Occupy Vancouver Medical Committee Meeting - January 15, 2012
At 1545 E. 4th (The Kagis Empire)
Present: Mathew Kagis, Clara Foules, Trevor Walper, Caeli Weaver-Jones, Dana Kagis (observer), Sasha Wiley-Shaw (minutes)
Agenda:
- CMHA course
- Scheduled meeting time
- Occupy Medics email list
- Proposal to Spokescouncil re: virtual participation in committee delegation
- Street Medic Plan
1) Program written for police post YVR taser death to help develop skills for working with people with mental illnesses; has now been developed for the public and public sector employees. Caeli was program administrator and can facilitate, do training.
a) Now realizing desire for training to be offered beyond the medic committee; peacekeepers and medics would benefit from more intensive versions
b) Jay Peachy coordinating doing the public version of the course – contact with CMHA new program administrator
c) Of particular benefit when future encampment takes place.
d) Given variety and frequency of these issues in OV situations, of huge benefit to OV Medics
e) Course has been cancelled that had been set for the 22nd because Caeli can provide free access to the training
f) There is need to follow up with Andrew – action by Trevor
g) Since $150 for 20 people to attend, it would be worth it to do the public training first, and then Caeli can provide further training
i) Proposal: do the public training round and then have Caeli provide additional round and supplement - CARRIED
(1) Benefits: official certification; as group desiring training grows, too much for one facilitator to take on
ii) Need to approach spokescouncil for funding – Action by Trevor
iii) Proposal: That spokecouncil approve $150 to fund CHMA training for OV medics, peacekeepers, and others - carried
iv) Set date for training – need to consult committee and other interested parties – want to have happen within a month; put back on agenda for next meeting
2) Should there be a regular meeting time?
a) Benefits: easy to contact people; email list access would help; consistent way to check in with the committee for people wanting to get back involved/connect with the committee
b) Drawbacks: time that works for everyone; until encampment or ongoing project – e.g. street medics – up, no need for regularly scheduled meeting times; can be a time sink. When situation changes, will be need for regularly scheduled meetings.
c) People contacting committee can be improved via improving online contact info – email list and website
d) Proposal: That there be no regularly scheduled meetings until OV situation changes. If needed due to people re-connected via email list, schedule a big meeting to connect the group. CARRIED
3) Email list – Mathew will follow up with Chris to get access
a) It was also discussed that mandate should be on the website – action by Mathew
b) Desire to create gmail account – action by Mathew
4) Spokescouncil model requires three person delegation; doesn’t always work for Medical Committee. Trevor has written a proposal for spokescouncil suggesting a way digital participation could be used to overcome this.
a) (Trevor has and will distribute text of the proposal to the group) CARRIED
b) Benefits: use of livestream to provide access to seat of dissent; could vote on livestream for transparency; Pirate party uses similar IRC meetings;
c) Addition: can have seat of dissent provide virtual participant with their phone number as another check – if they don’t have a phone, high likelihood someone (facilitation etc.) can lend one
5) Contingent on having a centralized place out of which to organize and dispatch equipment; then, can organize to use budget, track supplies, dispatch teams
a) Once space is achieved, will be easy to execute
b) Can start set up immediately
c) Needs: augmented jump sets, training – can do that, have program
d) Training needs to come first; can happen before space is acquired
e) End goal: roving V medics in DTES
f) Need to put call out for volunteers, offer training to prepare
i) Caeli was the originator of the idea
ii) Self-training on four different points: basic first aid, holistic and natural health care, mental health and dealing with people on drugs, and riot preparedness
iii) Caeli Programs being prepared; need for support on the issue of dealing with people on drugs
iv) Josh identified as a good resource on drug addition
v) Other medics who were connected with emergency nurses – Caeli to find contacts from Chris
vi) Mathew will take on the basic first aid piece
g) Discussion of legalities: do not declare training official; what’s required is one person with current official certification who takes lead, and then no liability problem
h) Street medic health collective logo has been developed: black cross with lion’s head wearing bandana w/ peace sign on it
i) Desire to bring plan to GA or spokes so that it has official endorsement
6) New Item – Holistic Health – Clara has been working on this; had a meeting w/ Sema and Morgen. After teaching four points of training from above, create a condensed version to offer to all occupiers (needs differ from medics). Teach through practice: medics train medics; medics train OV; street medics to train the world – offer increased health knowledge to support marginalized people.
a) Clara will support training here
b) Mathew also has background in herbal medicine
Meeting Adjourned
