ST-JOSEPHS-COMMUNITY-HEALTH-CENTER MODEL OF COMMUNITY-BASED INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH-CARE TEAM EDUCATION

As our reliance on interdisciplinary heath care teams for meeting the multidimensional needs of the community becomes greater, new interdisc iplinary education programmes and learning experiences are needed to e ducate students and health care professionals to become better team pl ayers. The St Joseph's Community Health Center (SJCHC) model of commun ity-based interdisciplinary health care team education was developed w ith support from McMaster University and the Educational Centre for Ag ing and Health's Clinical Teaching Unit Without Walls. The SJCHC model is structured as one 3-h session each week for eight consecutive week s and is an elective learning experience for students. Six to eight se nior health, social science and other health-related students work wit h two group facilitators as a team on discussion theme topics: team dy namics; role issues and professional values; collaboration and conflic t; communication, leadership and power; client-centred goal-oriented c are; and consumerism issues. The success and impact of the SJCHC model has been measured by several primary and secondary outcomes outlined in the Charting the Outcomes of Educational and Clinical Approaches (C OECA) model.