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Welcome to our 2011 summer issue of the IEHP Network! This issue focuses on activities that can help newcomers reach out and bridge the cultural gap between their old home and new.
We are pleased to highlight Toronto East General Hospital’s ESL Volunteer program in our Sharing Resources section. This program provides a great opportunity for internationally trained health professionals to experience the Canadian health-care system. In our Showcasing Best Practices, we’ve invited the Mennonite New Life Centre back to introduce their bridging program for internationally trained psychologists and allied mental health professionals. Look out for Care Corner, a new column featuring the latest news from the CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses. And finally, remember to check out U Said… to read responses from our readers.
We’re happy to celebrate IEHP Network’s second-year anniversary by inviting you to participate in our reader’s feedback survey. Please take a moment to complete the short survey – your feedback is important to us.
We hope you enjoy our summer issue and as always, look forward to receiving your opinions, thoughts and views on IEHP Network.
Sincerely,
Wayne Oake Director, Access Centre
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
In our last issue, we posed the following question to our readers: “Do you feel that your clients suffer from stress, anxiety or depression related to their settlement? If so, how do you or your organization help clients cope with these issues?” See below for what U Said…
“…the best thing we as advisors can do is make sure we are listening and paying attention. I think for some clients, that's enough to get them turned around just a little bit - having someone not only listen but "hear" their story.” - Stephanie
“There are a lot of great services out there and ready to help newcomers who are facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health issues that may or may not be a factor caused by immigration. 211 Ontario is the first place to start when you don’t know where to turn. Simply visit www.211Ontario.ca and type in “mental health counseling” or other similar search terms. “ - Anonymous
Q:
U Said...
The IEHP Seminar CircuitThe following is a brief overview of past activities and upcoming events of interest to the IEHP community.
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
2011 International Medical Graduate (IMG) Information Symposium at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
OCTOBER
17
Care4NursesInformation Session for Internationally Educated Nursesin Brampton and Hamilton, Care4Nurses Centres
JULY
26Please forward upcoming events to [email protected]
Do you have a suggestion for an upcoming USaid? Email Marie Brook at [email protected]
What’s your favourite?
This issue marks the second anniversary of IEHP Network. We want to know what sections our readers enjoy the most, from stories and interviews to our regular features and new segments. Your comments will form the basis for USaid in the next issue. Please click on the following link and complete our survey by August 31, 2011 and let us know! Having trouble with the link? Check the email that you just received for further instructions.
New Programs and InitiativesDental Specialty Core Knowledge Examination The Association of Canadian Facilities of Dentistry (ACFD) will no longer administer the Dental Specialty Core Knowledge Examination (DSCKE) for dental specialists after November 2012. Applicants have until August 15, 2011 to submit an application to sit for the final administered exam in November 2012. An alternative for the exam is currently under review. For additional information contact the ACFD and/or the dental regulatory authority.
The English as a Second Language Hospital Volunteer Training Program at Toronto East General Hospital has provided volunteer opportunities to over 600 new Cana-dians planning to work as health-care professionals. The program objective is to give participants confidence in their ability to communicate effectively with patients, colleagues and visitors and thus to help motivate students to apply for jobs or educational programs in the health-care sector.
Students attend class three days per week focusing on building their speaking and listening skills for patient- centered care. Some of the language tasks practised in the classroom include:
• Usingbasicmedicalvocabularyinbothspeakingandwriting that reflects accepted pronunciation, spelling and meaning in Ontario.
• Describingitemsandplacesinthehospitalusing accepted names and short forms.
• Usingthetelephonetomakeemergencycallsorgiveverbal reports.
• Approachingacolleagueorclienttoaskfor,receive or give instructions and directions about procedures, tasks or therapies.
• PresentingcurrentCanadianhealthinformationto colleagues on an independently chosen topic.
• Readinghealthjournalsarticlesfordiscussionand role play of health care scenarios.
Near the end of the program, students also attend three workshops and a Volunteer Information Session where they can indicate the amount of time and days of the week they would like to volunteer. After a successful interview, applicants are asked to make a one-year commitment to volunteer at least one day per week at the Toronto East General Hospital.
More Information Interested professionals can access more information online about ESL Workplace Preparation classes and the ESL Hospital Training Program.
