Posted • Last updated
Closed
Commitment: Long-term
Connection method: Virtual
Open to Vancouver Island Region, Indigenous patient partners
Last updated
Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Restorative Health
Aim
• In April 2022, the Regional Restorative Health Cultural Safety (RRHCS) Working Group was established in order to explore how frontline staff and Restorative Health leadership can address Indigenous-specific racism in our health care system. The purpose of this working group is in line with Island Health’s commitment to actively address Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in our workplaces.
• Patient partners will be asked to reflect upon policy points while listening to a series of role-played interactions that demonstrate how the policy might be discussed between patient and provider. After listening and reflecting, they will be able to share their observations and opinions as the patient perspective is essential to moving this work forward.
Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.
Eligibility
Open to patient partners across the Vancouver Island region who:
• Identify as Indigenous (Métis, First Nations, or Inuit)
• Have received care at an Island Health facility within the last 5 years, preferably during an inpatient stay (to have experience of connecting with different staff members and hospital systems)
• Have access to technology and the internet to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Are comfortable using Zoom to attend online/virtual meetings
• Have the time to participate in the engagement opportunity (having reviewed the logistics section)
• Patient partners give a lot of themselves: time, energy, and the sharing of personal stories or experiences that may be difficult. It is important that this not be done at the expense of your own health/wellbeing. There is a potential risk that patient partners may experience emotional distress through reflecting on and sharing their experience. With this in mind, we ask that you only consider participating if you feel it would be safe and comfortable for you to do so.
• Please note:
– This opportunity is not open to staff members or patient partners who are currently employed by this health authority.
– As connection and relationship building is important, we would like to meet with short listed patient partners as part of our selection process
– As required by the October 14, 2021 Public Health Order released by the Provincial Health Officer, proof of vaccination is required to access any in-person meetings at a health care site. Proof of vaccination can be provided by way of a Vaccination Passport or Vaccination card, along with government issued photo ID. For patient partnership activities that are virtual only (via Zoom, video conference, phone, etc.), proof of vaccination is not required.
If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Patient Partner Commitments, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact Jessica Bradbury.
Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Date and Time: Biweekly meetings for 1 hour (this may reduce to monthly dependent on the number of projects the group will be working on)
• Location: Virtual participation via Zoom
• Commitment: 12 months
Reimbursement
No out of pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria, but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Jessica Bradbury Jessica.bradbury@islandhealth.ca to see if support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.
Background
In April 2022, the Regional Restorative Health Cultural Safety (RRHCS) Working Group was established in order to explore how frontline staff and Restorative Health leadership can address Indigenous-specific racism in our health care system. The purpose of this working group is in line with Island Health’s commitment to actively address Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in our workplaces across Island Health. Members of the working group include: occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists, cultural safety facilitators and a project manager.
The In Plain Sight review of Indigenous-specific racism in BC’s health care system (June 2020) sought to examine the presence of racism and discrimination experienced by Indigenous peoples in our health care system. The Review’s recommendations stress the need for immediate, principled and comprehensive efforts to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against Indigenous peoples.
The RRHCS Working Group identified Recommendation #20 from the In Plain Sight Review as one of the areas in which we could impact significant change as frontline staff and leaders.
Recommendation #20:
That a refreshed approach to anti-racism, cultural humility and trauma-informed training for health workers be developed and implemented, including standardized learning expectations for health workers at all levels, and mandatory, low-barrier components.
