Toronto health centre facilitating diabetes support groups

17 December 2010 No Comments

By Geena Lee

The Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of clinical and health promotion services for residents in Toronto’s North York community.

Operating in Sheridan and Yorkgate malls, the BCCHC is equipped with doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers and cooperatives, who serve a wide demographic. Of the many health services offered by the BCCHC, one that is making a significant impact is its diabetes awareness and management program.

Michelle Westin, a community health worker based at the Sheridan Mall site, is on the front lines of the initiative. “I go out into the community and give diabetes awareness presentations to seniors groups, parent groups, youth groups and churches,” she says. “I also visit health care professionals in the area to share information about our services so that they can refer their clients to us.”

The importance of fostering diabetes awareness becomes clear when considering the pervasiveness of the disease in urban communities, with areas such as the northwest part of Toronto having some of the highest rates, according to Westin. The BCCHC’s free education program addresses all aspects of diabetes management. “It covers everything from nutrition (how food affects your blood sugar levels) to physical activity, medications and stress management,” Westin says.

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Another crucial part of diabetes management is having peer support. “When you have diabetes, it can be a very isolating experience. You may feel like you’re the only person who has it,” Westin says.

Seeking to remedy this alienation, the BCCHC partnered with local agencies to launch the Diabetes Peer Support Project, in which residents of the Black Caribbean Canadian community were trained to facilitate peer support groups for those living with the disease. “These groups are actually run by people who have diabetes themselves,” Westin says.

From the project arose the Peer Support Group Guide, specifically created to be culturally and ethnically sensitive to those of Black Caribbean descent. It offers guidelines that make it possible for anyone interested to develop a diabetes peer support group in his or her own community.

The BCCHC’s diabetes peer support group meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Sheridan Mall location. Anyone from the Black Caribbean community living with diabetes is welcome to attend. “It’s a way to connect with other people in the community who have diabetes, share information, and get emotional and social support,” says Westin.

For more information, call 416-249-8000 or visit bcchc.com