Wellness focus of program

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Social services providers in Manitoba have an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how to serve their Native clients, while at the same time working toward a Bachelor of Social Work degree, thanks to a program offered by the University of Manitoba.

The First Nation Community Wellness diploma program was created by the university's Aboriginal Focus programs in partnership with the Manitoba Community Wellness Working Group and Yellowquill College.

The 60 credit hours of the program are fully transferable toward a Bachelor of Social Work degree. A total of 45 of the 60 credit hours are also fully transferable toward the Bachelor of Health Administration program offered through Athabasca University, allowing graduates of the Community Wellness diploma program to use distance education to obtain a degree while remaining in their communities.

As well, 33 credit hours are transferable toward an Arts degree, or could be used to fulfil the elective requirements towards a Nursing degree. Some credits could also be transferred toward the First Nation and Aboriginal Counselling degree program offered by Brandon University.

The courses which make up the Community Wellness diploma program include both those designed specifically to address Aboriginal issues, as well as standard areas of study the course promotional material describes as having been "revised to incorporate an Indigenous perspective on wellness."

The standard courses include such topics as Interpersonal Communications Skills, Introduction to Psychology and Counselling Skills for Nursing, while those designed to increase awareness regarding Aboriginal clients include topics such as Aboriginal Wisdom and Spirituality, Exploring Aboriginal Healing Ways, and Native Medicine and Health.

The program is made up of 20 three-credit courses, spread over two years. Each course is taught during a seven-day period, with a new course offered every four weeks.

The First Nation Community Wellness diploma program is currently being offered at the downtown campus of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and in the community of Thompson, in northern Manitoba. According to program literature, the courses can also be offered on-site for organizations or communities with adequate space and administrative support.

The first group of students to take part in the First Nation Community Wellness diploma program were participants in the Winnipeg-based program, who started their first course in January, 1998, and completed their final course this past January. The sixteen program graduates will receive their diplomas at ceremonies to be held in Winnipeg in May. A second group of students in Winnipeg will begin their two years of studies in April.

A second group of students, enrolled in the program in Thompson, began their studies in September 1998, and are scheduled to complete their final course in October 2000.

Brenda Longclaws is co-ordinator of Aboriginal focus programs with the Continuing Education division of the University of Manitoba.

According to Longclaws, the Community Wellness diploma program was developed as an initiative of the Manitoba Community Wellness Working Group, which in 1992 was responsible for implementing two federal programs - the Brighter Futures Initiative and Building Healthier Communities - at the community level. The working group was formed by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs', through the Chiefs Health Committee.

The working group found a need to train workers in the field of mental health, and found that no training for Aboriginal workers in the mental health field existed in Canada. As a result, Longclaws explained, the working group decided to develop the needed training, and began research and consultations at the community level to determine what was needed. The working group then invited all major post-secondary institutions in the province of Manitoba to see which could help in designing a program, and out of that grew a partnersip between the working group and the University of Manitoba.

The two-year Community Wellness diploma program is the first of its kind directed at First Nations in Manitoba, Longclaws said.

The program was developed to help service providers address mental health in a holistic way, looking at physical, mental, emotional and spiritual factors.

The courses in the program are all at the university level, and are drawn from four different faculties - Arts, Social Work, Nursing and Pharmacy. Longclaws said this multi-disciplinary approach is another factor that makes the program unique, as is the way Aboriginal content has been integrated into the courses.

According to Longclaws, all the courses have been revised to bring in Aboriginal content. She said the students have said the revisions are very positive, and are "the strength of the program."

Another feature that makes the program work so well, Longclaws said, is "the way we deliver the courses so people at the community level can stay employed.

"They can't afford for people to leave their community for four years to get a degree," she said.

Longclaws said the partners have also worked to "redesign and rework the courses to be more practical," allowing the students to apply the concepts they learn to their immediate job situations.

"We really tried to put a practical spin on it," Longclaws said. "We're really trying to take the theory. . . and say, 'is this theory applicable to your community, or is some of it applicable, or is none of it applicable?'"

The attempt with the program, Longclaws indicated, is to "bring the information down to the community level" and "try to make the learning relevant."

Longclaws said the current Thompson-based program is a more mature class than the Winnipeg-based class, with the average age of the students at 37. She said the experience the students are bringing to the program is being acknowledged.

"We're saying 'you have something to offer'" Longclaws said, adding that, though the program, the students are learning how to integrate the knowledge and experience they already have with what they gain through their university studies.

Longclaws said the length of time between courses doesn't cause a problem for students trying to retain their newly-gained knowledge because the students are able to apply what they've learned as soon as they get back to their communities.

"They retain more, because they apply it," she said.

Another factor that has helped the program along is having a good support system in place for the students, Longclaws said. She added the learning environment itself has even encouraged some of the students to continue on with their education.

Longclaws said although the number of students taking the program in Thompson has been lower than had been hoped, "some unique issues" specific to the north made it difficult for those wanting to attend to take part. Because many of the northern Manitoba communities are fly-in communities, many of the people interested couldn't find the money to cover travel and accommodation expenses, she explained. The fact that the program is so new, and awareness may not be very high yet may also have been a factor, she added.

Longclaws said the communities and the students like the set up of the program, allowing the students to continue working in their communities, and only having to leave for seven days at a time once a month. Longclaws said this method is "sometimes a little intense," but is a better option than having to leave their communities and their work to pursue additional training.

Longclaws indicated other post-secondary institutes are looking at the way the Community Wellness diploma is being offered, and using it as a possible model for delivery of their programs.

Of the 23 students who started out in the Winnipeg-based program two years ago, 16 have graduated, and the rest are one or two courses away from graduating, Longclaws said.

"I think for a brand-new program -it's only two years old - it's a good start," she said.

Longclaws said there have also been some calls about holding the program at the community level. The program could be offered anywhere across Canada.

Gina Larock is one of the students currently enrolled in the Community Wellness diploma program being offered out of Thompson. Larock is an addictions counsellor with the Kawechetonanow Centre in The Pas, and has been working as an addictions counsellor for the past six years.

Larock said she was just beginning university, working toward her Bachelor of Social Work degree, when she learned about the Community Wellness diploma program. She said she saw the program as a "stepping stone," allowing her to earn the Community Wellness diploma, while at the same time earning credits toward her Bachelor of Social Work degree.

Through the program, Larock said she has increased her awareness regarding Aboriginal issues, and has learned more about Aboriginal culture and traditions.

She says she now has "more of a respect for people who follow the traditional way."

"It's taught me so much, and got me to overcome a lot of my personal fears," she said of the program.

Even though she is still months away from completing the Community Wellness diploma program, Larock said her involvement in the program is already making a difference in her work as an addictions counsellor.

"It's already helping me. When I work one-to-one with a client, I understand more about certain ceremonies, and how it helps in their recovery," she said.