The Public Health Association of BC’s 8th annual summer school is only a few days away. During the two day course we will show registrants, through four topic areas, how they can operationalize Transformative Leadership into practice and create innovative changes in the field of Public Health and beyond.
Over the next week we will be posting feature blogs of each topic session to give registrants and those who are on the fence an idea of what we will be talking about. We continue today with Immigrant and Refugee health.
Registrations for summer school are open now and seats are limited! Click here to register!
Immigrant and Refugee Health
Currently, in Canada, almost two-thirds of population expansion can be attributed to immigration (Statistics Canada, 2013). Our immigrant population has grown and continues to grow rapidly to the point that we now have the highest proportion of foreign-born citizens (nearly 21%) among the G8 countries (ibid.). The country of birth of Canadian immigrants, however, has changed significantly. Up until the 1950s, most immigrants to Canada were of European origin, since the late 1990’s this trend has shifted to visible minorities (Hyman, 2001). In particular, findings from the 2011 National Household Survey indicate that Asia (including the Middle East) is the region from which the largest proportion of individuals have immigrated. The share of immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America has also increased slightly. According to the most recent report from Statistics Canada (2013), nearly 70% of the visible minority population in Canada is now foreign-born.
The increasing diversity of Canada’s immigrant and refugee populations raises important concerns regarding the health-related needs of these populations, particularly in the context of the challenges posed by the social, economic, geographical, cultural and environmental factors that accompany the process of migration. The health of immigrants and their families has important implications for the future health profile of the nation. Of significant importance is the need for policy makers and other key stakeholders to address complex and intricate questions on immigrant and refugee health, such as: what are the determinants of immigrant health? What additional challenges are factors in the determinants of refugee health? What are the barriers to the uptake of health promotion practices among immigrants and refugees? How can we optimize the uptake of health promotion practices among these populations? What resources are available to support immigrant and refugee health and settlement?
Dr. Karen Kobayashi and Sara Hosseina will use the social determinants of health approach to respond to these questions at the 2017 Summer School. Dr. Kobayashi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and a Research Affiliate at the Institute for Aging and Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria. She is a social gerontologist who uses a life course perspective to explore the intersections of structural, cultural, and individual factors/experiences affecting health and aging in the Canadian population. Sara Hosseina is a Family Nurse Practitioner at the New Canadian Clinic (NCC), which provides primary care to refugees and new immigrants in Surrey and Burnaby. Sara not only provides primary care to this population, but she also has a strong focus on the barriers-to-transition that newcomers face in their first couple of years in Canada, particularly after fleeing war zone countries.
After painting a picture of the current status of, and challenges imposed upon Canada’s immigrant and refugee populations, our two presenters will host discussions on “promising practices” in health promotion. Through case studies they will also provide insights into how discourses and techniques such as social marketing, working with the mass and social media, and collaborative processes such as community capacity-building, may be effectively used in order to optimize the uptake of health promotion practices among immigrants and refugees, and, ideally, ensure better health for all.
The Public Health Association of BC’s 8th annual summer school is only a few days away. During the two day course we will show registrants, through four topic areas, how they can operationalize Transformative Leadership into practice and create innovative changes in the field of Public Health and beyond.
Over the next week we will be posting feature blogs of each topic session to give registrants and those who are on the fence an idea of what we will be talking about. We continue today with Child and Youth Health.
Registrations for summer school are open now and seats are limited! Click here to register!
Child and Youth Health
It is estimated that 10-20% of children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness, and 3.2 million youth between the ages of 12 and 19 are at risk for developing depression (CMHA, 2017). The causes for such mental health issues are multifactorial, but socially innovative approaches offer promising results for mental illness prevention in Canada’s youth. At the 2017 Summer School, Dr. Gordie Hogg, Dr. Gord Miller and Ashley Frerichs will present work they have been involved in related to meaningful collaboration and engagement of children and youth in the examination of relevant issues.
Dr. Gordie Hogg is a recently retired Canadian politician who, among many other distinguished roles in government, has served as the BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly (since 1997) and as the Minister of Children and Family Development. Prior to his election to the Legislative Assembly Gordie was a counsellor, probation officer and regional director for corrections. After completing his BA in sociology and psychology, and his master’s degree in psychology, Gordie completed his PhD in Public Policy Development in 2015 and was appointed SFU Adjunct Professor in criminology in 2016. He served on the White Rock city council for 20 years, for 10 of which he was mayor. He has been a board member on more than 15 committees and non-profit societies, including the Peace Arch Community Health Council and Peace Arch Hospital. Gordie has also been a foster parent and Little League coach.
