Transformative Leadership in Indigenous Health

1. Transformative Leadership in Indigenous Health Leslie BonshorExecutive Advisor, Aboriginal Health Vancouver Coastal Health PHABC Summer SchoolJuly 6, 2017

2. Welcome! We acknowledge and honour that we are on the unceded traditional homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations

3. VCH Aboriginal Health: The Team

4. Indigenous Transformative Leadership Top down and bottom up at the same time System wide transformational change Empowering leaders to join reconciliation movement – an advocate and a capacity builder Bridging both worlds Innovation focused Personal with a capital “P” Requires different skill sets

5. Coming Full Circle Indigenous Women leaders Focus and commitment to empowering Indigenous women as the key to Indigenous community wellness My role – transformational and applying an Indigenous lens

6. VCH Aboriginal HealthSupporting and Engaging Indigenous Women • Nәćamat Indigenous Women’s Village of Wellness • https://youtu.be/mR921wi92tQ

7. Why Focus on Indigenous Women Return to Matriarch societies Nothing about us without us! Keepers of knowledge and leaders of the family Strong Indigenous women = strong Indigenous communities Empowering Indigenous women KEY to Reconciliation

9. Indigenous Women’s Wellness Research • Creation of an Indigenous Women’s Research Group – experts in Indigenous women’s health to guide policy, programming and research • Leading research grants using Indigenous methodologies led by and for Indigenous women

10. Themes of the day Gratitude Pride Community/Support Safety Learning/Sharing Healing/Growth Relevance Diversity Touch

11. Recommendations when Designing Services & Programs • Diversity in the services available to them. • Treat them with dignity. • Create a sense of community, support, and belonging. • More access to Indigenous healing services, and opportunities to connect with culture. • Create warm welcoming environments where women can make multiple visits and “test the waters” • Opportunities for tactile interaction • Create opportunities for Indigenous women to care for themselves and their community

12. Key Indigenous Policies and Calls to Action United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada BC & Regional Specific Policies

13. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission – Calls to Action • Items 18 through 24 Health Calls to action • Acknowledge the state of Aboriginal health in Canada being a direct result of policies like residential schools – recognize health care rights • Measurable goals to identify and close the health gaps • Recognize the distinct health needs of off-reserve Aboriginal peoples • Create new holistic Aboriginal healing centers and recognize the use of traditional healing and elders • Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals and cultural competency training

14. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action Calls upon all levels of government to: Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health-care field. Ensure the retention of Aboriginal health-care providers in Aboriginal communities. Provide cultural competency training for all healthcare professionals.

15. Achieving Reconciliation Reconciliation initiatives cannot be successful without empowering and supporting urban Indigenous women A healthy, well and strong population of Indigenous women leads to healthy thriving families and communities. Lets Interupt the cycles of continual trauma.

16. VCH – Aboriginal Cultural Competency Policy • Policy identifies three areas for implementation to transform care and improve health outcomes: • Aboriginal Leadership in Health Care • Acknowledgment of First Nations Traditional Territory • Cultural and Ceremonial use of Tobacco and Smudging Medicines CA_5200 (July 2015)

17. VCH, Cultural Competency & Responsiveness Policy Policy CA_4900 • Increase quality and safety of services • Reduce access to barriers • Positively impact patterns of service utilization • Improve clinical outcomes and reduce disparities

18. Declaration of Commitment

19. BC Health Regulatory Bodies

20. System Wide Change

21. Ripple Effect for System Transformation

22. Discussion Questions You are all agents of change…what can you do within your work and teams to support reconciliation and improve the health and wellness of Indigenous people? With all the calls to action: UNDRIP, TRC, Cultural Safety Commitments – have you seen any system change? If so, what has changed? How can you individually and collectively support these calls to action in your work? How will you use transformative leadership principles to empower your teams to take part in reconciliation actions? What have you learned and how will this change your practice?