Final thought to think about

 

 

BMHC Blog

http://bmhcvoices.blogspot.ca/

 

A couple weeks back I played around with the format of the blog and gave it a bit of a makeover. I think the new site is more visually appealing and interesting and I hope all of you like it! 

Snapshot #3: Be the change you want to see

What was the most significant event or experience in your CSL placement? Refer to “Specifying the Scholarship of Engagement” and identify how this event or experience fulfills or illustrates one or two of the listed objectives.

 

The most significant experience in my CSL placement was actually the work I did for my final project proposal. While I understand that the work wasn’t done as part of my actual BMHC placement, I found myself more excited and passionate about the work I was doing for the final project more than I was for the work I was doing at the BMHC. My final project proposal, which was for the creation of a comprehensive support services and organizations guidebook for BMHC clients, is something that was developed out my experience at the BMCH. In hindsight, I wish I was able to initiate the proposal sooner and incorporate it into my placement. I was however, able to spend the last couple weeks of my placement at the BMHC speaking to Bavie as well as the clients about the proposal.

I once made the comment in class that I believed that in order for students to truly get the most out of a volunteer opportunity such as the ones students were involved with in CSL, they must be engaged in something that really speaks to them. It’s not necessarily something that students should be interested in beforehand, but it is something that at the end of the day a student shows grows and an increased interest in. Because of the nature of my placement and role developing a blog, I was not able to explore opportunities within the BMHC as much as I would have liked to. Producing the blog was something that really didn’t require involving myself with the clients of the center and therefore created a disconnect between me and the BMHC. I felt like I wasn’t fully participating in the experience because up until the Women’s Group, I had no interaction with clients. Even when it came time to participating in the Women’s Group, I wasn’t able to engage in ways that I was expecting to coming into the placement. It wasn’t until I started developing my proposal that I really found ‘my calling’. It was this experience that allowed me to engage with clients the way I had initially wanted to and actually do something I was interested in and found productive. I knew this project was something I was really interested in because I actually got excited about it, something I can’t necessarily say about some of my other experiences.

One of the main things coming into the placement that I was really looking forward to was doing community based research. I wanted to engage with clients in a way where I would be able to produce knowledge or develop some kind of understanding of commonalties between their experiences or issues. Not to make it sound like I wanted to turn my placement into a science experience and treat the clients like my test subjects; but my overall objective for the placement was to able to develop research skills.

By working on my proposal, I was able to develop some of the research skills referred to in “Specifying the Scholarship of Engagement” that I was looking forward to working on from the start. Unfortunately, my role in developing the blog did not allow me to develop research skills and relied on social media skills I had already developed. I was looking to find opportunities to do surveys, ask clients specific set questions, and use that data to actually produce something. Perhaps I was subconsciously drawn into developing a project that would require the utilization of these skills. I believe that allowing myself to develop this passion will help in future endeavors in this area.

The picture I chose for my snapshot is a quote I found in the office of one of the BMHC councillors that I feel really speaks to my situation. “Nothing changes if nothing changes”. I’ll admit, the first half of my placement really didn’t create a change in me or drive any sort of passion. I enjoyed my going to the BMHC when I did, but because I wasn’t engaging with the clients or working on any sort of project, my experience was a bit different. It was upon the development of the guidebook that things really started to change and I began to perceive the placement differently. Something had to change in order for me to change. And this change was me pursuing my true interests and working with clients in a way that I had initially wanted to. I think this quote is also relatable to the concept I previously mentioned about students engaging in something that really drives them. By developing or realizing a passion or interest initiate change in a person. Simply doing a task for the sake of doing it out of a requirement does automatically result in there being a change. A student working in a homeless shelter does not automatically translate into that student developing a passion or interest in something relatable to that area. In a way Dunlap’s concepts of assimilation and accommodation could be drawn into this discussion if you toned down the extremism of the concepts. I also think that this quote and the concept I’m talking about can even be connected back to the different types of citizenship we discussed in class. Perhaps true interest and enthusiasm can be the defining point in turning a responsible citizen into a justice-oriented one?