Dr. Gord Miller is an adjunct professor within the University of Victoria School of Child and Youth Care, and he is a former Research Officer and Senior Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry for Children and Family Development. He has been involved in the provincial development and implementation of: Healthy Workplaces; Healthy Schools; Healthy Communities; Health Impact Assessment (HIA); Provincial Health Goals; Youth Agreements; Agreements with Youth Adults; Youth Safe House Standards; Child, Family and Community Services Act; and, Youth Policy Framework. Gord’s current research, as a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Research Fellow, centers around understanding how programs, organizations, and communities affect children and youth health, well-being and development. Gord is a recipient of the 2014 ‘Premier’s Award for Innovation’ for his work in the area of Youth Engagement and Collaborative Action Research within the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Ashley Frerichs is a recent graduate of the University of Victoria after completing her bachelor’s degree in Child and Youth Care. Ashley began in the field as a youth co-researcher working on a youth engagement strategy and has since worked as a youth employment counselor, a drop-in centre coordinator and – most recently – a Youth Outreach Worker. She is also a member of the Provincial Director of Child Welfare Youth Advisory Council. Ashley currently works in Parksville supporting the young people of her community.
If you haven’t already, register for the 2017 Summer School now, where social innovation and policy creation approaches will be explored in relation to our most vulnerable young people.
The Public Health Association of BC’s 8th annual summer school is only a week away. During the two day course we will show registrants, through four topic areas, how they can operationalize Transformative Leadership into practice and create innovative changes in the field of Public Health and beyond.
Over the next week we will be posting feature blogs of each topic session to give registrants and those who are on the fence an idea of what we will be talking about. We begin today with Indigenous Health and what the team at Vancouver Coastal Health are doing to enact transformative change throughout the province.
Registrations for summer school are open now and seats are limited! Click here to register!
Indigenous Health and Transformative Leadership
Indigenous people throughout BC continue to face barriers, including racial discrimination, when accessing health services in all areas of the system and in both urban and rural settings. As a part of the 2017 Summer School curriculum Leslie Bonshor, of the Tzeachten First Nation, identifies why transformative change is pertinent for improving Indigenous Health and how the conditions for such change are promising in the context of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Internationally.
Leslie leads the Vancouver Coastal Health Aboriginal Health Team, within the larger VCH system, to support and facilitate system-wide transformative change for the Indigenous Peoples of the Vancouver Coastal Region. Such transformative change is facilitated by a team of Indigenous health leaders who act as agents of change throughout the greater Public Health system. The team provides education and leadership to health professionals in order to reform services to be more culturally sensitive and responsive, and they encourage the development of concrete goals in a movement towards addressing the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action.
Through the view that all health departments and professionals have a role in improving Indigenous health and a responsibility to participate in the reconciliation movement in Canada, the VCH Aboriginal Health Team focuses on empowering non-Indigenous health providers to learn about Indigenous colonial history and move towards offering culturally sensitive care as allies themselves. Having allies throughout the health system helps the spread of social change and thus helps to meet the reconciliation and cultural safety goals established by the health authority.
Indigenous health work is, by definition, transformative. This transformative leadership must have an impact at all levels of a system from the ground up. Until an entire system has reached a common level of understanding on the complexity of determinants that impact Indigenous people’s health and their interaction with health services, we can not make an impact on bridging the health gap for this population or achieve the health reconciliation calls outlined in the TRC.
Join us at the 2017 Summer School so you too can learn your role in transforming Indigenous health.
With just over a week to go before our annual summer school we are delighted to share with you our agenda for both days. We are excited to bring together experts and innovators from all over BC to discuss this important leadership style and how registrants can apply the theory in their work and personal lives to effect positive changes in their communities.