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
Sharing Resourceswww.tegh.on.ca
ESL Volunteer Group
Mennonite New Life Centre Bridge Training Program for Internationally Trained Psychologists and Allied Mental Health Professionals
The fall 2010 IEHP Network featured 11 newly funded bridge training programs for internationally educated professionals. The Mennonite New Life Centre’s Bridge Training Program for Trained Psychologists and Allied Health Professionals was one of them. We reached out to the Mennonite New Life Centre to ask about their program one year later…
Q: Can you provide some background on the creation of your program? The Bridge Training Program for Internationally Trained Psychologists and Allied Mental Health Professionals grew out of our experience working with internationally trained psychologists at the Mennonite New Life Centre to provide counselling and support groups in Spanish for refugees and immigrants from Latin America. Initially, our objective was to address unmet mental health needs in the immigrant community by mobilizing the skills of internationally trained professionals. As we worked with those immigrant professionals, we become increasingly aware of the tremendous barriers they were experiencing in their search for employment in their field of training and expertise.
The context was right for a bridge training program for internationally trained mental health professionals. In 2009, the Ministry of Health published a discussion paper entitled “Every door is the right door: Towards a 10-year mental health and addictions strategy”, highlighting a serious shortage of skilled mental health and addiction workers, and emphasizing the need for new skill sets and perspectives to build increased capacity for inter-professional collaboration and culturally competent care. Legislation was passed to regulate psychotherapy and mental health therapy, opening doors for dialogue with an embryonic professional college about how to better
facilitate the membership of internationally trained mental health professionals. Meanwhile, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration had identified psychology as a priority area for investment of bridge training dollars, reflecting provincial concern for the labour market inte-gration of immigrant professionals, and an awareness of unmet needs and challenges in the mental health sector.
The Mennonite New Life Centre partnered with TAPE Educational Services and a strong advisory group of mainstream and ethnocultural mental health agencies, settlement and employment service providers, and language curriculum developers to put together a successful three year proposal for the training of 150 mental health professionals. In 2010, we launched the program, with the first cohort beginning classes in September. Now in its second year, the program is poised to select its third cohort of internationally trained mental health professionals.
Q: Who is eligible to enroll in this program? Internationally trained psychologists and allied mental health professionals who have at least two years experience in clinical counselling or community mental health work, and whose credential assessment yields equivalency to a four year Canadian Bachelor’s degree or higher. Candidates must also possess Canadian language bench mark levels of 7 or higher ( or TOEFL score 80 or IELTS score 6.5). Eligible candidates include internationally trained psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers who performed mental health counseling, medical graduates with training in psychiatry, psychiatric nurses and chaplains. Candidates must be internationally trained, but can come with any of the following immigration statuses: Canadian citizen, permanent resident, refugee or refugee claimant.
Q: What does the program entail? The program entails:
• Academiccourseworktoprepareparticipantsformental health practice in Ontario
· Four core courses (160 hours): Mental health practice in Ontario; Theoretical approaches; Cultural competency, anti-racism and power relations in mental health; Mental health and the migration experience
· Specialized certificate (66 hours): Choice of Adult Mental Health, Children’s Mental Health, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Addictions.
Bridge training participant Maryna Svitasheva poses a question to the keynote speaker at the Opportunities Fair for Internationally Trained Psychologists (October 2010).
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
Showcasing Best Practiceswww.bridgingprograms.org
• Occupationspecificlanguageandworkplace communication training (200 hours)
• SupervisedpracticumplacementinanOntariomentalhealth workplace (450 hours)
• Weeklyclinicalseminarfacilitatedbyaqualifiedandexperienced clinical practitioner (90 hours)
• Employmentcounsellingandworkshopstailoredtothe mental health profession
The program also facilitates the following benefits for participants: General membership with Ontario Associa-tion of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychometrists (OACCPP), and professional liability insurance and WSIB coverage during placement training.
Q: What challenges did you face when developing the program? One of the principal challenges we faced when developing the program was to secure high quality work experience placements. We found that hospitals and mainstream mental health agencies were more accustomed to work-ing with universities, and had often already committed their placements spots for as much as a year in advance. With a strong advisory committee committed to opening opportunities in their own agencies, and tapping shoulders of colleagues and professional contacts, we were success-ful in securing placements for all of our first cohort, while maintaining relationships and developing new partner-ships for our second round of placements scheduled to start this September. Bridge training participants have completed placements in settings as varied as CAMH, hospitals, community mental health agencies, newcomer serving organizations, schools and parole offices.
Q: What can graduates expect as an outcome of completing this program? Graduates should expect to seek employment as case managers and counselors or explore private practice as psychotherapists. Already, three months before gradua-tion, seven of twenty nine participants in the first cohort have found employment in the mental health sector, in roles ranging from clinical counseling to research and administration. This early success bodes well for the prospects of program graduates.
Graduates should also expect to have secured general membership in the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychometrists and to be eligible to apply for membership in the College of PsychotherapistsandRegisteredMentalHealthThera-pists, at such time as this college finalizes its registration process. The program is currently in dialogue with the Transitional Council of the College of Psychotherapists and Mental Health Workers. It is anticipated that graduates of the bridge training program will meet requirements for registration with the College.
