Indigenous Wellness program receives national recognition for ingenuity and innovation

The Role of Practitioners in Indigenous Wellness course has been selected as a recipient of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) “Program Award for Non-Credit Programming Under 48 Hours.”

The course is one of two self-directed online courses that were developed as part of the Indigenous Wellness (IW) program.  The modules help medical health professionals and personnel within the health care system to learn about Indigenous experiences and stories in order to create culturally safe environments for Indigenous people.

The Indigenous Wellness program was developed by Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Physical Therapy Education (CPTE).

"The Indigenous Wellness Team did a good job of listening to the Indigenous scholars and communities of saskatchwean to hear what was important in their minds and what needed to be said," CME Associate Dean Dr. Jim Barton (MD) said.

"We have demonstrated ourselves to be good teachers because we translated these teachings ... and created a message that allows learners to better understand the concerns of Indigenous peoples such that they create safe cultural spaces for Indigenous peoples and their families to receive health care," he added.

CME Instructional Designer Dan Mittleholtz accepted the award on behalf of the IW program team during CAUCE’s annual conference in Hamilton, Ont. on May 29.

CAUCE is a professional association of deans, directors, senior administrative personnel and practitioners whose professional careers are in university continuing education in Canada, and supporting best practices in lifelong learning and teaching.

CAUCE selects program award winners based on a specific set of criteria, including ingenuity and innovation of the program curriculum; the complexity of negotiating with institution and community partners; as well as unique ways to deliver the content to students.

"We are humbled to receive the award," Barton said. "It also excites and motivates us to continue this good work, something we could not do without these wonderful partnerships and relationships with the Indigenous community of Saskatchewan."

CPTE director Dr. Stacey Lovo Grona (PhD) was recently recognized by the Saskatchewan Physiotherapy Association for her contributions to making the program a success.

Staff within the College of Medicine will be taking part in the second online course Building Awareness of Cultural Humility as part of the IW program.