In July 2015, all Health Authority CEOs in BC signed a Declaration of Commitment to advancing cultural humility and cultural safety within their organizations. This commitment gives all health professionals a mandate to advance cultural humility and safety in their practices with Indigenous Peoples in BC.
Cultural safety and humility are identified as care approaches to reduce health inequities and improve health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in BC. Cultural safety is an outcome based on respectful engagement that recognizes and strives to address power imbalances inherent in the healthcare system. It results in an environment free of racism and discrimination, where people feel safe when receiving health care. Cultural humility is a process of self-reflection to understand personal and systemic biases and to develop and maintain respectful processes and relationships based on mutual trust. Cultural humility involves humbly acknowledging oneself as a learner when it comes to understanding another’s experience.
Learn more!
The FNHA has developed a cultural humility web portal that contains educational materials, definitions, presentations, the declaration itself, social media posts and much more.
Aboriginal Health partnered with the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health on a webinar on cultural safety as a social determinant of Indigenous Peoples’ health with Dr. Sarah de Leeuw. The recording is now available.
Take action!
We encourage you to make a pledge to cultural safety and humility! Join the FNHA social media campaign.
Now is a great time to enroll in the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Online Training Program - a unique, facilitated online training designed to increase knowledge, enhance self-awareness, and strengthen the skills of those who work directly and indirectly with Aboriginal people. This training is available free to all Northern Health staff! If you have taken one of the core trainings, consider enrolling in one of the post-training courses available.