canada Caring Company

GSC is proud to release Better Health for All, our 2020 Social Impact Report outlining our impact on the health and well-being of our communities.
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets.greenshield.ca/greenshield/About GSC/csr/GSC-2020-Social-Impact-Report-EN-Remediated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download the 2020 Social Impact Report</a></h4>
As Canada&rsquo;s only non-profit national health benefits provider (<a href="https://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/blog/post/gsc-now-certified-with-buy-social-canada">and a newly certified social enterprise!</a>), creating a positive social impact in our communities has always been part of our DNA here at GSC. It is integral to the way that we do business, which is why we have released an annual CSR report since 2013. In 2020, however, we took things to the next level by implementing our new Social Impact Strategy, which is intended to help us create significant, measurable social impact by improving health and well-being in the communities where we live and work. As a result, we have also revamped our reporting efforts, and are excited to share our inaugural 2020 Social Impact Report.
The Social Impact Report captures GSC&rsquo;s progress and commitments to social impact through the lens of our three strategic pillars: Community Investment, Good Corporate Citizenship, and Creating Shared Value. In this report, you&rsquo;ll find information on everything from governance to client service, environmental impact, DE&amp;I, and how we invest in the success of our communities. 
With the creation of the 2020 Social Impact Report, we have strived to increase the depth and scope of our reporting efforts. For the first time we have used the Global Reporting Index (GRI) to inform our disclosures, and in future years we will aim to satisfy the Core option of the GRI Standards. We have also aligned our business and Social Impact Strategy to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint to building a better future. While our primary focus is to support the achievement of SDG 3 &ndash; Good Health &amp; Well-being, we also contribute to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
With the release of the 2020 Social Impact report, we are excited to take the next step in our ever-evolving journey towards creating Better Health for All. We hope that you&rsquo;ll come along for the ride.

GSC releases inaugural Social Impact Report

<ul>
<li>Oral health: GSC supports initiatives that help increase access to dental services for underinsured and uninsured Canadians.</li>
<li>Mental health: We invest in initiatives that support the delivery of mental health care and in advocacy projects that increase awareness of mental health issues and resources.</li>
</ul>

We focus on:

One in three Canadians have no access to affordable to dental care. Through the Green Door Project, GSC’s signature oral health program, we’ve set out to change this. The Green Door Project helps Canadians get access to dental care by funding frontline clinics and providing dental services to people in need, on top of investing in research aimed at uncovering the social and health impacts of access to dental care.

Leading the way in access to dental care…

We’re on a mission to transform the landscape of mental health in Canada. At GSC, we’re working with leaders in mental health care to improve access to evidence-based care and supporting organizations tackling critical innovation and research. We’re also breaking down barriers by focusing on digital mental health services. Through Room For Her, our flagship mental health initiative, we’ve partnered with Inkblot Therapy to offer women in need across Canada access to free virtual mental health counselling.

Revolutionizing mental health services…

Our employees are passionate about giving back to their communities, and we empower them by offering a best-in-class employee giving program. GSC helps amplify employee contributions by matching donations (up to $2,000 annually), rewarding volunteer hours (up to $1,000 annually), offering paid time off to volunteer and bringing teams together through our employee-led steering committee. We recognize an outstanding volunteer each year with the Spirit of GSC Award (with the recipient gifted a $2,500 grant to designate to the charity of their choice!), as well as encouraging teams to come together through a Team Fundraising grant. GSC runs United Way campaigns and special giving initiatives across our offices.

Empowering our employees to give back…

Building stronger and more inclusive communities

In all of our investment decisions, we prioritize partnerships that help advance inclusion, equity and the principles of reconciliation.

Check out our featured <a href="https://indspirefunding.ca/green-shield-canada/">partnership with Indspire</a>, which helps indigenous students to access post-secondary education.<a href="https://indspirefunding.ca/green-shield-canada/"></a>

GSC is proud to be certified as an <a href="https://imaginecanada.ca/en/caring-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imagine Canada Caring Company</a>. The Caring Company program sets the gold standard for corporate community investment in Canada and recognizes organizations committed to advancing social impact and corporate citizenship.
We are also recently certified with Buy Social Canada!&nbsp;This certification represents the next evolution in our journey as a leading social enterprise. Find us in <a href="https://www.buysocialcanada.com/directories/certified-social-enterprises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buy Social Canada's directory of Certified Social Enterprises</a>.
GSC is committed to creating strong relationships with Indigenous businesses and communities, which is why we have joined the <a href="https://www.ccab.com/main/ccab_member/green-shield-canada/">Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)</a> as a Business Member.
And there's more... GSC is a proud Employer Member of&nbsp;Volunteer Canada.

We're kind of a big deal

<h2>Apply for funding</h2>
At GSC, we&rsquo;re all about meaningful impact, and we always think big. GSC partners with community organizations on projects that help improve access to mental and oral health care in innovative ways, and we prioritize investments that have a transformative impact and an ambitious scope.&nbsp;
We also give where we live, meaning that GSC invests in initiatives that support mental and oral health programs in the places where we operate. GSC has a presence in Windsor, London, Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Atlantic Canada.
<h3>1. Review GSC&rsquo;s focus areas and eligibility guidelines to ensure that your organization is eligible to apply for funding</h3>
GSC supports projects that increase access to mental or oral health care. In order to be eligible for funding from GSC, a project or program must align with these focus areas. The project must also fulfill at least one of the following criteria:
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Have a national or regional scope and increase access to evidence-based care for a significant number of Canadians. This could encompass creating a new program or scaling up an existing initiative.</li>
<li>Provide service in a local community where GSC operates (see list above).</li>
<li>Propose an innovative new solution or method of accessing care. GSC will also consider proposals for mental or oral health research with a demonstrable community impact.</li>
<li>Directly increase quality of care for marginalized or vulnerable communities who may experience disproportionate challenges in accessing mental or oral health care. This includes racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, women, LGBTQ2S+ people, newcomers or people with disabilities.</li>
</ol>
Additionally, GSC will also consider requests for projects that support critical community needs in regions where we have a presence.
<ul></ul>
Initiatives and organizations that are ineligible for funding from GSC include:
<ul>
<li>For-profit organizations</li>
<li>Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or any other social demographic</li>
<li>Religious or political organizations</li>
<li>Individuals</li>
<li>Initiatives or organizations located outside of Canada</li>
<li>Retroactive requests</li>
<li>Third-party fundraisers</li>
</ul>

<h3>2. Submit an online application</h3>
Submit an online application <a href="https://forms.benevity.org/ef1290d5-1756-4b0d-b5ca-e96c4680c196" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Note that it may take GSC up to six weeks to provide a funding decision.

<h3>3. Contact us with any questions</h3>
Email <a href="mailTo:socialimpact@greenshield.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">socialimpact@greenshield.ca</a> with any questions.&nbsp;
Note that applications cannot be accepted through this mailbox and must be submitted using the online application.

Social impact

Better Health for All

How we make a difference.

The three pillars below are the basis of our social impact strategy.

Community Investment

Good Corporate Citizenship

Driving Positive Change

Reporting on our social impact efforts

Giving back is at the core of everything we do.

Editor's Picks

Community Partnerships

We focus on:

Building stronger and more inclusive communities

We're kind of a big deal