Posted on: November 16, 2022
The first step towards your Cultural Safety learning journey needs to begin with critical self-reflection so you may bring that self-awareness to all your formal courses. There are a variety of formats within Island Health to build your understanding of Cultural Safety and Indigenous specific racism including; reading, online courses, in-person sessions, relationship-building, personal development and hearing from communities. Here are some ways to get engaged right now:
Are you just getting started on your learning journey? You can sign-up online for the San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Core Health course at www.sanyas.ca and click on www.sanyas.ca/registration. Use your Island Health email address to register. This self-paced, facilitated online learning module can be completed over a period of eight week and takes about 8 hours. Seats are available for the next session, beginning November 14th – register today!
Are you ready for the next level of understanding? San'yas offers advanced training From Bystander to Ally. This course explores how you can become an effective Ally when witnessing racism, bias, or stereotypes directed towards Indigenous people. This e-course takes place over 6 weeks and is also facilitated and self-paced.
Island Health offers The Next Seven Generations: For the Children course, however the Cultural Safety and Humility team is in the process of updating course and will provide an update when it's open for new registrations.
Additionally, the Island Health face-to-face workshops are currently on hold. Please sign-up on the waitlist while we onboard Cultural Safety and Humility advisors
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Blanket Exercise: an experiential activity that explores the 500-year relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. This is a guided narration reviewing many of the policies and events that have shaped Canada as it relates to the treatment of Indigenous Peoples. The exercise gives participants an approximate sense of empathy for the loss of land, a way of life, which continues to impact Indigenous Peoples today. Here is a link for further information: https://www.kairosblanketexercise.org/ (3 hours, facilitated in-person workshop)
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Relational Practice for Cultural Safety – It Begins with You: explores the importance of how we engage with others, as well as how others engage with us. We then place this cornerstone of our work within the context of Indigenous peoples and our understanding of historical health and social processes and continue to develop relational skills that can lead to culturally safe environments. (7 hours, facilitated in-person workshop)
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Cultural Safety Circle/Community of Practice: sessions provide personal and group support to work towards embedding ICS into practice and environments through deepening one's understanding in a collective forum. 6 sessions, of 2-3 hours each, facilitated in-person. If you are interested please reach out to the team to be put on a wait list.
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PHSA BC 's San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Courses
Core Health Training
Participants are introduced to key aspects of cultural safety and addressing Indigenous anti-racism through a self-paced, facilitated online 8-10 hour course, offered over 8 weeks.
Course topics include:
- Colonization in Canada and the ongoing effects
- Racism, discrimination, stereotyping, and their impacts on Indigenous people
- Actions to strengthen Indigenous Cultural Safety in relationships, practices, and services
Learning Goals
The curriculum and learning activities have been designed to help Participants:
- Strengthen their knowledge, awareness, and skills for working with and providing services to Indigenous people and communities
- Work more safely and effectively with Indigenous people
Participants will need to examine their role in correcting, rebuilding and transforming systems to uproot Indigenous-specific racism https://sanyas.ca/core-training/british-columbia
To Register for Core Health:
Please go to www.sanyas.ca and click on https://sanyas.ca/registration and register with your Island Health email.
Island Health pays for the course for staff. Please consider your ability to complete this course before registering. Staff should begin with the Core Health course and then register for Bystander to Ally, 4-6 months after completing Core Health.
Bystander to Ally (BTA) – Advanced Training
The Bystander to Ally (BTA) course provides additional information, encourages critical self-reflection, and teaches practical skills that can help people become more effective Allies. Participants learn ways to assess and respond to situations in which bias, discrimination, or racism is suspected.
Participants also learn tools and strategies that they can apply in their workplaces and daily lives. We hope that in applying the learning from this course, participants can become powerful agents for change in their personal and professional lives.
Who should take this course?
BTA is designed for people who have completed one or more Core Training courses, and wish to enhance their skills in speaking out and advocating for social justice for Indigenous people. To learn more, visit online at https://sanyas.ca/advanced-training.
To Register for Advanced Training – please email Yula.Stevens@islandhealth.ca
Island Health pays $300 for each staff spot so we hope you see the value in this important and dynamic learning. If you are unable to complete it you will NOT be able to retake the course for two years. If you are new to this learning please register for the Core Health, if you have taken Core Health please sign up for Advanced Bystander to Ally training.
For additional questions and to inquire about other learning opportunities, please email the Indigenous Health Cultural Safety team at CulturalSafetyEvents@islandhealth.ca