TEACH offers smoking cessation training for francophone service providers

This fall, CAMH’s TEACHProject for Francophones (Projet TEACH pour les francophones) will once again offer its certificate program for service providers who work with French-speaking clients, a population with higher smoking rates which needs targeted approaches.

Jean-François Crépault (left), is coordinator of the TEACH Project, which offers U of T affiliated, culturally-adapted courses for francophone service providers. Dr. Marilyn Herie (centre) is TEACH Project Director and Antoine Dérose, Program Consultant, CAMH Provincial Services, works extensively with francophone populations.

Last year TEACH successfully launched the pilot version of its University of Toronto-accredited, culturally-adapted certificate program, training 37 professionals from across Ontario and beyond in smoking cessation counselling.

Having thoroughly evaluated the program and revised the curriculum accordingly, TEACH is proud to offer an updated version of its Core Course, which gives health care professionals access to evidence-based knowledge about tobacco use and allows them to develop practical skills in cessation counselling. See related article.

TEACH is also offering a brand new Specialty Course entitled Entretien motivationnel et arrêt du tabagisme (Motivational Interviewing and Tobacco Cessation), which will facilitate and enhance practitioners’ ability to apply motivational interviewing skills as part of intensive tobacco cessation interventions.

Projet TEACH reflects the need for cultural competence in smoking cessation treatment, especially among linguistic minorities, who may face barriers to treatment. At least 7 per cent of Ontarians are francophone, and smoking is substantially higher among this group even when accounting for socio-economic status and education, according to TEACH coordinator Jean-François Crépault.

“Programs and interventions for French-speaking communities need to take their unique needs into account in order to be effective,” says Mr. Crépault. “As far as we know there isn’t a program offered like this anywhere.”

Projet TEACH pour les francophones is a collaboration between CAMH and Health Canada. Both English and French versions are accredited by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine as well as other professional organizations.

Fall TEACH courses run October 19-23, 2009.

Registration is open until September 8.

Interested practitioners can apply online at www.teachproject.ca/francophone.

It was established in response to the overwhelming need expressed by all francophone groups in Ontario, regardless of national or ethno-cultural origin, for health services in French to reach out to the relatively high percentage of smokers in their communities.

“Whether their mother tongue is Arabic, or Swahili, or Creole, French is the language of access for many of the immigrant groups we need to serve,” says Antoine Dérose, Program Consultant for PEHP-CCE.

“This program means that clients looking for help with smoking cessation will be able to communicate directly with the clinician without having to go through a translator. This not only saves time, but also makes sure that the client and clinician understand each other perfectly.”