Determinants of Health

I saw these photographs at the BMHC at the start of my placement but never took the time to properly look at them until several weeks ago. I think that these images convey rather important messages and reflect a lot of what the BMHC strives to work for. I'll let you be the judge.

 

Seasons Change




I wanted to share some photos I've taken of the BMHC and the surrounding community throughout my placement.



Beautiful tree lined streets

Winter is here. View of the Mustard Seed across the street.

 

Downtown view from behind the BMHC

CSL Final Project Proposal

I finally completed my final CSL project and wanted to share my proposal with everyone.
Here it is...

Introduction

As I reflect on my Community Service Learning (CSL) placement at the Boyle McCauley Health Center (BMHC), I have come to appreciate the true value and importance of the comprehensive health care model that this organization has adopted. By providing a single location where clients can come to access a range of services enables individuals to look after various needs they may not have been able to if they had to travel to different locations for each service. It is this all inclusive model that has inspired me to create a community guidebook for the clients of the BMHC. This guidebook compliments the efforts of the BMHC and the comprehensive health care model in the sense that it would provide a single reference source for information on various organizations, services, and facilities in Edmonton that may be of value to transients, homeless, or low income individuals.

            The theme of accessibility to information is something which I have identified as being a challenge to many of the clients that frequent the BMHC. While information on services and organizations in Edmonton can easily be found online, not everyone has access to a computer or the internet. Alternative methods for accessing information are through the use of pamphlets available in social workers and councillors offices, and more commonly by word of mouth. According to Baive Sara, volunteer coordinator at the BMHC, the only print guidebook currently offered in Edmonton geared towards vulnerable populations is called the “Tough Times Handbook” and is produced by 211 Edmonton. This guide however, is only distributed in print form through social workers and is often in short supply. This lack of access can create barriers to information. Because of this, people may be unaware of what services are available and exist and where to find them.  I believe that by providing individuals with small but comprehensive guidebooks which they are able to carry in their bags or take home, we can help bridge that information gap. The guidebook, because of its print format (as opposed to an online document) and proposed availability at the BMHC, will allow clients to easily access information. This will hopefully result in clients being able to educate and empower themselves and lead to making well-informed choices for them and their families. 

If you would like to see the rest of the proposal , please do not hesitate to leave me a message and I can forward it to you.

Interview Part 2

 

Several weeks back I posted an interview with Billy, a community outreach worker at the BMHC. If last interview sounded like it ended abruptly it was because I split the interview into two sections for my blog. Part one of the interview discussed Billy's role as a community outreach worker while part 2 focuses on a question I posed at the start of my placement in regards to clients and photos. The interview I did with Billy was informal so I apologize for any issues with sound quality and my clarity of expression when speaking with him.

 

 

Survey for my final project

As part of my final project, which I will post to my blog when it is done, I decided to do a survey to help me gage the interest and need for the document I am planning on developing. I thought I would share the survey and the results because I think its informatie and interesting. The results are based on the response of ten low income and homeless individuals who live in the innercity.

Survey:
Support Services and Organizations Resource Book Responses

1) Where do you currently get information regarding support services and organizations?

-The majority of people get their information from word of mouth (friends, family)
-Asking councillors and service workers for information
-Bissell Center Co-Op (notice boards)
-Only one person I spoke to accessed information through the internet. This is because his sister has a computer at home

2) How often do you have access to the internet?

-The vast majority of the people I spoke to do not use the internet or have access to a computer
-One man said he has never gone on the internet in his life
-Several people said they don’t know how to use it properly
-If they want to use the internet the public library downtown is the only place they can go

3) Do you think there are problems or boundaries to accessing information you need?

-Some people commented that they have difficulty figuring out what exactly it is that they need and who to go to access it
-Not knowing what services are even available limits their ability and knowledge on the type of help they can get

4) Do you know of or have you seen any resource guidebooks available?

-There is one printed guidebook called “Tough Times Handbook”
-Only one person I spoke to knew about the book
-Everyone else I surveyed did not know of any other printed resource guides

5) How do you feel about the idea of a guidebook that had all the contact and resources in Edmonton all in one place?

-There was overwhelming support by everyone I surveyed for the creation and distribution of such a guidebook
-When I was leaving the center one of the women I had surveyed shouted out “Hope to see that guidebook out soon!”

