Sault College helps to offer fetal alcohol syndrome program

According to Union of Ontario Indians FASD coordinator Laurie McLeod-Shabogesic, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is number one among one preventable disabilities in Canada and worldwide.

On Monday the Anishinabek Educational Institute, in partnership with Sault College, took a major step in an effort to understand, address and work with the issue by offering a post-diploma Fetal Alcohol Syndrome program - the first of its kind in Ontario.

McLeod-Shabogesic says they have been working towards the program for some time and are very excited about what the partnership means moving forward.

“One of the things that is really exciting about this initiative it that we’re so much further ahead than some of the other provinces,” explains McLeod-Shabogesic.

“And we’re hoping that all of the work that we have been doing, we’ve done some very exciting things in the past year we launched a FASD diagnostic clinic with very little support from the provincial and federal governments, and we are hoping that they will join with us and see the work that we are doing and help us move forward on this very challenging issue.”

She says with 1,000 diagnosed FASD cases each year the program will enable frontline workers to develop seamless and effective health care programs to meet the needs of individuals and families struggling with this complex, lifelong disability.

"Our goal is to provide training that will help communities learn how to plan for the care of individuals with FASD and to recognize the impacts that the developmental trajectory of this disability has on families, communities and our nations."

President of Sault College Dr. Ron Common says the program is a true partnership that he is very excited to work with Anishinabek Educational Institute.

“The Union of Ontario Indians are going it identify the students, help us recruit the students, they’re going to work in collaboration with us in adapting the curriculum,” he explains.

“They have the cultural expertise that we need in order to take this curriculum and adapt it for the realities of First Nations. So it’s a very great partnership for us.”

“At Sault College we have around 18 percent of our student population are aboriginal increasingly we are creating aboriginal specific programing this is one more very important piece to add to our curriculum.”

Common says the program will be run in three sites including the Union of Ontario Indians head office hub on Highway 17 West North Bay.

PHOTO CAPTION: Union of Ontario Indians Chief Operating Officer Walter Manitowabi (left) and president of Sault College Dr. Ron Common sign articulation agreement for new post-diploma tetal alcohol syndrome program. (Photo by Kate Adams BayToday.ca)

Editor's note: This article was originally written by Kate Adams of SooToday.com's sister outlet, BayToday.ca in North Bay.