MAX Ottawa Community Health is the principal queer health and wellness organization in the National Capital Region. Since its founding in 2002 as the Ottawa Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative, MAX has grown and changed to adapt to the evolving needs of people in our diverse communities. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life of people in the communities we serve and break down barriers to health and wellbeing.
MAX helps reduce health inequities faced by queer and trans people. We do this by:
- Delivering programs and services designed to meet community needs;
- Educating and training community members and service providers on topics related to health and wellness;
- Raising awareness and providing information to help prevent the transmission of HIV and other infections, reduce harms related to substance use, and improve access to programs and services;
- Empowering individuals by giving them the tools they need to make health choices that work for them; and
- Building community through peer-led activities to improve connection, cohesion, and resilience.
MAX also works with organizations and individual health and service providers to improve the quality of healthcare and other services available in the region for our communities.
Over the years, MAX has developed specific expertise on the health inequities faced by men who have sex with men and trans and non-binary people, including those who:
- live with or are impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections;
- seek gender-affirming care;
- do sex work;
- use drugs; and
- are new to the region, including immigrants and refugees.
Our approach is based on methods that have been proven effective (evidence-based). It also considers the effects of interactions between health problems (syndemics) and the many non-medical factors that impact health, like community connections, education and income (social determinants of health).