Welcome to the Critical Health and Racial Literacy (CHRL) for Peer Equity Navigators (PENs) (CHRL-PENs) training program.
This is an initiative of the Collaborative Critical Research for Equity and Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH) lab at the University of Ottawa, Canada.
PEN is a peer-driven health education and practice changing initiative with a goal of closing the health equity gaps in disadvantaged communities through evidence-informed critical health and racial literacy program.
Overall objectives of the CHRL PENs are:
- To improve existing knowledge about the ACB communities, social determinants of health (SDOH), health disparities, racism, anti-racism and cultural competence, advocacy and health promotion.
- To learn about the role of PENs as advocates and “changemakers” in their communities
- To facilitate ACB community members’ access to up-to-date health related information
The critical health and racial literacy (CHRL) training program for PENs consist of 6, 2-hour training modules over a 3-week period covering the following areas:
- Module 1 – History of ACB Populations in Canada
- Module 2 – HIV and AIDS
- Module 3 – The Social Determinants of Health and Critical Health Literacy
- Module 4 – Critical Racial Literacy
- Module 5 – Cultural Competency and Safety
- Module 6 – Health Promotion, Ethics, Advocacy, and Community Engagement (H-PEACE)
Each module has been carefully designed and formatted to maximize participants’ interactions and communication in both asynchronous and synchronous learning platforms. Critical reflection exercises will be carried out in each module including personal reflection as an ACB person or ACB Ally, on becoming a PEN, and on your preceptored practicum experience. This approach aims to enhance community capacity, empowerment, and practice outcomes, thereby contributing to sustained improvements in community health and health equity.
Each PEN is expected to participate in program evaluation at the start and end of the CHRL-PENs’ training program, and at 6- and 12-months post-implementation.
