Author Archives: BTDH Communications
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Stay safe on the roads this winter
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Winter driving comes with its own set of challenges, but with a little preparation and mindfulness, you can stay safe on the road. Here are some essential tips to keep you and your loved ones safe during the colder months:
Before hitting the road, ensure your vehicle is ready for winter conditions by checking:
- Make sure all tires (and spares) are properly inflated and have adequate tread. Consider winter tires for added traction.
- Ensure your battery fully charged and in good condition to handle colder temperatures.
- Top up your anti-freeze to prevent your engine from freezing.
- Make sure your heaters functioning properly to keep you warm.
- Replace windshield wipers if they’re worn, and fill up with winter-grade windshield washer fluid.
- Check all your vehicle lights to ensure they’re working for visibility in shorter days and snowy conditions.
Unexpected situations can happen, so be prepared with a well-stocked emergency kit. Include:
- Warm items: Blankets, extra coats, gloves, and winter hats (toques).
- Traction aids: Sandbags or road salt. (Car floor mats can be used for traction in a pinch)
- Ice scraper and snowbrush: Essential for clearing windshields and mirrors.
- Shovel: Compact and sturdy for digging out of snow.
- Booster cables: To get you or a fellow driver back on the road.
A full tank helps avoid being stranded and ensures your vehicle runs efficiently in the cold. Taking a little extra time can make all the difference:
- Warm up and clean snow off your vehicle before driving to ensure clear visibility.
- Drive slowly: Remember, posted speed limits are for ideal conditions, and winter roads are far from ideal.
- Give snowplows, graders and any other road maintenance vehicles the space to do their job and wait until they allow you to pass.
- Increase your following distance: This gives you more time to stop safely on slippery roads.
- Signal early: Indicate turns sooner than usual to give other drivers plenty of notice.
- Avoid sudden braking or swerving, which can cause you to lose control on icy surfaces.
Bundle up, plan ahead, and drive with care. Wishing you a safe and happy winter season!
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Donate to bringing the spirit home this holiday season
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Christmas is around the corner and the team at Bringing the Spirit Home are wanting to make this holiday season special for our members who are accessing services.
During the holidays, we recognize that many of our members struggle with their mental health, being away from their families, and/or are grieving the loss of their loved ones. Please help us in encouraging our members to continue their sobriety this holiday season.
The following are gift suggestions; items are safe for participants to have while in detox and safe for use in external environments:
- Socks
- Plain shirts
- Gloves
- Caps
- Hand/Foot warmers
- Emergency blankets
- Toques
- Candy/Chocolate
- Puzzles
- Puzzle/Crossword books
- Adult coloring books
- Gel pens/Pencils
- Crayons/Markers/Pens for colouring
- Encouraging sobriety journals
- NotebooksPlanners
- Sage and Sweetgrass
- Smudge bowls
- Cigarettes/Tobacco
- Movie Mill gift cards
- Arts and crafts supplies
The Bringing the Spirit Home team will be gifting the presents on Wednesday, December 25, 2024.
For more information, contact Amanda Fox or Kyanni Thunder Chief at 403-737-8600.
Thank you in advance and have a safe, and healthy Christmas and New Year! -
What’s the “trick” to handling halloween candy?
Comments Off on What’s the “trick” to handling halloween candy?Provided by our BTDH Community Health Team
Halloween is a time for fun, treats, and family memories! Here are some tips from our team of dietitians to enjoy the holiday while keeping a balanced approach to sweets and snacks:
- Serve a Filling Meal and Water Before Trick-or-Treating: Having a satisfying dinner and lots of water will help reduce candy cravings while out and about.
- Include Candy with a Meal or Snack: Offering candy alongside a meal or filling snack can help balance out treats, so they’re enjoyed but don’t overwhelm.
- Avoid “Strings Attached” with Candy: Serve candy occasionally without restrictions. Avoid using it as a reward or making it seem like it’s off-limits.
- Skip Labels Like “Bad” or “Unhealthy”: Instead of putting labels on candy, describe its texture—like sticky, chewy, or crunchy—to make it a neutral experience.
- Drink Water and Brush After Treats: Drinking water and brushing after candy can help protect teeth from cavities and keep smiles healthy.
- Choose Neutral Language: Try saying, “I’m going to have a chocolate bar” instead of, “I’m being bad by eating this.” Keeping it neutral helps kids see candy as a normal treat.
- Share the Festive Fun: Halloween candy is nostalgic, festive, and meant to be enjoyed! Join your kids in the experience, celebrating the season together.
- Be Aware of Choking Hazards: Some candies may not be safe for younger kids—especially under one year old—so check for choking hazards and decide if they’re ready for candy.
- Remember, Moderation Helps! Restricting candy too much can make it more appealing to kids. It’s okay to serve candy at times you decide, but avoid making it forbidden.
We hope these tips add to a safe and fun Halloween for you and your family! Enjoy the holiday with a balance of fun and mindful choices.
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Meet Rebecca and Lene: Authors of the Blood Tribe Addiction Framework
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The Blood Tribe Addictions Framework is a comprehensive plan developed by the Blood Tribe to combat the ongoing drug crisis. The framework has served as a blueprint for community-driven solutions, including the establishment of the Bringing the Spirit Home Detox Program. This framework was written by Rebecca Many Grey Horses and Lene Jorgensen, and is a valuable resource for other communities and organizations seeking to address similar challenges. This framework was published into a book in 2023 by Eaglespeaker Publishing.
