What is perspectives™?
perspectives™ is an interprofessional education (IPE) program designed to engage health science students in learning how to make a difference in the lives of people living with developmental disabilities. perspectives™ is co-sponsored by Surrey Place Centre (SPC) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Dual Diagnosis Program (CAMH DD).
We are launching the third year of the program offers 4 intakes of the online cases, and 5 seminars.
Who can register?
Health science students from the following academic programs may register.
- University of Toronto Health Sciences
- York University Graduate Psychology and Nursing
- George Brown College Behavioural Science Technology
- Ryerson University Nursing
How do students register?
If you are a Health Science student at the University of Toronto please log onto the UT Portal system (https://portal.utoronto.ca) and enter the UT IPE site listed under “My Organizations Plus”: UT Interprofessional Education (IPE) Program/Curriculum. All available elective sessions will be listed under “Learning Activities” in the menu.
If you are a Psychology graduate student or Nursing student at York, Behavioural Science Technology student at George Brown or a Nursing student at Ryerson please register at: education@surreyplace.on.ca
When are the online cases offered?
Help Casey (Dual Diagnosis curriculum)
October 12th to November 18th, 2011. Registration deadline: October 5 (noon).
February 6th to March 16th , 2012. Registration deadline: TBA.
Help Mateo (Autism Spectrum Disorder Curriculum)
October 24th to December 2nd, 2011. Registration deadline: October 14th (noon).
February 13th to March 23rd, 2012. Registration deadline: TBA.
When are the seminars?
The schedule of perspectives™ seminars in the academic year 2011-2012 can be viewed here
Background Information: The need for education in Developmental Disabilities
It is estimated that there are up to one million people in Canada with developmental disabilities. Yet, the needs of people with developmental disabilities are not being adequately addressed by the existing patchwork of uncoordinated programs and services in our healthcare system. As a result, these individuals experience more preventable illnesses and higher rates of psychiatric disorders (Ouellette-Kuntz, 2005) than other people in our society. People with developmental disabilities also experience frequent disparities and inequities in accessing health promotion/disease prevention knowledge or services.
One solution to addressing these inequities is to provide health science students and with more access to interprofessional education and opportunities to experience interprofessional collaboration. Traditionally, when students looked for ways to learn about interprofessional collaboration to advance care for people with developmental disabilities, there was a good chance they would come up short – every time.
In response to this need, Surrey Place Centre and CAMH Dual Diagnosis Program launched a strategy to train health professionals and enable students to gain access to a wide range of learning opportunities in developmental disabilities and interprofessional collaboration. The resulting project, called perspectives™ is increasing the opportunities for students to learn.
Students are expected to be able to apply what they learn for many years to come as they will have gained a new “perspective” on the health needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their ongoing mission to become a new generation of healthcare professionals working in environments where interprofessional collaboration in health care will become the new normal.
“We’re delighted to have come to the point where we are providing one-stop shopping to students in this critical area,” says Susan Morris, Clinical Director, Dual Diagnosis Program and co-sponsor of the initiative. “For the first time in Toronto, students can finally have easy access to the learning they desire and need to best serve our clients,” echoes John Flannery, CEO of Surrey Place Centre and co-sponsor.
Facilitating IPE
If you are interested in becoming an online facilitator for perspectives™ please click here
For more information on perspectives™ please contact education@surreyplace.on.ca