6) If there was such a product available would you want one?

-Everyone said yes and they would use it
-They supported the idea of having a small, durable booklet
-Several people commented that it should be waterproof
-The one woman that knew about the “Tough Times Handbook”  commented that it was too big to carry around and that it was made out of this paper that would easily tear or get wet in their backpacks. She also commented that if there was to be a new book it should be hard covered to make it more durable.

7) Are there any specific particular services or organizations you would like to see in there?

-One woman commented that they should create a separate one geared towards women specifically
-Doctors and housing referrals and information seemed to be a common concern that people would like to get more information about
-One man commented that he would like to be able to have access to professionals to get advice (lawyers, doctors) rather than have to rely on third party advice
-There should be short descriptions of services that are simple so that everyone can understand. One person commented that a lot of people don’t have good reading skills and it may be hard for them to understand complicated descriptions

Additional comments:

-The “Tough Times Handbook” is typically provided to people by social workers (created problems among those who do not have or regularly see social workers)
-The one woman who was familiar with the book also said that they often run out of them
-Bus route information for key service locations would be useful
-Pictures or logos of services or organization signs would be useful to create more understanding or familiarity of services
-Bavie Sara commented that the BMHC does a lot of referrals and calling around for their clients rather than providing or directing them to where they can find contact information for services/information

 

BMHC Womens Group: Portrait Day

Background:

The Women's Group is a drop in event that happens every Thursday except for the last Thursday of each month. The group is open to anybody that wants to attend but typically attracts women aged thirty five and up. According to one of the BMHC workers, the Women's Group is attended by women who have homes but live in poverty rather than those that live on the streets.

 

Each weekly meeting revolves around different  event or activities which are intended to keep the women engaged and interested. These activities include doing group yoga, visiting museums and art galleries in the city, having guest speakers come in, getting beauty treatments done at local beauty schools, and much more. In addition to doing activities, the women are also treated to a full hot dinner or packed lunch made by volunteers that come to the BMHC and cook.

Some of the beauty products Sephora was kind enough to give to the group

 

Portrait Day:

The other week I had the pleasure of attending a weekly Women's Group gathering at the BMHC.  The activity for that evening just happened to be their annual portrait day where two professional photographers come in and take portraits of the women for free. This is a special day where everyone is encouraged to dress up and give each other makeovers in preparation for their portraits. The photographs, which will be printed for free and given to the women will often be then given to family members as Christmas presents.

My role at the Women's Group was to help the ladies get ready for their pictures and help them apply their makeup. It was a really interesting experience and fun experience having a bunch of women wait in line for me to do their makeup. It was funny because several of them asked if I was a professional makeup artist (which I'm not). While I had fun playing around with the different color lipsticks and eye shadows, it was a bit nerve wracking because although I thought I did a good job on everybody I was nervous about them disliking their makeup. Thankfully nobody said anything bad and only had good things to say about it.



Ready for her snapshot (I didn't do her makeup)

 

My experience:

 

I have to admit, I felt really out of place and awkward during the Women's Group. Although I think I did a good job at hiding it, inside I had no idea what on earth I was suppose to be doing apart from helping the women with their makeup. The majority of women that attend the group are regulars and know each other so they are able to socialize between themselves. I expected Bavie as well as one or two other people from CSL to be there which would have made me feel more comfortable, but it turned out that I was the only one able to attend that night. I'm wasn't intimidated to be on my own, but I was a bit lost because I had not been given any prior instructions or guidance on what it was they wanted me to do for the duration of the evening.

 

The whole situation in fact reminded me of a classic high school cafeteria movie scene where you have different groups of people sitting at different tables chatting away while there is one "loner" (me) sitting at a table all by themselves. It was actually quite interesting. You had a group of seniors in their sixties and seventies talking amongst themselves, two Aboriginal women sitting together, a group of women in their forties grouped together, and two blond women with lots of makeup and who appeared to be desperately clinging on to their youth chatting away with one another. I don't mean to be rude or judgemental in making that last comment as they were really nice people, but if you saw them I'm sure you would understand where I was coming from. And finally there was me. Just to make myself clear I did not sit in the corner alone the whole time and stare off into space. I was able to engage with several of the women and had nice little chats. However, I often found myself sitting there observing the women and eavesdropping on their conversations quite a bit. I just wasn't able to shake the feeling of "OMG what are I suppose to be doing? I don't know! I feel so useless!"



