What Can We Do Now?
Individual
Critical Self-Reflection
Critical self-reflection is a key component of this work. It allows us to better understand our work practices, how they came to be, and how they affect and impact others. This is very important because our individual actions can support and maintain the status quo of our institutions, which is based in colonialism. By engaging in critical self-reflection, we can identify ways in which we may be upholding unhelpful norms and begin to work on reformulating our practices so that they can instead help dismantle barriers to mental health on campus.
CICMH has a set of reflection questions, created by Dr. Carol Wade, that can help you start your journey with critical self-reflection. You can find those questions here.
Training
While you are engaging in the process of unlearning through critical self-reflection, you can also take steps to gain new knowledge about equity-deserving groups on campus and how colonization impacts them both directly and indirectly. There are many training opportunities out there, but below are a few recommendations to help you get started.
YouthRex Centering Black Youth Wellbeing Certificate
The Centering Black Youth Wellbeing certificate is a free, online training that helps participants to better understand anti-Black racism and its impact on Black youth. The training also provides skills and tools that can be used to build practices that will help them push back against and dismantle anti-Black racism through their day-to-day work.
San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Online Training
The San’yas training is an Indigenous cultural safety training that provides in-depth coverage of the history of Indigenous people in Canada and the impacts that colonization has had on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. This training supports participants in learning how to work with Indigenous people in a way that is beneficial to them, minimizes the risk of harm, and actively combats anti-Indigenous racism.
Indigenous Health Equity Training
This free, online training, provided by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto provides webinars and resources to help deepen your understanding of the impacts of the social determinants of health on Indigenous people.