OUR COACHING
This is the Cultural Wellness Center’s documented process of identifying all the barriers that exist between where you are at currently and your Wellness. You then create a step by step action plan that includes how you will overcome each barrier that exist between you and your wellness. Every stage of the process is guided by the cultural knowledge of Cultural Wellness Center staff to ensure its progression all the way to the end point of the individual achieving their Wellness. Wellness, as understood by the Cultural Wellness Center, includes all facets of health; the mind, the body, the spirit, living stability, financial stability, relationships with family, friends, community, cultural awareness, etc.
SELF HEALING
This is the Cultural Wellness Center’s practice of working with individuals to provide them with the knowledge and guidance that enhances their capacity and frame to do a cultural self-study.
The Cultural Self-Study is a long-term process that requires commitment to researching, writing, and being perfectly honest with yourself. It requires the initiate to stay connected with the Cultural Wellness Center through periodic check-ins and updates. Without the cultural knowledge and guidance of the Cultural Wellness Center it is nearly impossible for the self-study to stay on its correct path aligned with its original purpose.
Self Knowledge
This is the Cultural Wellness Center’s cultural practice of the elders making themselves available to regularly check-in with anyone who finds themselves in need of guidance, advice, permission, assurance, understanding, wisdom, or anything else of a similar nature. Elders see this as a high priority obligation because it is how their cultural knowledge and wisdom is carried into the future.
All that is shared by elders or staff is based in, and done because of, cultural knowledge.
Intergenerational Healing
This is the Cultural Wellness Center’s practice of assisting individuals who feel isolated and disconnected from family and community. We provide individuals with readily available avenues to community involvement, with community members of common backgrounds, interests, and goals. This aids the individual in developing a network of community people that become the basis of a kinship network that supports the individual while, at the same time, combating the sickness of isolation.
The Cultural Wellness Center has this capability as we have been a prominent community institution for more than two decades. We have accumulated valuable relationships and connection in our Twin Cities community. This allows us to maintain awareness of what’s happening throughout the community so it is simple to connect people to other people in the same community.
Heritage Keys to Self Care
Life is exactly what we think, feel, and sense it to be. Internally, we are constantly bombarded with involuntary thoughts and feelings, while external impressions are constantly stimulating our senses. If one never examines how their thoughts, feelings, sensations affect their life, the perception of life will constantly be subject to change and it will be difficult to find a stable form of contentment.
Cognitive Repair
This is the Cultural Wellness Center’s practice of assisting individual who feel isolated and disconnected from family and community. We provide individuals with readily available avenues to community involvement, with community members of common backgrounds, interests, and goals. This aids the individual in developing a network of community people that become the basis of a kinship network that supports the individual while, at the same time, combating the sickness of isolation.
Cultural Restoration
We are working to reinstate culturally-based health practices and culturally-based healing practices in communities, families, and individuals. We focus on restoring the value and relevance of our old traditions, knowledge, and views around the topic of health and healing.
Some specific aspects of Health Institute include:
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Healing Circles: We convene circles of healing for families experiencing illness or loss.
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Support for Pregnant Women: We are always available to pregnant women. Our on-staff doula will help to organize a birthing team and will support and meet with the family or expecting mother throughout the pregnancy. Our doula is available to be present at the birth, if that is what the expecting mother desires, and she will support the mother and family at the beginning stages of the baby’s life.
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Cultural Ceremonies and Rituals: We help people to develop their cultural ceremonies and rituals for life events.
Health Justice
OUR CLASSES
Life Navigation
We work with community members to produce the knowledge and insight that will alleviate their problems and prevent them from happening. We accomplish this by meeting with community members from all backgrounds and using a culturally-based process that helps surface individual knowledge and empowerment.
Age Stage Rites of Passage
(0-7 up to Elders)
We work with community members to produce the knowledge and insight that will alleviate their problems and prevent them from happening. We accomplish this by meeting with community members from all backgrounds and using a culturally-based process that helps surface individual knowledge and empowerment.