Portrait time

I feel bad for portraying a rather negative experience of my time with the Women's Group? I didn't have a bad time, just an awkward one. I just don't really know how else to describe it. I found it a bit disappointing because I think I felt this way only because I had no idea what was expected of me that evening and it caused me to feel insecure.

Nice hot dinner to end the night

Meal Time

 



Coming into the Women's Group that evening I had no idea that they provided the women with a full healthy dinner. It was actually a really cool concept and I know that they women truly appreciated being able to come here for a weekly hot meal.

Meals are cooked by volunteers

Each week volunteers come in and cook different meals and dessert for the women. As you can see, tonight the women were treated to large servings of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread rolls, and berry flan for dessert. The importance of these weekly meals to the women struck me the most when I saw how many of the women brought containers with them to bring extra food home. For some reason it kind of saddened me that these women were so dependant on tonight's leftovers for their other meals. I don't mean to pity them, but perhaps I just lost sight of how much I take things such a food for granted.

Berry flan for dessert

Snapshot #2: Where do I stand?

In my CSL placement so far, I do not recall experiencing a “trigger event”. While I agree with Dunlap’s argument that “understanding one’s own identity, including dimensions such as privilege and lack thereof, race, culture, etc., can be important to an accurate conception of oneself and crucial to functioning in a diverse and ever-changing world” (pg 19), I personally do not believe that I nor must everyone experience a trigger event to realize the disparities between oneself and a less privileged group of individuals.

In an increasingly multicultural society I feel that many of us are exposed to the realities of different socio-economic conditions and challenges that many people face. While I understand that looking at it from the outside does not automatically translate into ones full understanding or appreciation of the disparities that may exist between yourself and the particular demographic you are working with, it can however minimize the shock, or as Dunlap describes as the state of ‘cognitive disequilibrium’. This state of ‘cognitive disequilibrium’ that occurs after a trigger event is said to create confusion and discomfort in the individual. Taking from Dunlap’s comments on white privilege,  I can see how this process might apply in a situation where you place a white, wealthy, highly sheltered child in a desolate and poor African village, but I think that for the most part, particularly in my situation, that many people for the most part have been educated about the disparities and conditions that exist in the world.

I think that one of the reasons I have not experienced a trigger event during my placement at the BMHC is because I have been exposed to both the ‘type’ of people that primarily use the BMHC as well as the neighborhood itself. I put the word type in quotations because the people that use the BMHC actually come from a variety of different backgrounds and ethnicities and I want to refrain from generalizing them as one category of people. While the majority of the clients at the BMHC are First Nations people, the only real similarities between them and the other clients is that they are predominantly low income individuals and typically from what we would consider as being marginalized groups (new immigrants, low-income seniors, young mothers etc). I included my familiarity of the Boyle McCauley neighborhood as part of my explanation because this neighborhood is quite unique to Edmonton and really does reflect some of the social issues that are going on. Someone visiting the neighborhood for the first time might be surprised by what they see; fenced housing, random homeless people walking the streets, shutters and bars on storefront windows, people waiting in lines outside the Mustard Seed and so on. While I do not think it is a bad or dangerous neighborhood, it does however reflect a different socio-economic class and situation compared let’s say to an upscale south side suburban neighborhood. The reason that the Boyle McCauley neighborhood did not cause a trigger event is because I’ve been to this neighborhood several times and none of what I saw shocked me. The same can be said for my experience with the clients of the BMHC. I spent most of my life living and traveling overseas in developing countries so I’ve seen what it is to be marginalized, to be poor, to be sick, to be homeless, and to not have access to everything you need. While I will never be able to truly identify with the situations these people face, I think that it’s fair for me to say that I at least am able to recognize, understand, and be respectful to the challenges they face. I lived in Indonesia for most of my childhood so I’ve seen what poverty looks like. I’ve also unfortunately seen what being ignorant to poverty looks like too. I feel that my exposure to all of this neutralized any trigger, shock, surprise, or guilt that I might of felt if I was coming into this with a sheltered mind.

