At the heart of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital lies its core value of client and family centred care (CFCC). As part of its recently launched strategic plan leading the hospital through to 2030, evolving engagement, co-creation and authentic partnerships support an overall goal to provide care that’s agile for all children, youth and families.
The Holland Bloorview family leadership program (FLP) breathes life into these values and puts them into practice. Through the FLP, family members of past and present clients as well as graduated clients are treated as equal partners in health care, receiving opportunities to connect and develop community with each other, share their lived experience, provide 1:1 peer support, and collaborate with staff, informing and co-designing many areas of program planning and delivery across the hospital.
An important and influential opportunity for the FLP is in educating current and future health care providers. In order to develop family leaders as educators, Holland Bloorview’s Client and Family Integrated Care team and Teaching and Learning Institute co-led the development of the Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty, which launched in 2019. The first of its kind in Canada and recognized by Health Standards Organization of Canada as a leading practice in health care, the course prepares client and family partners for participation in education in the health care context. Most recently, the course was published as an original paper in an August edition of the peer-reviewed Clinical Social Work Journal.
“Over the past few years of evaluations, families tell us that participating in this course has empowered them to see themselves as having a transformational role in educating the next generation of clinical learners,” says Clara Ho, program lead for the Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty.
The development team, comprised of health care providers and leaders, education leaders, as well as academic and other partners worked collaboratively to inform and create the course based on evidence-informed teaching learning principles and practices. Participants experience formal group training through interactive workshops and simulations, as well as peer-to-peer mentoring and self-guided learning. All aspects of the learning experience are designed to embody the five core principles of family-centred care:
- information sharing
- respect
- honouring differences
- partnership and collaboration
- care in the context of family and community
The course is co-taught by a family as faculty who has lived experience as a caregiver in the healthcare system. Following course completion, graduates become family as faculty and are equipped with knowledge and confidence to co-facilitate educational opportunities with current and future health care providers at Holland Bloorview or in the community.
Monica Halsey, a course graduate and family as faculty member, credits her training as a helpful tool during her work as a family partner. She is currently a member of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) pathways redesign team at Holland Bloorview, supporting the creation of resources for clients and families awaiting an ASD assessment.
“The Teaching and Facilitation Course broadened my teaching and facilitation skills and gave me the forum to practice them,” says Monica. “Some specific strategies that stand out for me were how to create a welcoming and supportive educational environment and how to deliver effective feedback. My approach now intentionally takes these into consideration when co-creating, facilitating and hosting events.”
As a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN), family as faculty are often invited to co-create and co-facilitate interprofessional education (IPE) learning activities and programs, including Transitions Theatre (PDF) and On-Track programming, to name a few.
Darlene Hubley, interprofessional education (IPE) leader at Holland Bloorview, says her collaboration with family as faculty greatly informs her day-to-day work as an educator. “I couldn’t achieve meaningful IPE without collaborating with Family as Faculty,” says Darlene. “Family as faculty are passionate educators and hold expertise in childhood disability. They have relevant and practical examples that resonate with learners and help the learners solidify their knowledge and integrate theory into practice.”
To date, over 50 participants connected with health care organizations across Ontario have completed the Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty. Many graduates have collaborated with educators, staff, and students in co-designing, co-teaching, and co-facilitating over 85 initiatives and workshops across health care and academic institutions.
“I think a commitment to client and family centred care is essential,” says Darlene. “It is critical to have client and family input across the organization. It make us stronger together.”
Registration for the next semester opens in Spring 2025. To learn more, please contact Clara Ho, manager, client and family-centered care and partnerships at cho@hollandbloorview.ca.
