Last iCON-VCH Indigenous Health Round Sessions
Walking Softly Through Mental Health
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. PT
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
Featured Speakers:
Cathy Almost, Director of Indigenous Cultural Safety, Vancouver Coastal Health
Duane Jackson, Founder of the Tauhx Gadx men’s program
Cooper Jackson, Support Worker in a homeless shelter
Join us to learn about ways to support Indigenous patients with Mental Health and culture based on In Plain Sight Recommendation #17: “That the B.C. government and the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) demonstrate progress on commitments to increase access to culturally safe mental health and wellness and substance use services.” One-time funds were secured to support 28 communities with Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Cultural Safety Site improvements.
This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by UBC CPD.
iCON has partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Indigenous Health to develop Indigenous Health Rounds, which serve as a platform to bring Indigenous voices to health care providers, policy makers and health administrators for knowledge sharing, dialogue, and brainstorming solutions to combat racism and foster culturally safe healthcare settings for Indigenous patients and families.
Developing Educational Tools to Support Cultural Safety
In 2015, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and iCON jointly created a video and facilitation guide featuring First Nations and Indigenous Traditional Practitioners, to share knowledge and promote culturally safe care.
Watch video hereA Coming Together of Health Systems
Community-based Cultural Safety and Healthcare Transformation Dialogues
Since 2016, iCON has partnered with Indigenous communities and health authorities to co-host community Dialogue Events, bringing together Indigenous communities, patients, local western and Traditional Practitioners and administrators to discuss health system transformation and integration of traditional practices into healthcare settings.
Three Dialogue Events have been co-developed and co-hosted across 2017 and 2018 to explore improving access to traditional healing practices. Specific objectives include to:
- Inform local health authority about best practices for incorporating traditional healing practices from a community and physician perspective.
- Improve health professional understanding of traditional healing and the role of traditional practitioners.
- Introduce traditional practitioners’ perspectives to shift practices and incorporate traditional healing into delivery of health care in acute care.
- Invite Indigenous patients, caregivers and communities to share their perspectives and vision of attaining health and wellness.
- Identify areas for improvement in current processes in hospitals, emergency departments and other acute settings in BC to honour patient requests for access to traditional practitioners.
Header photo caption: Reconciliation Pole, Hereditary Chief 7idansuu (James Hart), Haida, photo credit to Hover Collective / UBC Brand & Marketing