Dunlap argues that once a student has gone through a ‘trigger event’ and reached a state of ‘cognitive disequilibrium’ and the ‘divided self’ that they would either go through a process of assimilation or accommodation. Assimilation being a process where the individual dismisses the trigger event and is seen to be in denial of their privilege and results in little or no attitude change (portrayed as a negative approach), while accommodation is seen as the process where one engages in self-reflection, accepts and changes ones beliefs/views, and can allow for increased participation (seen as a positive path). I personally disagree with these two approaches because I don’t believe that you have to go through one or the other. I know that for myself I didn’t fall into either process. Whether this is because of my gradual exposure to similar conditions I saw at the BMHC or not, I do not feel as if I shifted towards either direction. Ideally I would like to say that I learned a lot by interacting with people at the BMHC and that they have exposed me to new things, but the fact is I haven’t. I feel that my involvement at the BMHC thus far has primarily been one of an outsider looking in. I haven’t had the opportunity to engage with any of the clients at a personal level and to be honest I don’t think that people would be comfortable with me just approaching them for a casual conversation about their life. Next week though I am meeting with the Women’s Group at the BMHC for a photography event so I think that will give me the opportunity to finally interact with clients. Perhaps then my opinion will change. But in all I feel that I have yet to identify with either process.

The photo I took for my snapshot of the view of people behind the wire is meant to reflect my experience with Dunlap’s concepts of assimilation and accommodation. I took this picture from the second floor looking down into the waiting room through a wired window. I think that the wires in the window which look like a fence metaphorically represent the divide I feel between myself and the people I am working with. The images of blurred people behind the ‘fence’ reflect the disassociation and unfamiliarity I have with them. As I have already mentioned, I have not had the opportunity in my placement so far to be involved with any clients at the health center. I feel like an outsider looking in and I feel there is a disconnect between the clients and I. I sincerely hope in the coming weeks I am able to work more closely with the clients and that it will allow me to grow and gain new experiences and knowledge that way.

BMHC Community Outreach Program

Last week when I was visiting the BMHC I was given the opportunity to have an impromptu interview with a BMHC community outreach worker named Billy. Listen to the clip above to hear about the work that Billy does.

 

Note: I apologize ahead of time for the poor sound quality of the clip, I did the best I could with the resources I had.

A peak into the BMHC

Second floor hallway where all the admin office are located

Needle exchange program. They also provide condoms and lube for free to promote safe sex

They have several bulletin boards that post use full information for patients regarding health
programs, job opportunities, community events and so forth

Triage

Doctors room

On site Dynalife diagnostic facility (it was Halloween the day I was there so all the staff were dressed up)

Health posters in different languages. This caught my attention because it shows how the BMHC takes into
consideration the different cultures and background of their patients and does not discriminate but rather
makes great effort to create a barrier free facility

Rules of the BMHC

On site dental facilities

Dental x-ray

Pamphlets available in the counselling office

 

Orientation

Today the BMHC CSL group had our first group orientation where we got to meet everyone on the project and discus our projects and roles. It was the first time I got to meet other class members that are working on interviews and literature reviews as part of their placement. I thought it was nice to get together and find out what the other group was doing and give each other feedback on each others projects and provide suggestions.

 

The group

 

The interview group from what I understand will be working on developing interview questions to ask BMHC staff and will conduct and transcribe interviews in the following weeks. The blog group which I am part of will have access to the interviews and we will be able to use them as part of our blog. The interview group will also be doing literature reviews on the history of the BMHC which will provide us with interesting insight into the development of community heath care in the community and hopefully will uncover some interesting information we can share with everyone.

 

As for my own group, we were able to discuss some great ideas for the blog as well as some projects we can do. One of the girls and I came up with an idea of developing a clothing drive at the university to collect clothes and hygienic supplies for women at the Kindred House. The Kindred House is a Boyle McCauley Health Center program located in downtown Edmonton that provides a safe place for women and transgendered individuals that are involved in street prostitution.

 

"Staff and volunteers work to provide a safe, supportive, non-judgemental environment, that enables us to respond to the most basic needs of the individuals who access our services" (taken from the Kindred House pamphlet)

 



We believe that this will enable us to interact more closely with the community and play a greater role in supporting the efforts of the BMHC. We have yet to figure out the details of this drive but we look forward to getting it started up.

In addition to this initiative, we were able to come up with some possible ideas of things to include in our blog including staff profiles, a virtual tour of the BMHC, some literature reviews, and facts and research on community health clinics in Canada and abroad.

Food for thought

How does a community based research and evaluation (CBRE) approach differ from other perhaps more conventional types of research approaches? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach? What are some convergences between CBRE and CSL?

 

 A CBRE approach differs from conventional types of research approaches in that it is very qualitative based as opposed to quantitative types of research. A qualitative approach to research and evaluation requires deeper involvement with communities and within communities to better understand the issues at hand. It represents a participatory approach where researchers are involved in the process rather than an outsider looking in. Researchers are able to hear community concerns first hand as well as better understand issues and challenges from the peoples perspective. By working with communities and individuals at a personal level, it can encourage feelings of empowerment within the community and its members as well as promote social change. Community involvement can also make research more understandable to those involved.

 

Disadvantages to this type of research and evaluation can include the possibility of competing views between not just researchers and the community but between community members. Other issues involved in this approach could be that the goals of the researchers and the community do not align or are not of the biggest importance to the community. Overrepresenttiaon of specific groups of people in a community or community leaders can also create a misrepresentation  of overall community views or promote the opinions of a select few.

 

Convergences between CBRE and CSL primarily include the aspect of hands on involvement and participation with the community. Both also work towards the advancement of community knowledge and understanding. 

CSL Reflection

Why did you choose your particular word to describe your CSL experience?

 

"Communication, fun, overwhelmed, gradual, new, ideas, motivation, muti-disciplinary, understanding, liberate, eye-opening, initiative, creativity"

My word....reach

I chose the word reach to describe my CSL placement primarily because of the blog we are creating for the BMHC. The purpose of the blog is to create awareness for the center and its partner organizations as well as to create better understanding of the experiences of both its staff and patients. The concept of reach seems fitting because we are reaching out to the public and trying to expand knowledge and support of the BMHC to everyone. By using various forms of social media and creating an interactive blog, we hope to spread the message about the BMHC and the role in plays in the community and the importance of primary health care access.

Say What??

So I felt like expressing a bit of confusion over my placement at the BMHC...

The other day when we had the group meeting with Bavie there were two girls at the meeting that I had never seen before and I was confused to why I had never seen them in class. It turns out they are not in my CSL class but have been put onto the placement from other classes they are taking. This is completely fine of course, but it left me totally confused because here I was suggesting we all include out snapshot assignment on the BMHC when it turns out they were not in my class and had no idea what I was talking about and no one had told me (nor one of the other girls in my class that is also working on the project) that the BMHC placement would involve people from outside of CSL 100. It just made me feel like there is a bit of miscommunication in the project.

In addition to that, it turns out that the BMHC placement has actually been split into two groups, one working on the blog and the other working on literature review and research, and from it sounds like they will also be conducting future interviews. I knew that there was at least another girl from my class missing from the meeting the other week but it turns out she was missing because she was working on a completely different project. The fact that the project was split into two was not communicated nor was I given the option of which two projects I would like to work on. I am happy to work on the blog, but I am a little frustrated that there was so much important information that I feel I was left out of.

Blast from the Past

Bavie had mentioned that Boyle McCauley community had a community newsletter so I decided to check it out. The website is very well organized and better yet they have digitally uploaded all their newsletters into an archive. The archive goes all the way back to 1979 when the newsletter first came out. It also allows you to search the archive for key words which is very use full. I looked through a couple of the older copies and it was fascinating. I am personally fascinated by 'old things' so it was amazing to look at 'old' pictures (at least it was before I was born) and read through the headlines. I saw headlines that involved such things as homelessness, prostitution, the development of the Common Wealth Stadium, local accidents and crimes to things such as community events, the building of gates around homes, and the need for social housing. I particularly liked looking at old advertisements and evens saw some for the BMHC.

