Speaker(s):
Presentation:
Every community contains natural or indigenous helpers–people who are sought out by friends, neighbors, and relatives because of their knack for effective problem solving and social support. More often than not, indigenous helpers are the first-line providers of informal health, social, addiction, and mental health services. Indigenous helpers represent every walk of life and the help they render is in most cases free of charge. Using an ecological framework and illustrations drawn from in-depth interviews with indigenous helpers, Dr. Memmott will discuss the impact this important human activity has on individuals, families, groups, and larger organizations. In addition, Dr. Memmot will offer tips on how to encourage and promote indigenous helping to make our communities healthier, safer, and more livable.
Objectives:
- Define indigenous helping and provide examples from their own lives.
- Identify and describe the types or helping styles of indigenous helpers.
- Discuss the helping methods employed by indigenous helpers.
- Explain how indigenous helping improves the quality of life in a community.
- Discuss ways to encourage and promote indigenous helping in neighborhoods and communities.