Vancouver Native Health Society

Vancouver Native Health Society logo modified for website 2

Health Promotion 

For UBC students interested in learning more about the health challenges faced by inner-city aboriginal youth, CHIUS (Community Health Initiative by University Students) and Vancouver Native Health (VNH) Society have partnered to offer a series of health promotion workshops and community kitchens open to VNH youth. Students gain experience working within an interprofessional team, developing workshop skills, and understanding issues from the community’s perspective. VNH participants, meanwhile, receive evidence-based information and practical solutions for managing their health, presented in an engaging and youth-focused manner.

Vancouver Native Health Youth Initiative Dinners

In 2017-2018, a small group of second year CHIUS medical students coordinated and prepared a weekly dinner at the Vancouver Native Health Centre, for youth between the ages of 13 and 25 with the help of students from other health professional programs. The Wednesday dinners provide a healthy meal in a safe, youth-focussed environment while creating an opportunity for dinner attendees to access “youth night” at the VNH primary care clinic in the adjacent room. In 2017-2018 CHIUS served up to 36 youth in one sitting.

Youth workers are also available at the dinners to provide support to youth from Boys and Girls Club of South Coast BC, Watari Counselling and Support Services, Nexus, Covenant House, UNYA, Youth Unlimited and Directions Youth Services.

If you are interested in participating in CHIUS please visit the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Passport website:  https://passport.health.ubc.ca/ 


Previous Health Promotion Activities

Goal Setting
Goal setting is an important skill that can be applied to many aspects of our lives, allowing for improvement and satisfaction in a desired area. It can be applied to health, career and relationship goals. By participating in conversations regarding goal setting, youth and students discuss the decision making process, and how this process can be used to create small, attainable goals to reach bigger goals.

Sexual Health
Sexual health is an important topic which students and youth discuss as it is very common for youth to be sexually active, while the knowledge surrounding sexual health may be limited. Youth and students discuss many topics concerning sexual health such dating and safety, contraception and STIs.