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EMBRACING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

The CCA recognizes that systemic racism and discrimination exist for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, persons from various religious backgrounds, persons with disabilities, and women.

We believe that embracing diversity, equity and inclusion is the best way to address these inequalities. Our goal is to create an inclusive and equitable environment where patients, chiropractors, board directors, CCA staff and members of the broader public are valued for their differences.

This is what we want to achieve:

  • Increase access to chiropractic care by ensuring underrepresented groups value and have access to chiropractic as a way to live healthy, active lives
  • Empower CCA staff, board directors, and members to confront and dismantle systemic racism and discrimination
  • Spark innovation, excellence and integrity in our work by increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession’s leadership roles
  • Foster open and caring environments where dialogue about diversity, equity and inclusion can take place
  • Value and promote the competencies of cultural agility at all levels of the CCA, with stakeholders and with the profession

We believe our efforts will deliver better results for the profession, practitioners, patients, and future patients. Our first step is the adoption of our statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

CCA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

Diversity encompasses, without limitation, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, nationality, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and marital or parental status.

A key component in addressing diversity, equity and inclusion is cultural agility. The CCA defines cultural agility as having enhanced skills and knowledge of the needs of a diverse society and requiring a commitment to inclusion that begins with broader concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion. The CCA acknowledges cultural agility as a foundation for competent healthcare delivery to improve patient outcomes and engage in healthcare initiatives.

The CCA’s DEI Statement is adapted and modelled after the American Chiropractic Association’s statement. Our statement establishes diversity, equity and inclusion as principles that must be woven into the fabric of our profession, the CCA, and in the profession’s approach to providing excellent patient care.

Embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

We want to build a culture where staff, board members, and chiropractors have the understanding and skills to confront and dismantle systemic racism and discrimination.

Our goal is to increase access to chiropractic care, thereby helping all Canadians live the healthy, active lives they want. A concrete way to do that is by being more aware and responsive to the needs of people who experience systemic racism and discrimination —including patients, members, and staff.

The Action Plan focuses on the following activities

  1. Offer Certificate DEI training for staff, board, members, members of the Student Canadian Chiropractic Association, provincial associations, and stakeholders
  2. Change CCA policies and procedures
    • Ensure at least 40 per cent of the CCA staff are BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, persons with disabilities, people with different religious backgrounds, and/or women (target: end of 2025)
    • Revise Human Resources (HR) policies to foster an inclusive recruitment environment
    • Sponsor certified DEI training for staff and board, and address issues of workplace discrimination
    • Integrate DEI as a pillar in the strategic plan of the CCA and in the organizational values.
  3. Create a more inclusive board – revise our nominations and recruitment process to attract and retain individuals from underrepresented groups
  4. Survey members to understand the current diversity of the profession
  5. Launch a National DEI Task Force of members that identifies needs, opportunities and drives action
  6. Create a stream of professional development at all National Conventions on DEI

The CCA commits to reporting annually on its activities, results, and updated plans. Check back for updates.

The First Step: Land Acknowledgement

The CCA acknowledges the enduring and vibrant presence, culture, history and inherent rights of First Nations, Métis and Inuit across Canada on whose traditional territories CCA members live and work, as well as where the CCA has its head office in Toronto.

Our first action as part of changing the way we work was to create a Land Acknowledgement statement to demonstrate that we:

  • Recognize Indigenous peoples’ presence in Canada
  • Want to be an ally with Indigenous peoples so they are treated in a culturally sensitive and inclusive way as members and patients

We recognize that this statement is one step. We will continue to seek knowledge, learn, and listen.

The Second Step: National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force

On December 10, 2020, the CCA officially established a National DEI Taskforce, a diverse group of seven CCA members from across the country representing various perspectives and communities.

The group’s mandate: Provide strategic and tactical advice to ensure our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy succeeds.

Diversity refers to the variety of similarities and differences among people, including but not limited to gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socio-economic difference, appearance, language and accent, disability, mental health, education, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role and function, thinking style, and personality type.

Equity asks us to acknowledge that everyone has different needs, experiences, and opportunities. Equitable design tries to give people what they need as individuals. Equity is in the design of systems and processes, and it helps to uphold diversity and inclusion-related goals and actions. Companies must examine their diversity and inclusion efforts to design and implement them in an equitable manner.

Inclusion of various diversity dimensions may vary by geography or organization. Inclusion is a dynamic state of operating in which diversity is leveraged to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive environment ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are and for their contributions toward organizational and societal goals.

Cultural Agility is an ongoing process by which individuals and organizations respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, sexes, ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, abilities and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms and values the worth of individuals, families and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.

The purpose of this toolkit is to equip chiropractors and their clinic staff with processes, best practices, and resources to implement a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy. Incorporating these into your practice will help achieve the CCA’s vision that chiropractors will be an integral part of every Canadian’s healthcare team by 2023.

DEI Toolkit

Oakley Partnership offers an online course on “LGBTQ+ Healthcare: Key Considerations for Canadian Clinicians.” It is the first of its kind, providing participants with a robust understanding of both clinical and practical considerations to better meet the specific health needs of LGBTQ+ people. The course incorporates key components from Oakley Partnership’s flagship “Coaching Skills for Clinicians” to provide the most comprehensive and in-depth training on LGBTQ+ specific healthcare and communication that is currently available. Please note that the course fee is in British Pounds.

Learn more and register: https://learn.oakleycoach.com/courses/lgbtq-canada

About Oakley Partnership

Oakley Partnership was established in 2016 in response to the growing demand for coaching and mentoring within the public and private healthcare industry. They have spoken at the COPA Conference, the British Chiropractic Association autumn conference, and have delivered lectures through the Royal College of Chiropractors and the global Evidence-Based Chiropractic Network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they supported the CPD requirements of UK Chiropractors, Osteopaths and other manual therapists by delivering accredited CPD webinars and sending out over 200 hours of CPD certificates. Their Confident Clinicians Academy is an innovative new online training platform which was launched in August 2021 with its flagship self-directed online learning course Health Coaching and Motivational Interviewing Skills for Healthcare Professionals. The Academy serves to support healthcare practitioners in achieving their Continued Professional Development requirements through self-directed, self-paced online learning. Recently, Oakley Partnership have delivered lectures for the British Chiropractic Association in relation to LGBTQ+ specific healthcare considerations for Chiropractors.