Nuu-chah-nulth community wellness workers will have additional tools and supports to bring back to their people thanks to training they’ve completed through the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Teechuktl (Mental Health) Program.
Over the past few months, 22 Nuu-chah-nulth human services workers from all three Nuu-chah-nulth regions have been taking training at Ocean Resort in Oyster Bay.
According to Training and Prevention Coordinator Michael McCarthy the trainees, who started in September 2014, spend a few days together each month working on four modules, which focus on the promotion of wellness.
One of the module titles, for example, translates to mean "Important Child". But the training has a broader wellness focus, which, according to McCarthy, could mean wellness for the community, for the children, for the elders or even self-wellness.
According to McCarthy, this program is a great opportunity for community workers to broaden their skills and allows them to blend critical thinking with cultural knowledge.
This type of training will give wellness workers the skills to help them serve their communities by having the ability to provide support both clinically and culturally.
Judging by the interaction between the trainees, it was clear that they formed close bonds. Some began calling their new friends family.
On their final day at Ocean Resort the graduates were escorted in one-by-one, each carrying their certificate. They were praised for the cultural knowledge they had gained through their training.
“It seems certificates are never awarded for this type of learning,” said Joe Tom, one of the trainers.
Vina Robinson, Teechuktl Manager, congratulated the trainees on behalf of the NTC and Teechuktl program.
“This training was hard; like taking a university course,” she said.
The students, Robinson said, took time away from their families and learned about things, like communication and lateral violence.
She thanked the training team—Michael McCarthy, Joe Tom, Geraldine Tom, Ruby Ambrose and other staff— that assisted over the four sessions.
Prior to the ceremony each student made a bolo tie of woven cedar bark that would be presented to a fellow student. They took turns presenting their gifts to fellow students, taking the time to say what they admired about that person.
Many offered to stay in touch with fellow classmates to keep the lines of communication and mutual support open.
The graduates pictured are: Randy Ginger, Kelly Johnsen, Jeff Gallic, Melony Edgar, Vince Smith, Paulette Tatoosh, Richard Sam Jr., Jay Miller, Cyril Edgar, Felicia Aguilar, Lisa Gallic, Celina Cook, Marie Frank-Atleo, Margaret Tom, Debbie Mundy and Jolene Anker.
Missing from photo: Cheryl Thomas, Ina Dick, Corrine Moore, Stella George, Dennis John and Kristen Young.
The next round of NTC Community Wellness Training will begin in September 2015 and is open to all frontline workers selected by their communities to attend.
Those taking part in Community Wellness Training may even be inspired to use it as a launching pad to further develop careers in health and wellness.
