Psychiatrist to Podiatrist: Head to Toe Opportunities in Aboriginal Health Careers

Reece Rules! (Nisga’a Nation)

Date: Thursday November 27, 2014

The UBC Learning Circle and First Nations Health Authority, in collaboration with Island Health’s Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention Program welcome you to join us in a presentation on the exciting opportunities available in Health Careers for Aboriginal people. In this presentation, Aboriginal guest speakers from different health professions will join to share what motivates them in their work, tips and tricks to successfully complete training/schooling, typical work day stories, and their future goals. Links to follow up resources will be shared that include: the First Nations Health Authority Career Guide, scholarship/bursary opportunities, and information/links to post-secondary schools.

Employment has long been known to be a social determinant of health. Island Health has embarked on a long term Aboriginal employment strategy with a dedicated Aboriginal Employment Program (AEP). This program has seen a dramatic rise in applicants and hires since implementation of the AEP. The First Nations Health Authority has a team dedicated to provide employment opportunities for job seekers and other qualified career professionals to help meet workforce demands. Both organizations have high standards in meeting the needs of clients and employees in providing quality, culturally appropriate care to our Aboriginal peoples.

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Here are five great reasons to consider starting your career in health:

1. You’ll Change Lives Working in the health field gives you the unique opportunity to make positive changes in the lives of others. There’s no other career path that can give you the ability to save, change, and improve lives from birth to death (and everywhere in between). No matter what area of health you choose to focus in, whether it’s dental care, vision care, information technology, public health, or policy and administration, you’ll know that you’re making a real contribution to people’s wellbeing. And you’ll work with others who share your passion to help people.

2. You’ll Find Diversity, Variety and Opportunity Want to pursue a PhD? Or are you looking for a job that you can start right out of high school? Hundreds of different jobs in the health field means that there are opportunities for everyone, regardless of their level of education, or their particular skills and interests. Do you enjoy working with the public? Or maybe you’d be more interested working in a laboratory setting, or with computers? Whether your ideal job involves working with children, using technology,spending time outdoors, or crunching numbers, there’s a career in health to match your expectations. The field of health is so diverse, and there are lots of opportunities for growth and change throughout your career. You may choose to stay in the same job for three months, three years or for three decades — the choice is yours!

3. It’s Growing… and Fast Here in BC, as in the rest of Canada, the population is aging. Baby boomers are starting to retire — creating job openings — and they’re also needing and using more health services — creating increased demand. And as people are living longer than ever before, that demand will only continue to grow. Meanwhile, we have a baby boom of our own happening! Our Aboriginal and First Nations population is the fastest growing demographic in the province, and with an average age in the mid-20s, our communities are growing by leaps and bounds. It all means there’s no better time than right now for Aboriginal and BC First Nations youth to find their way into a meaningful career within the health field. We need you!

4. You’ll Enjoy Competitive Pay and Benefits Many of the opportunities within the health field in our province offer excellent pay along with medical, dental and extended health care benefits. These employers may also offer opportunities for professional development and progressive pay scales for continued service, as well as attractive pension plans. Health professionals who decide to enter private practice or who find employment with businesses or non-profit organizations will have more variable earnings, but with the high demand for many types of health professionals, wages are expected to remain very competitive across the field.

5. Your Community Needs You If you’re not already convinced that health is the right path for you, consider this: you can make a real, lasting contribution to the well-being of the people in your local community through your health career. For many First Nations and Aboriginal youth who come from rural or remote communities, health care is a great way to give back to their home community. There’s a shortage of health care workers in many areas of the province, and there’s a shortage of First Nations and Aboriginal health providers. You can change that. As our understanding of the holistic nature of health increases, we’re realizing the importance of culture, language, and traditional foods and medicines. Aboriginal health providers bring a cultural understanding to their work in their communities that can’t be duplicated. Aboriginal youth bring gifts, skills, and abilities that are in high demand in our communities, Nations, and the province. Of course there are other incentives for working in rural and remote communities, including BC Student Loan Forgiveness programs and other financial benefits. Not to mention there is also a tremendous amount of value in working in close-knit communities and building lasting relationships with the people you work with and for.

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About the Presenters:

Melanie Rivers is Coast Salish from the Squamish Nation. Her St’atl’imc name is 7imlemelwet which means ‘medicine’. Melanie has worked in First Nations health for 15 years and believes strongly in community-driven, culturally appropriate and strength-based approaches to improving health outcomes for First Nations peoples. Melanie has been a key leader in the area of Aboriginal HIV/AIDS work and has recently joined the First Nations Health Authority, first as Regional Director in the Vancouver Coastal region and now as Manager of Health Human Resources. Melanie is honoured to have visited and partnered with a majority of the 203 First Nations communities in BC. She is a strong advocate for the needs of First Nations communities, and brings extensive strategic planning and community development experience to her work. Melanie recently completed a Masters in Public Health at the University of British Columbia, where she broadened her knowledge and skills in public health. Melanie brings dedication, creativity and balance, grounding her work in science, culture and community. For her personal wellness goals, Melanie enjoys mixed-media painting, yoga, travel and spending time with her husband and very large cat.

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Steve Sxwithul’txw (Pronounced SWEE-THULT) is from the Penelakut Tribe located on Vancouver Island BC. Steve has held a number of professional roles including a former police officer and news journalist. In 2010, Steve joined Island Health (formerly VIHA) as an Aboriginal Employment Advisor and is now the Coordinator for the Aboriginal Employment Program. With a focus of promoting health careers to aboriginal youth across Vancouver Island, his team actively recruits practicing Aboriginal healthcare professionals and undertakes initiatives to support Island Health Aboriginal employees. In his other life, Steve spends his spare time as an independent Aboriginal producer with his own company Kwassen Productions. Having a passion for creating shows for television, he is now host of two TV shows on APTN called Down2Earth and Warrior Games which debuts on this September. Steve also spends his other spare time working with INDSPIRE which is a First Nations organization which promotes varying industry leading careers. He facilitates in-depth workshops to Aboriginal youth across Canada on careers in Health, TV/Radio, Mining and the Oil and Gas industry.

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RESOURCES & LINKS:

PDF – Slideshow Presentation FNHA Recruitment