Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2015
This session on harm reduction will be hosted by Pamela Robertson (RN), a nurse from Boston Bar who has worked with Insite, Vancouver’s supervised injection site and also on smoking cessation in her home territory and on Vancouver Island. Pamela will discuss the basic principles of harm reduction and ‘meeting people where they are at’ in order to build trust and relationships to further assist with addictions and to prevent further harm to the client. Joining her is Elder Gerry Oleman who will share his perspective on addictions and his experience in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside working as an Elder and an advisor.
Learning Objectives:
- Define harm reduction. What it is and what it is not.
- Overview of of harm reduction myths and truths
- Understand Indigenous peoples’ history and introduction to drugs & alcohol
- Discuss how physical, spiritual, emotional and mental imbalances contributes to addictions
- Discuss what is available for Indigenous Peoples today for harm reduction options or techniques
- How to implement a ‘Harm Reduction Model’
All are welcome to attend and participate in this FREE live videoconference and computer webinar session.
About the Presenter:
Pamela Robertson (Boston Bar First Nation) attended nursing school at UBC and now works in Vancouver B.C. at insite as an addictions nurse. Pamela also works in her own territory as a community nurse and runs smoking cessation programs in the First Nations community.
Saahiilthit (Gerry) Oleman has worked with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society since 1998. He is from Seaton Lake and of the Stl’atl’imx Nation. He has been involved as a change agent for First Nations since 1976. His experiences include counseling for community addictions programs, smoking cessation providing leadership politically and administratively for his community and Nation, and working as an independent consultant. Click here to view Gerry’s website.
Resources
Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs (Working Group on Best Practices for Harm Reduction Programs in Canada)
Harm Reduction: A British Columbia Community Guide (BC Ministry of Health)
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