Dear Department members,
As you are aware, our current Strategic Plan identifies the advancement of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIA) as a strategic priority for the Department, and furthermore, has also specified our aim to engage with Indigenous partners and advocates to address the need for enhanced Indigenous-focused mental health care, research and education.
Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that two new committees have been established to provide consultation to Department leadership and participate in the development of strategies to advance these two areas of priority:
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY EDIA COMMITTEE
The Department’s EDIA Committee, chaired by Dr. Andrea Tuka, unifies the previous faculty-level and resident REDI Committees, and now includes representation from the graduate student and staff groups. The Committee’s mandate is to advise the Department Head on the specific opportunities and challenges facing the Department with regard to EDIA, and to develop an action plan which will promote a culture that values and supports the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism amongst Department faculty, staff and learners.
Our Committee members are listed on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion webpage, which will be updated as the Department develops its initiatives in EDIA; the Committee’s Terms of Reference will also be shared on the webpage once it is finalized. In the meantime, please follow the UBC Psychiatry EDIA Committee updates included in our weekly Communications Bulletin.
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY INDIGENOUS STRATEGY COMMITTEE
The Indigenous Strategy Committee, Co-chaired by Dr. Eduardo Chachamovich and Dr. Nel Wieman, has been established to support the Department’s objectives to expand collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous partners and communities, advance reconciliation, and promote equitable treatment and representation in Indigenous mental health research, education and clinical care. The Committee will act as an advisory body to the Department Head on a range of tasks, including exploring and leveraging Indigenous partnerships for collaboration on strategy development, aligning efforts with existing Indigenous strategies at UBC and across health authorities, navigating challenges around data governance and publication in Indigenous health research, and incorporating Indigenous mental health training into medical education and ensuring cultural competency in mental health care. A new Indigenous Initiatives webpage has been created, where you may view the membership of this Committee.
The individuals on these two committees were selected through a nomination/self-nomination process and in consideration of their personal experience, principles of EDIA, and relevant areas of expertise. On behalf of the Department, I wish to thank each member for their willingness to serve on these critically important committees and for their guidance and commitment to supporting the Department as it enhances its role in the advancement of EDIA and Indigenous mental health.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lakshmi N. Yatham, MBBS, FRCPC, MRCPsych (UK), MBA (Exec)
Professor and Head, UBC Department of Psychiatry
Director, Institute of Mental Health, UBC
Regional Head and Program Medical Director, VCH/PHC
The UBC Department of Psychiatry Administration Office respectfully acknowledges the land on which we live, work and play is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh).