Best of Both Worlds, Dimensions of Quality:
Indigenous Perspectives
Integrating Traditional Healing and Wellness
as a part of Quality Improvement
Dr Evan Adams, Chief Medical Officer
Melanie Rivers, 7mlemelwet, Senior Advisor
www.fnha.ca
4
“Keeping the Spirit Alive” Guidebook: Weaving Together Traditional Wellness and Mainstream Health
Integration
www.fnha.ca
5
Spirit
Traditional wellness is proactively staying well by keeping the spirit alive and centred in the body
www.fnha.ca
6
Traditional wellness is knowing who you are and your connection to family, community, spirit, culture, the land and the ancestors
Connection
www.fnha.ca
7
Traditional wellness is holistic and includes mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health
Holistic
www.fnha.ca
8
Traditional healing includes seeking help from an Elder or traditional healer to heal a broken spirit, ill body or as a part of maintaining wellness.
www.fnha.ca
9
Traditional healing and wellness include ceremony, prayer, traditional medicines and foods, songs, sacred spaces, language, stories, dance, smudging, brushings, hunting and gathering, fasting, running, morning dips….
Systems of traditional medicine & healing are well
established and have been functioning for generations all
over the world
10
www.fnha.ca
Relating Quality and Traditional Wellness
Traditional wellness programming is part of providing quality health
services for First Nations.
and…
Ensuring traditional wellness programming is delivered in a good way
includes upholding standards of quality.
12
www.fnha.ca
Ensuring Quality
Revitalizing Teachings
Finding appropriate
Healers/Elders
Preservation of Traditional Foods and Medicines
Protecting Family/Commun
ity Knowledge
Hand Shake
Safety/
Accountability
Guides
Mentoring
13
www.fnha.ca
Wise Practice Examples
Traditional foods hospital program
Code of Behavior for Traditional Healers
Indigenous Elders Partnership Program
Healing House and Medicine garden
Traditional healer hired by health program/community
Ceremonies:
lifting up
letting go
welcome home
new beginning
honouring babies
coming of age
seasonal
14
www.fnha.ca
Partnerships Considerations:
Build local partnerships to ensure local traditions and protocols are
included.
Ensure First Nations are the leaders and key decision-makers in
regards to traditional wellness and healing programming.
When compromises are required, leave the final decision in First
Nations hands. Sometimes a compromise may not be acceptable.
Do not require traditional wellness and healing practices to be
evaluated or ‘proven’ from a biomedical health lens.
15
www.fnha.ca
Discussion:
What are important considerations in
delivering traditional wellness and
healing services in a good way (quality
assurance)?
16
Top Related