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African Cultural Reconnection through Dance and Drumming in schools and out of schoolsf school
We work with community members to produce the knowledge and insight that will alleviate their problems and prevent them from happening. We accomplish this by meeting with community members from all backgrounds and using a culturally-based process that helps surface individual knowledge and empowerment.
Birthing Teams Support for parents during pregnancy, birthing, parent child health, and development
The Birthing Team Model uses birthing teams, personal maps to wellness, elder coaching, healing circles and other culturally-specific practices to prevent infant mortality and preterm birth. In this model women are supported by a birth attendant who uses culturally-specific approaches to create healthy pregnancies, births, and postpartum experiences.
Training & Certification for Female and Male Doulas (Birth Attendant)
N/A
Transformational Leadership Training for Organizational Professionals and Staff Leaders
Until 1961, affirmative action was traditionally reserved for those claiming familial rights, alumni status, or donating large amounts of money. An executive order by John F. Kennedy shifted that focus to actively include people that were colloquially referred to as “diverse”. The current day paradigm of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is the expanded result of that paradigm shift, yet the equitable inclusion of persons categorized as “diverse” remains a of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion remain more present than ever. It is time to rethink Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
A Year-of-Learning for Organizational Leaders and Health Practitioners
Class Detail Coming Soon
Residences-in-Training
(Cultural Health Practitioners)
Any display of competence is proven in what is actually done. Therefore claiming cultural competency suggests direct experience of applying the cultural practices that create that culture to everyday life. Yet regardless of one’s experience of those cultural practices, few have or take the opportunity to examine the paradigm of thought that drive the ‘why’ those cultural practices. Cultural Competency has to be more than comparing and contrasting cultural norms. It is time to rethink Cultural Competency.
Cultural Wellness Griot Fellowship
Organizational Culture is how things get done within a professional environment. Intentionally standardizing inclusive policies and procedures that encourage employee wellness is great. However, there is often a difference between these well-intentioned policies and procedures and the lived experience of employees. This difference should be examined. It is time to rethink Organizational Culture.
Cultural Rituals & Ceremonies including Familyhood & Kinship Network
Organizational Culture is how things get done within a professional environment. Intentionally standardizing inclusive policies and procedures that encourage employee wellness is great. However, there is often a difference between these well-intentioned policies and procedures and the lived experience of employees. This difference should be examined. It is time to rethink Organizational Culture.
Our Tools and Processes
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MOVING FROM RACE TO CULTURE
The Cultural Wellness Center focuses on moving from race to culture, recognizing our hearts and souls as a collective, and studying culture as a resource. It encourages the practice of rituals and ceremonies to experience empathy, remember our people's ancient ways, and understand the connection between life and death. It also emphasizes the importance of sharing expressions of life which are not visible to the physical eye.
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MAP TO WELLNESS
The Cultural Wellness Center's process involves identifying the barriers between an individual and their Wellness, creating a step-by-step action plan to overcome these barriers, and being guided by the Center's staff throughout the process. Wellness, as understood by the Center, encompasses all aspects of health, including mental, physical and spiritual health, as well as relationships, financial stability and cultural awareness.
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CULTURAL SELF-STUDY
The Cultural Wellness Center provides individuals with the knowledge and guidance to do a Cultural Self-Study, which requires commitment, research, writing and honesty. The Center encourages periodic check-ins and updates to ensure the process remains on track. Without the Center's help, it is difficult to complete the self-study.
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CULTURAL SELF-STUDY
The Cultural Wellness Center provides individuals with the knowledge and guidance to do a Cultural Self-Study, which requires commitment, research, writing and honesty. The Center encourages periodic check-ins and updates to ensure the process remains on track. Without the Center's help, it is difficult to complete the self-study.
3
CULTURAL SELF-STUDY
The Cultural Wellness Center provides individuals with the knowledge and guidance to do a Cultural Self-Study, which requires commitment, research, writing and honesty. The Center encourages periodic check-ins and updates to ensure the process remains on track. Without the Center's help, it is difficult to complete the self-study.