How can community connection and resources help build a more resilient health system?

We’ve released a new guide on social prescribing titled Strengthening Health System Resilience in Canada: Connecting health care to community, nature, and belonging.

Social prescribing helps people improve their wellbeing by connecting them with non-medical resources such as community activities, supports, and nature‑based programs that address the social and structural factors influencing health.

The guide explains how social prescribing helps meet individual needs early on, which helps ease pressure on healthcare services. As healthcare systems face rising chronic disease, mental health challenges, and other pressures, social prescribing offers a way to support people earlier, equitably, and more holistically. By reducing repeat visits to primary care and emergency departments, it helps free up clinical resources during times of strain.

The guide also breaks down how social prescribing works, outlining the stages of the social prescribing pathway, from how people are first connected to supports, to how link workers then match individuals with activities that fit their needs and address barriers, to the follow‑up that ensures those supports are making a difference. Individuals should be able to determine what matters to them and be supported accordingly.

A key part of the guide focuses on nature prescribing, which includes activities like nature walks, gardening, or outdoor mindfulness. These activities have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve overall wellbeing. These benefits contribute to personal, community, and system‑level resilience.

By strengthening community connection, supporting mental health, and promoting access to nature, social prescribing can help create a more equitable, healthier population and a more adaptable, resilient health system.