For some, this program may be a stepping stone along a longer path leading to registration with the College of Psychologists. For many, this would require them to pursue further studies and/or supervised clinical hours in order to meet registration requirements with the College of Psychologists.
Q: How are the participants evaluated? In keeping with the philosophy of adult education, the emphasis is not on grades, but rather on providing qualitative feedback to facilitate learning and workplace success. Program instructors evaluate and provide feedback to the participants on a regular basis. These formative evaluations are complemented with a summa-tive evaluation at the end of the first semester of course work. Clinical placements involve a mid term and final evaluation, which includes formal written feedback from the placement supervisor, together with a self reflection component. In keeping with employment related goals of the program, the placement evaluation is modeled after workplace performance appraisals.
Q: What plans does the program have for the future? Future plans include continued dialogue with the CollegeofPsychotherapistsandRegisteredMental Health Therapists, as well as the College of Psychologists and Ontario Psychological Association, to raise awareness of the needs and contributions of internationally trained professionals, and advocate for registration processes that give fair consideration to the training and experience of international practitioners. We also plan to continue developing our network of field placement partners.
At the current time, the program is funded through to March 2013. Considering the large numbers of applica-tions received and the extensive interest shown in the program, we plan to pursue continued funding support to extend the training to many more internationally trained mental health professionals in the future.
To learn more, call 647-776-2057 or visit the Centre’s website.
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
"The Bridge Training Program values our previous training and empowers us to participate in the mental health system in Ontario," says participants (l-r) Johana Jimenez, Rayhan Zubair Hossain and Devita Kusindiati.
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
7th Issue / 2011
For an internationally educated nurse who comes to
Ontario, the path to Canadian certification and career
success is made easier with a greater proficiency in
English. No one knows this more than CARECentrefor
Internationally Educated Nurses, a non-profit charitable
organization that has been supporting nurses back into
practice for 10 years. Care Centre offers a holistic case
management approach to its member nurses, including
specialized courses, exam preparation, observational job
shadowing and language and communication training.
“OfallCARECentre’seducationalproductsandservices,
our Language & Communication Program for Nurses
really has the greatest importance because of the com-
plexity of today’s health-care environment,” says Zubeida
Ramji,CARECentre’sexecutivedirector.“CARECentre
supports IENs through their whole journey of coming
to Ontario and going through the steps they need to get
back into practice, but the ultimate goal is success in the
workplace. Communication skills are integral to all aspects
of their learning process, and social-cultural understanding
and expression are key.”
CARECentre’sLanguage&CommunicationProgramfor
Nurses now has the capacity to assist other organizations
in delivering three levels of training enhanced by video and
e-learning activities. The content is based on a Canadian
Language Benchmark Assessment of level six or higher,
was developed over seven years and is completely ready
for multi-platform implementation. The program is com-
prehensive and flexible, making it easily adaptable to a
delivery institution’s scope and size. All of the materials
have been updated as of 2011, and reflect the diversity of
CARECentre’sstaffandparticipants.
The McMaster School of Nursing in the Hamilton Health
Sciences Centre is one organization that has accessed the
CARECentreLanguageandCommunicationprogram.
VerlaFortier,SeniorConsultantofNursingRecruitment
andRetentioncommented,“Inadditiontonursinglanguage
skills, this course teaches IENs the soft communications
skills of how to support team members, how to ask
questions, and how to gently challenge without being
disrespectful. These communication skills benefit IENs,
nurses who have English as a second language, and
ultimately, all members of the healthcare team.”
Angela Huang and Jasbir Nar are two students completing
the level two section. Both are enthusiastic advocates for
the program. “It's very different to be a nurse here than in
China. In China, you call the doctor. Here you deal with
everything. There's much more responsibility,” says Huang.
“I need to improve my English skills to be able to com-
municate with patients, doctors, nurses -- everyone in the
workplace. In level one we learned about patient assess-
ment and summarizing, which is very useful. Just because
you get your license doesn't mean you know how to work
effectively in Canada.”
Internationally educated nurses (l-r) Jasbir Nar and Angela Huang are enthusiastic CARE Centre
level two students.
CARE CoRnER______________________
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
Naragrees,“I'manRNinIndia,buthereI'mequivalenttoanRPN.WhenIcameayearago,oneofmyfriendswasaCARECentrememberandencouragedmetojoin.SinceEnglish is my second language, I wondered how it would beinaCanadianhospitalsetting.ThroughCARECentrewecan get familiar with different nursing scenarios to make us familiar with Canadian standards of nursing practice. Com-munication is really the most important part of nursing.”The aggregated levels in the program are further enhanced by an e-learning “lounge” or website, which offers additional practice for students. Here, they can record their own voices and listen back to self-assess, as well as file sessions withteachersforfurtherfeedback.CARECentrehas recently retained new language specialists who will advise on Curriculum and Technology, while Gyongyver Angi is the Language Supports Specialist who oversees contract teachers and multiple sections of course delivery.