Itisnohtispiyaki (Dances with Many Medicine Bundles) Rebecca Many Grey Horses is from the Kainai Nation. Being raised with the traditional Blackfoot ways and traditions, Rebecca continues to practice and live her Blackfoot ways. Her western educational accomplishments include a BA, and a Masters in Jurispurdence in Indigenous Law.
Lene Jorgensen was the Director of System & Service Planning for the AHS South Zone when this book was written. She has been involved with various initiatives pertaining to Indigenous Health including: AHS South Zone Indigenous Health Action Plan, the AHS Indigenous Health Strategy (Roadmap to Wellness), the Alberta Health Diabetes Working Group Indigenous Recommendations, and the BTDH Bringing our Spirits Home Addiction Framework. Lene is originally from Denmark where my family still resides. I am married, have two grown children and a dog, and live in Calgary. I love connecting with nature, whether it is in the forms of biking, hiking, skiing, or canoeing.
Questions for the authors:
What inspired you to write this book?
Lene: The book came from the work that Rebecca and I did in 2018 on the BTDH addiction framework. In our roles with with AHS and BTDH, we were initially tasked with developing an opioid response plan, however this quickly expanded to become a broader addiction framework. Because of the extensive and rich feedback, we gathered from our stakeholder engagement, and how this informed the creation of the framework, it was apparent that many people, communities and organizations could benefit from learning about what we did, how we did it, and the recommendations that were made.
Rebecca: The information gathered with the BTDH addictions framework continued to assist the community and it had to be shared to a wider audience. Writing the book was the icing on the cake as it will deliver a template to organizations and communities in assisting with drug crisis not only in First Nations Communities but any community.
How long did it take you to write the book from concept to publication?
Rebecca and Lene:
-Phase 1: May – November 2018 was the creation of the framework and the recommendations for the BTDH Board of Directors.
-Phase 2: December 2021 editing of the original documents started to ensure the information would resonate with a broader audience, beyond the community health department.
-Phase 3: 2022 was the quest to find an editor and publisher, and funding to solicit their services, since we have never written or published before.
-Phase 4: October – December 2022 the publisher was engaged, and funding was secured.
-Phase 5: January – August 2023 rounds of edits with publisher and approval by BTDH Board.
-Phase 6: September 2023 the book was published on Amazon and Eaglespeaker Publishing websites.
What message or main idea do you want readers to take away from your book?
Rebecca: The main idea is using the book as a resource to learn how the Blood Tribe is addressing the opioid crisis, and how this community driven approach is providing services for addiction services.
Lene: There is great wisdom in Indigenous communities and most of the solutions to each community’s unique challenges already exist in the community. The magic emerges when this wisdom is gathered and consolidated into a common voice for the community.
How has writing this book influenced your perspective on the topics you address?
Lene: Addressing addiction can be overwhelming, especially when it infiltrates all aspects of peoples lives and communities, such as the Blood Tribe. It is important to understand the past, while bringing awareness to the current situation. This provides valuable information to help shape the solutions for the future. Building on the wisdom contained in the community and elevating this to frame solutions ensures that people see themselves reflected in the community plan.
Rebecca: The writing of the book has broadened my perspective on the opioid crisis; so many times, writing the framework we broke down in tears, but we continued knowing it was for the community. Understanding that it must be healing, and Blackfoot culturally centered also brought us to elders, knowledge keepers and attending an Okan to ask for guidance strengthen the framework and the drive to complete it.
Who is the target audience for your book, and how do you hope it impacts them?
Lene: I think many Indigenous, and non-Indigenous, communities who are impacted by addiction can benefit from this book and help them embark upon their unique journey to address the challenges in a similar way. I also think that post-secondary institutions, governments, and health care organizations can use this as a guide.
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What you need to know about shigellosis
Comments Off on What you need to know about shigellosisShigellosis is a disease of the intestines caused by bacteria called Shigella. Cases are rising in Alberta and those who are unhoused or unsheltered are being disproportionately affected.
Causes
Shigellosis is spread when the bacteria in feces (stool) or on soiled fingers are ingested. The illness is highly infectious and can also be spread from person to person.
Transmission typically occurs by eating contaminated foods, which become infected when:
- handled with poor hygiene
- washed with water contaminated with feces
Other risk factors for contracting Shigellosis:
- drinking contaminated liquids, such as water from rivers, lakes, and other coastal waters
- sexual oral-anal contact; outbreaks have occurred among men who have sex with men
Symptoms
Shigellosis usually lasts 5 to 7 days. Some people who are infected may have no symptoms at all but may still spread shigellosis to others.
- diarrhea (often bloody)
- nausea and vomiting
- fever
- stomach cramps starting 1 or 2 days after you are exposed to the bacteria.
Prevention
- Washing your hands frequently and carefully with soap
- Avoid swallowing water while swimming.
- Take care if changing diapers
Treatment
If you are experiencing symptoms of shigellosis, please seek medical attention right away. Antibiotics and proper hydration can help treat shigellosis. Contact BTDH Community Health if you have questions at 403-737-3933.
