RE-IMAGINING CHILD AND YOUTH CARE PRACTICE WITH AFRICAN CANADIAN YOUTH

This article is based on a plenary held during the Child & Youth Care in Action VI Conference: Moving Through Trails and Trials Toward Community Wellness, held in Victoria, British Columbia in April 2019. It explores how we can re-imagine child and youth care practice with African Canadian youth. This emerging paradigm aligns with child and youth care politicized praxis as well as trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches in the field’s literature. We highlight the importance of mobilizing critical and transformative theoretical frameworks along with an Africentric worldview to substantially support youth of African descent with a strengths-based approach. Moreover, the protective role of Black-affirming spaces is developed and articulated.

INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE

The Child and Youth Care in Action VI Conference — Moving Through Trails and Trials Toward Community Wellness took place April 25–27, 2019 at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. Working from the position of trying to inhabit the space of a good relative, all conference preparations and work, all details, protocols, and calls to community were guided by the desire to achieve optimal and positive outcomes. From this location we are very grateful to provide this special conference edition of the International Journal of Child, Youth and Families Studies.

Importance of Indigenous elders’ contributions to individual and community wellness: results from a scoping review on social participation and intergenerational solidarity

Objective Wellness is a challenge for Indigenous peoples, partly because Western services do not adopt a holistic approach. By devaluing traditional knowledge, Indigenous values and beliefs, these services lower Indigenous power and affect cultural identities. Indigenous elders participate in intergenerational solidarity by transmitting knowledge, values, and culture in a holistic approach. Despite widespread acceptance of the importance of Indigenous elders’ contributions to wellness, a rigorous synthesis of knowledge has never been done. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how Indigenous elders’ social participation contributes to individual and community wellness. Method A scoping review was conducted with Indigenous elders and stakeholders in Québec (Canada). Sixteen databases were searched with 57 keywords. Data from the documents retrieved were analyzed, organized, and synthesized based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Synthesis A total of 144 documents were examined, comprising 74 scientific papers and 70 sources from the gray literature. Indigenous elders contributed to wellness mainly through relationships and interactions with other community members and non-Indigenous people (72.2%); intergenerational oral and written communications (70.1%); community, social and civic life (45.8%); volunteering and jobs (35.4%); and family life (29.9%). Elders transmit traditional knowledge, strengthen social cohesion, and help to develop positive attitudes such as reciprocity. Their actions favour disease prevention and health promotion, as including traditional approaches increases the acceptability of health and social services. Conclusion This scoping review highlights the need for longitudinal studies with mixed-method designs involving Indigenous communities at all stages of the research to deepen understanding of the contributions of Indigenous elders to individual and community wellness.

Entrepreneurial public leadership: 5As framework for wellness promotion

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a 5As framework for entrepreneurial nudge public leadership for health and wellness promotion based on two exemplary cases in Mississippi. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a “case within a case” study design to develop the 5As public influence framework for entrepreneurial public leadership. Findings Based on the investigated cases of healthcare and wellness promotion in Hernando and Charleston, Mississippi, the authors developed the 5As framework for wellness promotion dimensions of awareness, assistance, alignment, association, and assessment. This framework is applicable to the lived experiences of community members, leaders, healthcare providers, and government. Research limitations/implications The study results provide a compelling insight into early-stage formation of entrepreneurial public leadership. However, the study results lack generalizability due to the case study approach used. Practical implications This study can assist entrepreneurial public leaders and policy-makers align their strategic wellness goals, initiatives, and policies that motivate community members to seek and receive supporting services. Originality/value Developing an original framework for wellness promotion useful to both healthcare practitioners and public leaders, this study contributes to the extant literature on public health leadership and proposes mechanisms for addressing community wellness needs. The framework is designed to address public health concerns by integrating public leadership strategies aimed at linking with existing community wellness and healthcare services.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Establishing a Community Wellness Program

Chronic disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. One-half of U.S. adults have at least one chronic disease condition and 25% have multiple chronic conditions that can lead to a restriction in an ability to do basic daily living activities. Low-income adults have a high incidence of chronic disease that increases with aging due to ongoing psychological stress, higher risk exposure, less healthy living conditions, and limited access to health services. Community-based wellness programs, in collaboration with academic institutions, can serve this population by providing access to health services, quality educational and activity-based experiences, and continual assessment and support. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the expertise of numerous faculty, students, and staff can be used to help mitigate a myriad of health conditions presented by this population. This article shares one university’s creation, development, and delivery of an on-campus, multidisciplinary community wellness program for low-income adults.