 

You can find the archive at http://bmcnews.org/ . It is an interesting way to get to know the neighborhood and learn a bit more about the history of such a historic and unique area of Edmonton. Additionally, it provides a glimpse at the history of social issues that this neighborhood has seen over the past several decades.

 



Advertisment for the BMHC from one of the newsletters from the 80's

 



CSL Community Project

Last week we had our first BMHC CSL meeting with Bavie to discuss the project we will be working on this semester. The project, originally called "Hearing the Stories, Changing the Stories" was to be an interactive project where we would be interviewing staff and well as clients to better document and understand their experiences at the center and increase awareness about about the services the BMHC offers. Ethics issues however have created setbacks in going forward with the interviews.

 

The project now is going towards developing a blog for the BMHC that hopefully will be turned into the official BMHC web page. I am proud to say that the current name of the blog was taken from my personal CSL blog (that your on right now). Yey!

 

We have decided that the blog will become a platform for connecting the BMHC with the public by way of blog entries, photographs, information on upcoming events related to the BMHC and its organizations, hopefully some client/staff stories, service information, as well teaching the public about the history of the organization. In addition to creating entries for the blog, we CSL students will also be developing and maintaining the site. I look forward to creating and contributing to the blog and hope that it becomes a popular part of the BMHC.

 

Here is the link: http://bmhcvoices.blogspot.ca/

BMHC from the front view

Light Bulb Moment #2: The Individual

I was outside the BMHC last week trying to take photos for my Snapshot journal entry when I told a woman and a man  sitting in front of the center that I was going to be taking photos and asked if they would have any issues being in my photos (from a distance and not close enough to be able to identify them). The gentleman was excited to be in the shots and even asked if I wanted him to take photos of me in front of the center. However, I was surprised when the woman responded

 

 "I'm happy you asked if you could take a photo because not many people do. There are women here that are trying to run away from abusive husbands and boyfriends and some of them wouldn't want to be found if the wrong person saw a photo of them."

 

I was really surprised by what the woman said. The thought had never occurred to me the dangers of overstepping ones privacy by taking photos of people that may be going to the clinic or the other organizations nearby. Of course I understand the general obvious concerns regarding privacy, but her comment made me realize that some people may not want to put themselves in a position where they could potentially be identified and their safety put at risk.

 

On a positive note, it also made me think that many people could see the BMHC as a safe place, a place of refuge where they can go to and not be judged. Women that are in abusive relationships,  involved in gangs, engaging in dangerous activity, or running away from danger might see the BMHC as a safe place. They can get the treatment they need at a secure center where they will be treated fairly and equally by the staff. I know that the BMHC hosts the occasional women's coffee meetings where local women can drop in and socialize with other women in the community in a safe and comfortable environment. The BMHC also runs a satellite clinic for women (Women's Centre for Health) and has a drop in center for street prostitute called the Kindred House.

 

The BMHC's caters to a verity of patients from all walks of life and who are taking advantage of the verity of services the BMHC has to offer. I'm not sure how exactly to put it into words, but I think it was important for me to hear what that women said because it kind of brought me back to reality and made remember that everyone that comes to the clinic has a different story and that everyone should be treated as individuals rather than clumped into categories such as "homeless", "druggies" and "gang members".

Light Bulb Moment #1: Thoughts

Thoughts to elaborate on:

-How the new arena will impact the community and the BMHC
-The concept of primary health care
-How doctors in medi clinics and hospitals may discriminate against people from marginalized groups in society
-How the BMHC promotes comprehensive health care and what it means for the quality of care given to their patients. The importance of building relationships with doctors and how it can contribute to getting better health care

Snapshot #1: First Impressions

What are your initial impressions of your placement and the work that you’ll be doing?

 

I went to the Boyle McCauley Health Center (BMHC) for the first time last week and learned not just about what the center is and what exactly it does but also had a little reality check of my own about my preconceived notions about the center. Despite having done some initial research on what the center is and the services it provides to the community, I was still surprised by my visit and it allowed me to see the center and the services it provides in a different light.

