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June 10, 2010-Douglas College grad presents at major international conference
New Westminster's Kara Dooley graduated from the Community Social Service Worker (CSSW) Program last year. As part of the CSSW program's Uganda Project, Dooley completed a 10-week practicum in the east African country. There, Dooley worked with the national mental health program to explore ways of linking traditional healers who provide health care for people in villages and rural areas with the formal medical system.
This week, she'll present her findings in front of an audience of professionals, academics, practitioners, social planners, policy makers and advocates at the 2010 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development. CSSW instructor John Fox, who will co-present with Dooley, says it is rare for a diploma graduate to be accepted to present at a conference of this scale, which is attended by top researchers from around the world.
"At first I didn't completely realize how big a deal it was, but the more I've spoken to people about it, the more I've seen what a fantastic opportunity this is for me," said Dooley from her current home in Perth, Australia, where she is working as a case worker for a residential care program. "I've never done a presentation like this before, so I'm kind of jumping in with both feet."
Dooley hopes her presentation will raise awareness of the clash between traditional and western medicine in Uganda and Africa as a whole, particularly when it comes to mental health issues. More than 80 per cent of Ugandans live in villages and small towns where few formal mental health or medical services are available and depend on local traditional healers for health care services.
"Traditional healers in Uganda are extensively involved with treating mental illness, and most people will see a traditional healer before they see a doctor," said Dooley.
This dependence on traditional medicine has some negative effects for patients with mental illness, says Dooley. These patients with often find themselves without family support or medical care for what can be a very debilitating illness, while traditional healers are often ill-equipped to deal with serious mental illness.
"You hear stories about patients who have been tied down or physically harmed by traditional healers, which reinforces a lot of negative perceptions about them among the western medical establishment."
However, Dooley says the key role traditional healers play in village life makes them impossible to disregard.
"Traditional healers are more accessible and connected to their communities; people feel more comfortable going to them," said Dooley. "They also are successful in treating certain conditions such as depression, anxiety and addiction. It was clear that if we want to support people with mental illnesses, we need to integrate the two approaches."
Dooley's project involved engaging with 18 traditional healers for initial training and understanding of how the two services can work together to better serve persons with serious and persistent mental illness. Dooley says the project garnered significant interest on the part of the traditional healers who were interested in learning more about integrating their methods with those of western style medicine; at the same time, mental health workers are beginning to recognize the importance of including traditional approaches to the treatment of mental illness.
"The relationship between traditional healers and mental health workers needs to be worked on from both sides. Once trust is built then collaboration can begin and more importantly be sustained," said Dooley.
"(The project) is a starting point and hopefully others can continue to develop it."
As for this week's conference, Dooley says she has the jitters under control.
"I'm not terribly nervous. My voice might be a little shaky, but I know what I'm talking about and I'm passionate about it," she said. "I think it's really important to tell this story."