“When they come at the beginning of level one, they’re afraid of talking, it’s their main barrier,” says Gyongyver. “When they have to use the telephone it’s even scarier for them. The teachers reinforce that they just need to learn communication strategies for the workplace. By the end of the second course, they’re so happy they can handle the exercises. We teach them more self-confidence, how to be assertive, and they love it, because they’ve never had another
place to learn this. They learn to negotiate with doctors for their best recommendations in patient care. We teach them intercultural skills to give them the confidence they need.” Jasbir Nar sums up her experience: “At this level we're working on telecommunications, taking accurate doctors’ orders over the phone, which is also very important to treatment. It's specific concise information, and exactly what we need. When I got to Canada everyone said just take an exam preparation course and get your license, don't spend a year in a program. But I said no, I want knowledge, not just a license. I need to know standards, criteria, protocol, everything. It really raises your confi-dence - I feel very good now!”
7th Issue / 2011
Language Support Specialist Gyongyver Angi teaches level two language class
Adding More Spokes to the HubThe Access Centre has had a busy start to 2011. Two new pilot programs have been launched: Medical Culture & Communication and Orientation to Family Medicine Services in Ontario (OFMSO). We plan to establish them as fully operational programs in the future.
Medical Culture & Communication
A new skill-based program for international medical graduates (IMGs), Medical Culture & Communication has gone through two pilot cohorts, both with tremendously positive feedback. Medical Culture & Communication is based on the University of Toronto’s course, Orientation to Canadian Health Care Systems, Culture and Context. Thanks to the University of Toronto, the Access Centre was able to use this program as a model to develop a program specifically for IMGs. Program highlights include an orientation to the Canadian health-care system, the culture of medicine in Canada and the professional roles of physicians. Medical Culture & Communication is an interactive, classroom-style program and is offered free of charge to eligible clients.
Orientation to Family Medicine Services in Ontario (OFMSO)
OFMSO is designed for international medical graduates (IMGs) wishing to undertake an observership opportunity facilitated by the Access Centre. The observership is an unpaid experience for IMGs who want to update their clinical and educational skills in a Canadian primary care setting.
Interested candidates must meet eligibility criteria and com-plete various prerequisites, including the Medical Culture & Communication Program before applying. OFMSO is in its pilot phase and will be launched at the beginning of next year. Information will be posted on our website at a later date.
First cohort of Medical Culture & Communication
CARE CoRnER
ContinuE...
IEHP NetworkA communication from the HFO MRA Access Centre
IEHP Client Profile
Javad Pazouki Dentist
Share Your News!IEHP Network welcomes the opportunity to feature your programs and services. Send us your ideas or general newsletter feedback to Tiffany Campbell ([email protected]) or Stacey Cusson at ([email protected]). Are you moving?If you’re moving, let IEHP Network know and we will be happy to share your new address and contact information with stakeholders. Please e-mail Tanya Izurieta at ([email protected]).
Javad Pazouki graduated from the University of Bogomolets in Kiev-Ukraine, completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in Iran and practised dentistry for six years. He moved to Canada in 2006, became a client of the Access Centre and in 2009 received admission to the Internationally Trained Dentists (ITD) Program at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario.
We follow up with him as he is about to complete his last year of training and ask him for some words of advice for other ITDs interested in pursuing a bridging program in dentistry.
7th Issue / 2011
1. What would you say is the biggest difference between dentistry in Ontario and dentistry in your country?
In the ITD program, we are learning about the ethical issues in Canada and how patients have the authority to choose between different suggested treatment options by their dentists. When comparing dentistry in Canada to dentistry in my country, I found there are some differences in techniques, also, Canada’s dental treatment is more expensive but has better quality materials.
2. What were some challenges you faced before attending the UWO ITD program?
Qualifying/Degree Completion Programs are competitive and challenging to receive admission. Even though it was hard I was persistent and never gave up.
3. What do you feel has helped you the most throughout your journey to licensure in Canada?
Studying in groups and sharing information are key.
4. What advice would you give to other internationally educated dentists?
It is a long process but it is fair. Organization, perseverance and optimism are the most important qualities to achieving the goal. The process is long and it may take more than one attempt and multiple years to get admission to the program. The personality of an applicant is as important as his/her professionalism. I believe this would apply to all medical and dental schools in Canada. I recommend studying in groups, sharing information with others and improving your communication and interview skills through programs such as the mock interviews offered by the Access Centre. Lastly, be positive.