I arrived around 8:30 in the morning and the center was already busy. As you can see in the photograph there are already people coming in and out of the center. It is important to understand how much of a role it plays in the community and the importance of the services it provides to people who may not be able to get access to these services otherwise.

Upon walling into the clinic one of the things that first struck me was the fact that the facility itself was really just like an average walk in medical center with an intake desk, offices, and doctors’ rooms. For some reason I had the preconceived idea that the center would be cross between a medical center and a community drop in center that mainly catered to transients and homeless people. There were people in the waiting room that appeared to be from different walks of life, not people that we would consider homeless. This was one of the biggest revelations for me because I thought the center catered only to the homeless people in the community. I’m not sure what why I thought this, but I must have developed these preconceived notions primarily because of the area it is it and its proximity to other social services in the area geared towards homeless. I felt a little bit guilty about my ignorance. It was nice to see though that caters to and is accessed by a wide range of people from varying socio-economic backgrounds and cultures.

I met with Bavie Sara, the volunteer and fundraising coordinator for the BMHC and she gave me a tour of the whole facility.  The BMHC is not just a typical doctors clinic but rather a 'one stop shop' that offers a wide range of services from medical checkups, dental services, x-ray services, mental health and counselling offices, pregnancy support, STD testing, a needle exchange office, and an optometry clinic. The two most surprising services to me were the foot clinic and the onsite diagnostic testing center. For some reason it had never occurred to me the importance of providing foot care. Many of the people that visit the clinic are indeed on the streets and spend a great deal of time on their feet and therefore access to foot care consultations would greatly benefit their lives. The onsite diagnostic testing center is also a service that is not just important to their health care, but allows people to get their samples processed conveniently rather than going through the stress of traveling to other parts of the city to get testing done. Most importantly however is that it provides the services at little or no cost.

I was very impressed with the BMHC and the 'one stop shop' primary health care model they have adopted. It was just a shame however to see that such a great facility that is so important to the community was so small in size. The basement and main floor of the building was dedicated to doctors’ offices and health services and the third floor housed the administrative offices. The third floor hallways were so narrow I felt like I was in a maze. They make do with the building they have and try to provide all the services they can in one location. This of course is due to financial constraints, but it really makes me wish that more attention and support would give to the importance of the BMHC so that they could get the backing they would need to grow and be better able to provide the services they do on a wider level.

I took a photograph of the BMHC that I felt not only shows the building itself but also contains details that reflect some of the things I learned that day.

The first thing you may notice about the photo is the large tree that looks like it is canopying the center. To me trees represent shelter, growth, hope, and unity. In this particular instance I think it is especially fitting because I believe that the center represents more than just a doctor’s office to many of its patients. It is a safe place in the community they can go to when they are sick, when they need help, or when they need assistance or someone to talk to. It can be seen metaphorically as a shelter they can come to for refuge from the outside world. Similarly, I feel that the tree represents the growth and hope that many people may experience after going to the BMHC. Perhaps it is the hope and new life someone that is undergoing addictions counselling at the center experiences, the maternal healthcare a pregnant women receives throughout her pregnancy, or a new breath of fresh air one may experience after getting over an illness with the help of their doctors.

Another thing that I noticed about the BMHC is that despite the bad reputation the area neighborhood has of being dirty and dangerous, I really didn’t find it to be as awful as it is often made out to be. I have been around the Chinatown area quite a bit over my years living in Edmonton so going into the neighborhood was nothing completely new for me. It was however the first time I actually stopped and looked around the area and compared it to the preconceived notions people have of the neighbourhood. While it is not a reflection of the idyllic safe suburban neighborhood, the Boyle McCaully neighborhood is distinct in its own way and has its own character. Its streets are not lined with boarded up homes, broken windows, graffiti, nor littered in garbage. There are no prostitutes selling themselves on street corners, panhandlers begging on the side walk, any men harassing you as you walk buy. Instead the streets are lined with parked cars, shaded by large old trees, and free of garbage. Just like what you see in the photography.  I think many of us have fallen victim to the misconceptions about the neighborhood. I feel that in a way that had inhibited many Edmontonians understanding and appreciation for such a facility.