If you haven’t registered be sure to do so soon, seats are filling up! Click here to register
Room Locations
UBC: Life Sciences Building (LSC) 1002 LT2
UVic: Medical Services Building (MSB) 160 LT
UBCO: Reichwald Health Sciences Centre (RHS) 148
UHNBC: Learning and Development Centre (LDC) 0505
Thursday July 6th, 2017 Agenda
8:00 – 8:30am
Registration and Meet and Greet
8:30 – 8:45am
Introduction, Recognition and Acknowledgement of Territory
8:45 – 9:15am
Introduction to Transformative Leadership & Practice: Theoretical Framework
9:15 – 12:00pm
Child and Youth Health
9:15 – 10:00am
Applying Transformative Leadership and Practice – Dr. Gordie Hogg & Dr. Gord Miller
10:00 – 10:30am
Wellness Break and Networking
10:30 – 11:30am
Social Innovation and Policy Creation in Child and Youth Health – Dr. Gordie Hogg, Ashley Frerichs & Dr. Gord Miller
11:30 – 12:00pm
Summation Discussion and Evaluation of Topic
12:00 – 1:00pm
Lunch and Networking
1:00 – 4:00pm
Indigenous Health
1:00 – 1:15pm
Introduction to Indigenous Health – Roberta Price, Elder, Snueymuxw and Cowichan First Nation
1:15 – 2:30pm
Transformative Leadership in Indigenous Health – Leslie Bonshor, Aboriginal Health Executive Advisor
2:30 – 3:00pm
Wellness Break and Networking
3:00 – 3:30pm
Case Studies and Discussion Group
3:30 – 4:00pm
Summation Discussion and Evaluation of Topic
4:00 – 4:30pm
Day Debrief & Closing Remarks – Shannon Turner, POVC, Executive Director of PHABC
Friday July 7, 2017 Agenda
8:30 – 8:35am
Welcome and Acknowledgement of Territory
8:35 – 12:00pm
Immigrant and Refugee Health
8:35 – 9:15am
Social Determinants of Health in Response to Rising Immigrant Population – Dr. Karen Kobayashi
9:15 – 10:00am
Case Studies Discussion Group
10:00 – 10:30am
Wellness Break and Networking
10:30 – 11:15am
Refugee Settlement and Health Care Needs – Sara Hosseina, Nurse Practitioner
11:15 – 12:00pm
Case Studies Discussion Group
12:00 – 12:15pm
Summation Discussion and Evaluation of Topic
12:15 – 1:00pm
Lunch and Networking
1:00 – 4:15pm
Healthy Built Environments and Planetary Health
1:00 – 2:00pm
Plan H – Victoria Barr, BC Healthy Communities Regional Outcomes Monitoring – Shannon Clarke, Capital Regional DistrictConversations for a One Planet Region – Dr. Trevor Hancock, School of Public Health and Social Policy, UVic
2:00 – 2:30pm
Questions and Discussion of Presentations
2:30 – 3:00pm
Wellness Break and Networking
3:00 – 3:45pm
Local Discussions
3:45 – 4:15pm
Report back, Summation Discussion and Evaluation of Topic
4:15 – 4:30pm
Summer School Summation & Closing Remarks – Paola Ardilles, PHABC Past President, SFU
The Greater Victoria School District provides public educational services to over 20,000 students in the Greater Victoria Area, encompassing six municipalities. To provide this service, the District has a current operating budget of $184 million and employs approximately 3,000 staff; which includes, teachers, principals and vice-principals, support staff, psychologists, speech and language pathologists and exempt managerial staff.
Under the direction of the Manager of Occupational Health and Safety, the Occupational Health and & Safety Advisor will assist with the implementation and on-going administration of the District’s occupational health and safety program, promote health and safety awareness among all employees with a focus on injury prevention, support workplace Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees as required, aid in investigating and reporting workplace injuries and incidents, including recommendation to prevent reoccurrence, develop safe work procedures, safety reports, and maintain appropriate records, compile and analyse safety statistics for hazard identification and monitoring, interpret the Workers’ Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and make recommendations to achieve and maintain compliance, and assist with WorkSafeBC claims management and GRTW planning. The starting salary for this exempt position is $67,000 per year.
The ideal candidate will have:
High school graduation or equivalent.
Successful completion of a one year Occupational Health and Safety Certificate from an accredited institute.
Extensive knowledge of the Workers’ Compensation Act, Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and any other applicable legislation.
A minimum of five years related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience planning and delivering safety training programs.
Knowledge of office procedures and composing business correspondence at a publishing level.
To apply, please send your cover letter, resume, proof of qualifications and references to:
Human Resource Services
Greater Victoria School District No. 61
556 Boleskine Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1E8
or by fax: 250-475-4113 or email: hrs@sd61.bc.ca
Deadline for submission: 4:00 PM, Monday, July 10, 2017.
School District 61 thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
Bring your expertise in information management and negotiation skills to this key leadership role
$72,095.17 – $82,478.97 annually
The Health Sector Information, Analysis and Reporting Division (HSIAR) establishes the foundation for the delivery of high quality health sector information, analytics and reporting for the Ministry of Health. Data Management and Stewardship (DMS) is a branch of the Health Sector Information, Analysis and Reporting Division. DMS leads and monitors the collection, storage, availability, use and access to ministry data sets for research and analysis purposes.
The Team Lead, Data Stewardship manages the establishment of agreements between the Ministry and external partners and clients requesting ongoing or one-time access to Ministry of Health data holdings. This role encompasses representing the Ministry’s interest in the negotiation of agreements with multiple stakeholders; providing project management leadership and expertise on complex projects; and ensuring compliance with legislation, policy, and sound privacy, security practices and procedures.
Qualifications for this role include:
University degree in Law, Computer Science, Information Systems, Health Informatics, the social sciences, or other relevant discipline and a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience (preference may be given to applicants with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience).
Experience establishing collaborative relationships with business clients and stakeholders.
Experience providing policy and issues management advice to senior executives/decision makers.
This Team Lead role is your opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful regions in British Columbia and work for the BC Public Service. We offer a healthy work/life balance, excellent benefits and much more.
To learn more, including how to apply online by July 9, 2017, please visit:
