YTC Community Newsletter - Yellowhead Tribal College

YTC Community Newsletter SPRING 2015 -­‐ ISSUE 2 Health and Wellness ………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Nutrition ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Indian Residential Schools .………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 ASETS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................... 7 YTC Rehabilitation Services ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Yellowhead Tribal College ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....... 9 Spring Session Courses …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 9 Fall Classes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….............. 10 Library ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..................... 11 FNSSP ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................... 11 2 HEALTH AND WELLNESS Taken from the article: “Addiction and Medications – Section 7, Special Patients” 7.2 The Elderly The elderly are at particular risk, because they do have more illness and in consequence need more drugs. There are also changes in the body as we age which generally make us more sensitive to drugs and, in consequence, it becomes easier to overdose patients or for patients to overdose themselves. In summary, there are a variety of habits which are relatively common among the elderly and which make the risks associated with medication greater than they need to be. For example: 1. Sharing medication 2. Sequestering old medicines and re-­‐using them without approval from a physician 3. Failing to follow the required dosage schedule 4. Taking too much or too little 5. “Doctor-­‐hopping” in which the patient will covertly be seeing several different doctors and using medication prescribed by each 6. Combining drugs with alcohol or foodstuffs with which the drug may interact ─ failing to observe the warning labels 7. Self-­‐medicating unnecessarily or excessively with non-­‐prescription products 8. Relying on drugs to deal with problems that could better be dealt with by lifestyle changes Some members of the medical profession are also guilty of over-­‐medicating elderly patients, and sometimes failing to realize that the change in behaviour which is attributed to senility may actually be an adverse reaction to unnecessary medication. The elderly sometimes respond in a paradoxical way to drugs, for example, becoming more agitated when a sedative is given. This may cause the physician, who fails to recognize the problem, to increase the dose of the sedative. Equally, sleep patterns change with age, and some elderly patients receive sleeping medication in an attempt to force them into the sleep pattern of younger adults. Sometimes grief may appropriately be treated short-­‐term with the benzodiazepines, but the prescription is sometimes continued long after the patient should have recovered, leading to an expensive and damaging dependence on these drugs. “Addictions and Medications”, David A. Cook, Ph. D. June 2004 REVISED: November 2007This document is the property of Alberta Health Services (AHS). http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/Researchers/i
f-­‐res-­‐policy-­‐medications-­‐background.pdf How can I help my Elder? You can assist Elders to regain their daily lives, after they have been hospitalized or ill with simple things, such as helping with cooking, cleaning, light exercises or taking them on outings. Encourage the opening of windows, airing their home and having them sit outside will lend itself to the Elders feeling better. When the Elders feel better, they will not rely on medications and will feel more capable and ready to adjust to what may be permanent changes in their daily lives and lifestyle. 1. Encourage Elders not to share their medication 2. Help the Elder to remove old medicines and offer to return them to the pharmacist for disposal. 2 3 3. Assist the Elder to know and follow the required schedule and the recommended dosage by posting notes or setting timers for them. 4. Help them with transportation and encourage the Elder to see a regular physician or a regular clinic. They could take all their medications with them allowing the physician to correct or prescribe the right medication and dosage. 5. Ensure the Elder knows what is contained in the warning labels especially where the labels may warn against combining drugs with alcohol or certain foods. There are certain drugs that may cause negative effects when combined with certain foods. 6. Checking in on the Elders on a regular basis especially if they are ill and don’t demonstrate full capacity to look after themselves. This will help them not to self-­‐medicate unnecessarily or over-­‐medicate with non-­‐prescription products such as cough medicine etc. NUTRITION Nutrition Activities in Your Community Sarah Juchli, YTC’s Registered Dietitian, has been working more and more with the youth in YTC’s four bands. This includes working closely with the schools to deliver nutrition lessons and teach healthy snack and meal ideas. After school kids cooking clubs are another great way to expose kids to new foods and skills. Did you know that cooking skills are directly linked to healthy eating habits? It is important to get kids involved in cooking at an early age. If they learn cooking skills in their youth, they’ll be healthier their whole lives through! Youth also have lots of fun and are very proud of their kitchen creations! If you are interested in learning more about the nutrition and food activities available for your kids, or have questions on how you can get your kids cooking at home, call your Health Centre, or call or e-­‐mail Sarah at 587-­‐
524-­‐0180 or [email protected]. Springtime is Time to Think About Gardening! Did you know that most people don’t get enough vegetables and fruits in their diets? Sometimes these foods can be hard to afford. Growing vegetables and fruits is a great way to not just save money. It also can help you relax, get moving, and enjoy nature! You can easily grow a lot of foods right in your backyard, on your porch, or even in a windowsill! If you’re new to gardening, here are some vegetables and fruits that are easy to grow: • Tomatoes • Herbs • Lettuce • Carrots • Beans • Raspberries • Rhubarb If you have questions about gardening, there are lots of great resources out there. Call your Health 3 4 Centre or your local greenhouse for help. You can also call or email Sarah Juchli, Registered Dietitian at 587-­‐524-­‐0180 or [email protected] for tips on how to grow and cook foods. Rhubarb, Apple and Saskatoon Crisp This recipe uses only fruits that can be grown in your backyard! Use soft margarine and whole wheat flour to boost the crisp’s nutrition. Keep in mind that the sugar and fat in this recipe make it a treat. Ingredients: • Topping: o
o
o
o
•
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly grease a baking pan. 2. Prepare the topping: in a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and oats. Cut in margarine with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly. 3. Combine fruits, flour, and sugar in a large bowl. 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup cold non-­‐hydrogenated (soft) margarine Fruit: o 6 apples, cored, peeled and sliced o 3 cups rhubarb, cut into bite sized pieces o 2 cups Saskatoon berries (frozen or fresh) o 2 tablespoons flour o 2 tablespoons brown sugar 4. Pour 1/3 of the topping into the greased baking pan, spread evenly. Spread the fruit evenly on top of this, followed by the remainder of the topping mixture. 5. Bake in preheated oven for 30-­‐45 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is tender. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. 4 5 INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS Happenings: The $3,000 education credits deadline ended on March 9th, 2015 Hearings continue to be on-­‐going with the three RHSW workers as well as networking with all surrounding communities and other Alberta RHSW’s/CSP’s Monthly trainings continue to be provided for all RHSW’s Gordon, Theresa and Howard, Jr, have recently taken additional training and will be certified in ‘Grief Training’. In February and March, Gordon Burnstick continued to be involved in a circuit of speaking engagements sharing his story and educating others about the Indian Residential Schools. Some of his audiences have been: o Kings University –junior high and senior high school teachers and their graduates o Schools in Spruce Grove, four grade 7 classes o The RCMP K Division, approximately 30 constables o Keynote speaker at the Pekiwek, ‘Calling our Spirit Home’ event o Aboriginal Policing Awareness – will be speaking to this group regarding domestic violence in aboriginal communities Any questions regarding the Indian Residential School Program, please contact the RHSW for your area. ALEXANDER FIRST NATION: • GORDON BURNSTICK 780-­‐217-­‐0061, or email: [email protected] O’CHIESE FIRST NATION and SUNCHILD FIRST NATION • THERESA FRENCHEATER 780.445.4373 or email: [email protected] ALEXIS NAKOTA SIOUX FIRST NATION • HOWARD MUSTUS, JR. 780-­‐920-­‐4187 or email: [email protected] 5 6 ASETS STRUCTURE Yvette Alexis, ASETS Coordinator Bernadine Coleman, ASETS Data Manager Rodney Mustus, ASETS Financial Officer Garett Strawberry, Employment Counselor Enoch Catchment Area PROGRAM RESULTS As a whole, the YTDF-­‐ASETS client ‘employment success’ and ‘return to school’ over the span of the agreement is illustrated below: MEASURES
2011 - 2012 2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 Cumulative
Total Clients
450
499
448
246
1,643
Employed
192
176
254
136
758
Return to school
20
26
57
17
120
Intervention Completions
568
712
604
306
2,190
EI Unpaid Benefits
111,673
98,539
153,443
43,494
407,149
Non-EI SAR Savings
20,117
0
43,547
0
63,664
Disabilities - Total Clients
6
5
2
1
14
Disabilities - Interventions
6
6
2
1
15
Completed
Disabilities - Employed
1
1
0
0
2
Youth - Total Clients
228
219
212
121
780
Youth - Interventions Completed
291
301
287
150
1,029
Youth - Employed
83
67
94
51
295
Youth - Return to School
18
19
39
10
86
6 7 2014 T6 EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIPS AND JOB FAIR The 2nd annual Employment Partnerships and Job Fair was held on October 28th and 29th in Edmonton. This two day event was put on by the Treaty Six ASETS Workforce which includes YTDF, Six Independent Alberta First Nations, Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association, and Oteenow Employment and Training Society. The Job Fair is designed to promote employment partnerships and job opportunities. The focus is to share information, network, recruit, and connect with future business opportunities. This year’s event had 55 booths and approximately 1000 attendees. The 2015 T6 ASETS Job Fair will be hosted by Tribal Chiefs and Oteenow Employment Services in October, 2015. All information will be forthcoming in the new fiscal year. YTDF-­‐ASETS plays a significant role in supporting our Nations with the employment portion of their partnership agreements with industry and assisting with the delivery of employment services to the workforce members they serve. YTDF-­‐ASETS main objective is to strive to eliminate the high unemployment rate within the boundaries of our First Nation communities and assist and support our workforce to find meaningful long term employment. YTC REHABILITATION SERVICES “Caring for Your Body” -­‐ Avoid static positions for long periods of time. Arthritis: Can You Protect Your Joints? F.A.Q. The answer is YES. Changing the way you do things can preserve the structure of your joint. There are several rules of joint protection. If followed, it can help minimize the effects of arthritis. -­‐ Maintain fitness, strengthen muscles, and increase range of motion. -­‐ Minimize destructive forces on your joints. Is all joint pain arthritis? Joint pain can be caused by conditions other than arthritis. Why do my joints hurt if I have osteoarthritis? The cartilage that protects the joints can become worn after many years of use. Pain is caused by one bone rubbing against an adjoining bone. 7 8 Can osteoarthritis be cured? Osteoarthritis is not “curable” but treatment can help decrease pain and inflammation as well as improve function. By doing exercises to strengthen the joint and modalities such as ultrasound to decrease inflammation, the pain in your joint will decrease and your function will be improved. What is joint protection? Joint protection is a set of rules concerning how to use your body to avoid destructive forces and minimize the wear and tear on joints. Many people think of arthritis as a normal pat of aging. However, your Physical Therapist can help you or someone you know to actively manage osteo arthritis (OA). Therapist will educate you about the disease and join protection to improve the ability to use the affected body part. In most cases, the sooner therapy begins, the better the outcome. Therapist can also refer you to an Occupational Therapist to further assist with specialized adaptive devices for your daily activities. Find out why you are having difficulties with your joints by seeing Physical and Occupational therapist at your Community Health Center. Yellowhead Tribal College SPRING SESSION COURSES Yellowhead Tribal College is offering Spring Session courses for both University Studies and Management Studies. Classes being the week of May 4, 2015, and will be completed by June 26. The available classes are: University Studies EDIT 202 – Information Technology for Teachers This course is intended to provide the basic skills for the application of desktop productivity and multimedia software in teaching and learning, as well as a framework for the understanding and effective use of computer technology in the classroom. These are placed in context by the examination of the history and development of computer technology, its impacts upon education, and basic hardware components and functions. Reference is also made in the course to standards for technology in teaching and learning, and to commonly applied models of pedagogy as they apply to the use of computer technology. GEOG 151 – Human Geography Human geography is the study of people and their relationships with the environment. Human Geography also has a global orientation, which emphasizes the interdependence which has become so characteristic of the modern world. SOCI 215 – Sociology of the Family This course studies the way in which family life is historically and socially constructed, emphasizing the diversity of people’s lived experiences in family. There will be a special emphasis on Aboriginal family life, focusing on the historical and contemporary experiences of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. 8 9 Management Studies COMM 300 – Conflict Resolution and Mediation The purpose of this course is to teach students methods of conflict resolution that can be applied to issues of community development. Exercises in the course will be related to potential areas of conflict in First Nations administration, as well as common conflicts that occur in primary and secondary contacts (family and community). LEAD 200 – Leadership This course explores the topic of leadership. The challenge of dynamic leadership is front and centre today, as many organizations are consistently plagued by being over-­‐managed and under-­‐led. The student will be introduced to the well-­‐
