A person who Speaks out against mistreatment Is knowledgeable of the struggles and challenges experienced by the mistreated group Does not take over but supports Usually not a member of the group being mistreated

 Non-Ally (joining the offender, blocked awareness, disengagement, avoidance, dismissal, denial) -"No hear, no see, no feel, and no say "  Silent Ally ( covert responding, silenced witnessing, hesitation to act, preparation for active witnessing) - "Hear, see, feel, but no say and no do"  Active Ally ( overt behavioural responding, immediate or delayed responses) -"Hear, see, feel, say, and do "  Activist Ally ( ethical social action, recognizing social injustice and taking action at social level for confronting and educating others, becoming an agent for societal and institutional change )

Remind yourself why it is personally important to you to intervene Think about your intervention as correcting misinformation – as providing the person with information they do not have Don’t expect everyone to welcome your intervention – people are at different stages in terms of openness to new information, especially if it challenges long standing beliefs Take a deep breath and keep breathing – our bodies need air If you don’t intervene and wish you had think about what stopped you and how you would like to respond “next time”. While no two situations are the same this post incident analysis will help you be better prepared for intervening in the future Remember – like with any new skill it will become easier and you will gain skill with practice

Improving outcomes for Aboriginal people accessing health care services Requires more than being supportive to Aboriginal people when they experience mistreatment. It requires starting to work at the systemic level to effect change

Systemic Mistreatment of Target Group Institutions Perpetuate the Mistreatment Internalized Oppression Society Sanctions Misinformation is Generated Power Control Economics

 Identifying misinformation and providing correct information  Speaking up when mistreatment occurs  A part of the system (yes – you are part of the system) no longer perpetuates or sanctions the mistreatment All of this disrupts system functioning – change begins to occur

Misinformation is internalized – from family, community, media Mistreatment of “other” is based on this misinformation This mistreatment is accepted by others in the environment Experiences which confirm misinformation are paid attention to Experiences which contradict the misinformation are dismissed as unique or as an anomaly

Active Ally/other possible allies/witnesses Target Person Responsible Incident Persons in Authority Other Employees

With groups of people to provide correct information and to reduce misinformation With the individual person acting on misinformation With supervisors so that new standards for acceptable behaviour are developed

 Interrupt what is happening – don’t let it continue  Disagree and explain why  Question the validity of their information  Point out how it offends and hurts  Help the person self-reflect

You are sharing with a colleague what you know about the impact of residential schools. The colleague says, “Indigenous people need to just get over it (residential schools) and quit using it as an excuse for their poor behavior”  How might you feel?  What is the misinformation behind this comment?  How could you correct it? What might you say?  What else could you do to correct misinformation among colleagues? GIS

A seriously ill patient was transferred in from another hospital. The family members were stressed, uninformed and angry. They accused hospital staff of not doing their jobs, withholding information and improper treatment of family member. When staff deny the allegations negative comments about “white people” are made. The staff who dealt with the family are upset and angry.  How might you feel?  What are some possible explanations for the families behaviour?  How might you intervene with the family?  How might you intervene with the staff?  What else could you do to correct the misinformation among colleagues? GIS

A health care professional talks to an Elder as if she had been drinking alcohol. Even when she finds out that the Elder had just been in a car accident and has not had a drink of alcohol for over 20 years she does not apologize.  How might you feel?  What misinformation does this person have?  What correct information can you give her?  What suggestion can you make for culturally appropriate amends?  What else could you do to correct the misinformation among colleagues? GIS

 A health professional says, “I don’t have to talk to you” and walks away.  How might you feel?  What misinformation might their behaviour be based on?  How can you correct that misinformation?  What else can you do to create openness to your role? GIS

Keep your voice level Maintain a friendly or neutral tone Tone Pleasant and friendly Smile and connect visually Expression Relax your body Hands open, shoulders down Stance

Difficult information is easier to accept from someone you know and respect Suspicion and defensiveness is reduced when you feel you know someone Form Relationships It is difficult to argue with personalized information – e.g. I would be offended, hurt, angry, etc, if it happened to me Invite personal exploration - Have you ever been treated this way? What do you think would be the impact? Make it personal I know we both want the best outcome for this patient I know your time is important and I don’t want to waste your time Find Common Ground

Do not label the behaviour as racist, bigoted, etc. unless it is an extreme incident Instead talk about why the comment or behaviour was hurtful, incorrect, based on inaccurate information, etc. Use neutral language Interpret behaviour positively – e.g. mistreatment is based on misinformation, not ill will Try to determine what that person needs in order to be open to new information Assume the best of people Even if you are shaking inside start those difficult conversations – they are rarely as hard as we think they are going to be Overcome fear

You have expert knowledge that is needed by the people you work with Recognize your expertise