The goals of regional training events are to support capacity building and strengthen community connections. We recognize that there can be limited opportunities for people providing frontline HIV, HCV and overdose prevention services to get together and talk about their work, so the regional events are about education and networking/mutual support.
PAN hosted training for people working in the Fraser Health region in April 2019. We offered two options: one in East Fraser (Abbotsford) and the other in West Fraser (Surrey). Programming was the same for each, but it gave groups and individuals whose work paths cross a chance to connect and learn together.
The program focused on supporting those working on the frontlines of the overdose crisis in addition to their complex work in HIV and hepatitis C. Vikki Reynolds brought her years of experience in HIV and wraparound services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to support a new perspective on the work.
Those who work with people struggling with poverty, violence and oppression are often told that they will “burn out”. Instead of this idea, Vikki introduced the strength of sustainability: how our collective work sustains us, nourishes our hope, invites us to honour the resistance and strength we witness in the people we work alongside, and allows us to work in line with our ethics.
Attendees at these trainings united to talk about strengthening their approaches at work to provide ongoing, compassionate care. We were happy to see many familiar faces and meet some new folks dedicated to this work. Thank you to all that took part. We were lucky to have great spring weather on both days, and in Abbotsford, had lunch outside in the sun.
To learn more about Vikki’s work, and other resources that could help workers in your communities, please visit our Creating Cultures of Wellness page.
For more information about Regional training events, contact:
Stacy Leblanc
Director of Capacity Building Initiatives
Pacific AIDS Network
Tel: 604.968.3160
Email: [email protected]
Janet Madsen
Capacity Building and Knowledge Translation Coordinator
Pacific AIDS Network
Tel: 604.725.5897
Email: [email protected]