Patient Advisor, Vancouver Island Eating Disorder Client & Family Advisory Committee

Volunteer Opportunity
Do you have experience accessing care for treatment of an eating disorder on Vancouver Island? Would you be interested in lending your voice to enhance the development and provision of eating disorder services provided by Island Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development? Your voice is needed!

RSVP Now

Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Mental Health and Substance Use and Ministry of Children and Family Development

Aim
The Vancouver Island Eating Disorder Client and Family Advisory Committee provides a venue for the voices of clients and families with lived experience of eating disorders to be heard. It provides the opportunity for staff to better understand and learn from patient experiences, in the context of improving the eating disorder services provided by the Ministry of Child and Family Development and Island Health on Vancouver Island.
The role of the Patient Advisor will include contributing to positive, open discussion with fellow Advisory Committee members, reflecting on insights from personal experience with a focus on how these may inform positive change for clients and families in the future.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

Open to patient partners from Vancouver Island who:
– Have lived experience with an eating disorder or caregiver/loved one of someone who experienced an eating disorder and accessed health care services on Vancouver Island
– Are comfortable sharing their story in a group setting
– Are at a point of personal recovery where the individual is distanced enough from the disorder that the engagement would not cause pain/hardship or trigger relapse

Please note:
– This opportunity is not open to patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health or the Ministry of Child and Family Development
– The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.
– Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Ashley Clark directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 6
• Date/Time: Advisory Committee Meetings occur quarterly, on the second Tuesday every three months from 3:00-4:30pm or as determined by members:
– To ensure a strong team dynamic, members should strive to attend as many meetings as possible.
– Members may meet outside of scheduled meetings for ad hoc meetings.
– A rotation of 1-2 Members will be invited to join the 1 hour Eating Disorder Steering Committee meeting via teleconference on a quarterly basis
– The next Eating Disorder Client & Family Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2021.
• Location: Teleconference or Videoconference (Zoom)
• Commitment: Two year term with the option of renewal for one additional year upon mutual agreement between the patient partner, Island Health, and the Ministry of Children and family Development

Reimbursement
If you would like to participate in this opportunity, but have concerns about your internet provider and data limit, please contact Ashley Clark (aclark@bcpsqc.ca) and we can help identify solutions. Otherwise, no expenses are anticipated.
If meetings transition to in person, travel expenses (mileage and parking) may be reimbursed by Island Health.

Background
The Vancouver Island Eating Disorder Client & Family Advisory Committee came about as part of a Joint Regional Plan for eating disorder services on Vancouver Island between Island Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). It was developed in an effort to help address the gaps in the under-serviced areas of the island to respond to service fragmentations.

The committee includes family and client stakeholders. The committee will have Island Health/MCFD clinical and leadership members, and a maximum of 10 patient and family members with a geographical mix across Vancouver Island.

Terms of Reference for Vancouver Island Eating Disorder Client & Family Advisory Committee.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Ashley Clark
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
250.812.8908
aclark@bcpsqc.ca