For the partner exercise this week in #MHST601, I had the opportunity to pair up with Sheila. Sheila typically works with all ages of youth from 0-18 and sometimes if they have an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) diagnosis she will support older adults in northern communities. Sheila and I discussed how our roles could overlap. In my role as a Public Health Nurse in the sexual health program I provide supportive counselling and health teaching related to sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, relationships, birth control, pregnancy and harm reduction. Our roles could definitely intertwine, as she often deals with sexually transmitted infections, teenage pregnancy and individuals struggling with gender identity.
Sheila mentioned that in First Nations History, people that have IDD or query gender identity, were considered “Two Spirit.” Sheila mentioned she loved how generally this term was accepted throughout their history and wishes we could embrace that more in today’s world. The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) defines “Two-Spirit” as a term used in some indigenous communities that incorporates cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity (PHSA, 2021). Out Saskatoon outlines the importance of noting that in indigenous culture being Two Spirit is considered a fluid identity and each person has their own interpretation of what it means to be Two Spirit. In my conversation with Sheila, I mentioned that I would really like to learn more about indigenous peoples of Canada. Sheila said that her work in the northern communities has taught her a lot about indigenous culture and also about compassion, patience and resiliency. She shared information for a course developed by the Provincial Health Services Authority of BC: https://www.sanyas.ca/. I will definitely be looking into this course to further enhance my knowledge and understanding related to indigenous culture. I also found a great video developed by EGALE Canada Human Right Trust, Check it out here:
Sheila shared that as a clinician it can be difficult to start conversations related to sexual health and gender identity. I was able to share a resource developed by Action Canada: A handbook for health care providers working with clients from diverse communities. As well as resources from Shore Centre which is located in Kitchener, Ontario. We both acknowledged that it takes time to build relationships with clients in order for them to feel safe and supported. I shared that many of our clients seek our services because they don’t feel comfortable talking to their health care providers in the community. Often having the right resources available can help to initiate these conversations and reinforce the education being provided.
A big part of both of our roles is building capacity in the community. I think that people often forget why capacity building is so important. Building capacity promotes empowerment and allows community partners to gain greater influence over their own future growth and development. We both agreed that building capacity is key to enhancing sexual and emotional well-being in our communities. An article written by Colarossi, Dean, Balakumar, & Stevens (2017) states, “organizational capacity building is an important step between individual sexual health education and community mobilization and has been recommended as best policies for creating population improvements in sexual and reproductive health.” I shared that our ability in Halton Region to initiate health promotion strategies and capacity building in our community has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through this partner exercise I have come to realize that I need to learn more about Canada’s indigenous cultures and how this relates to my role as a Public Health Nurse in sexual health and harm reduction. Another important takeaway that this activity taught me is the importance of ongoing learning in order to be able to support the most vulnerable populations in our communities, including those with IDD. It has also made me think more about how the COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted our most vulnerable populations.
You can check out Sheila's E-Portfoilio here: https://chatyrbok4.wixsite.com/my-site
References:
Provincial Health Services Authority. (2021). Two Spirit. Retrieved January 30th, 2021, from http://www.phsa.ca/transcarebc/trans-basics/two-spirit
Colarossi, L. G., Dean, R., Balakumar, K., & Stevens, A. (2017). Organizational Capacity Building for Sexual Health Promotion. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 12(1), 1–19.
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