developed theories of leadership using a hands-­‐on approach and practical real-­‐life examples. FALL CLASSES The following programs are offered at Yellowhead Tribal College: o Adult Basic Education o Academic Upgrading o University and College Entrance Preparation o Health Careers Preparation o Trades and Technology Preparation o University Studies Diploma o Indigenous Education Assistant o Administrative Assistant Certificate o Management Studies Diploma o Indigenous Social Work Diploma o Information Technology Certificate/Diploma o Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) o Cultural Programming o Early Childhood Development YTC accepts students ages 18+ at all stages in their educational journey. First Nations, Treaty status and Non-­‐
status, funded or not, rural or urban, non-­‐First Nations, there is a place for you at YTC! YTC College is pleased to now offer a number of courses and programs for online study. Courses may be completed on a flexible schedule within a fixed course contract period, and student can study from home, without the need to travel for classes. Visit www.ytced.ca for more information or to apply! 9 10 LIBRARY The library hosted two language days this semester, including Stoney Day and Dene Day, featuring Richard Van Camp. These days are very popular: they engage our students and help promote our languages to them. We also featured a book talk by Parry Stelter in March. Beading classes with Roxanne Susan, and yoga classes with Katie Mahon continue to be offered through the library, and are increasing in popularity each week. As the end of semester approaches, the library continues to be very busy offering research, writing, and citation help to students. We wish the best of luck to all the students writing finals this month! FIRST NATIONS STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM (FNSSP) Goldeye Youth Conference: • This February, the annual FNSSP youth conference on education named “Believe it, dream it and achieve it” was held at the Goldeye Centre, which is situated next to Goldeye Lake, Alberta. The traditional culture was the focus in how the conference would be processed. Therefore the conference’s workshops were conducted according to the traditional medicine wheel colors blue, yellow, white and red. The conference emphasized the opportunity to revitalize the connective learning between the youth and the Elders. Conference was a success. Great work to all Student Leaders, Elders, guest presenters, and staff. Everyone worked together and achieved a positive result. ULEAD Conference 2015: • This year FNSSP was able to send the four principals to the ULEAD conference. The ULEAD conference was an opportunity for top education leaders to share stories and ideas about effective schools strategies. The main focus of the ULEAD conference was school improvement. FNSSP Surveys: •School environment surveys will be handed out to all four FNSSP involved communities before the end of the 2014-­‐15 school year. There will be some revisions and additional questions about language, culture and community history. FNSSP Native Education Development: •FNSSP is continuing to heavily develop the Native education and resources, now that we are coming into the Native education focus for the 2015-­‐16 school year. Sunchild school recent FNSSP school initiatives, these include: • More emphasis on using literacy place resources. Teachers were given two days of PD to prep literacy place resources for the classroom. All TAs during periods 7 and 8 are reading with students. For student retention Sunchild has undergone two downhill ski trips to Lake Louise; work place program for secondary students; alien In Line skating Program; cultural demonstration; and, grade 5 and 6 students got an opportunity to learn how to take the fur off a hide. Alexis School has also shared their recent FNSSP initiatives, which are: For Literacy improvement Alexis has been using Fountas and Pinnell Intervention and Jolly Phonics. In math they have sent a few teachers for Jump 10 11 Math training. They continue to use the mathematics program and have had many fun activities revolving around 100 days of school, which has resulted in amazing graphs and geometry projects. For the student retention initiative they had a sliding trip and grades 7 to 12 in a ski trip this month; Alpha, Yoga and Girls Club; and a culture week which had parents and elders involved in activities with students for a week culminating in a mini student-­‐led round dance. -­‐ Lunch time review of the day along with Tracey introducing guest speaker Jordan Miller -­‐Michelle Thrush workshop “Majica: Using the words to identify feelings” -­‐Travis Bellerose workshop “P.E.P. Talk 4-­‐Self: Personal Empowerment Process” -­‐ FNSSP student leaders and chaperones setting up for students to arrive -­‐ Sunchild elementary students learning how to skin moose hide 11