Forging new Pathways to Care with TAIBU Executive Director Liben Gebremikael

Healthcare Change Makers

Today we’re talking with Liben Gebremikael, the first Executive Director of TAIBU Community Health Centre in Toronto. He’s held the position since 2008. Liben is a social worker with over 25 years of experience in the primary healthcare sector, social services, and mental health field.

TAIBU was created to meet the specific healthcare needs of the Black Community – and as it’s evolved, addresses all the social determinants of health including, education, income, lifestyle, and housing.

Their philosophy of care is built around a Zulu word ‘Ubuntu’, which means, we don’t exist as individuals, we exist as a family and as a community. All issues at TAIBU are addressed from that lens and that philosophy.

For Liben, there’s excitement and a sense of satisfaction at developing a culturally appropriate approach to specific illnesses that affect the Black community – illnesses like sickle cell disease and diabetes for example.

The larger issue that preoccupies Liben and his colleagues at TAIBU is the necessity of systems change. Eliminating barriers to care for racialized populations means big changes are needed at the systems level. As Liben explains, it begins with the four ‘As’.

Quotables

“Sometimes the role of a leader is very strategic, but I believe you need to continue to put your feet on the ground and really listen to people and hear people. Once a social worker, always a social worker!” – LG

“People talk about a broken system. We say the system is not broken; it’s working perfectly as it was designed. The challenge is, it was not designed for certain populations.” – LG

“One of the African principles of self-determination is that our clients participate in design, in decision-making, in planning of services. Critical ingredients when you’re talking about culturally appropriate approaches and services.” – LG

“People are really engaging with the issue of equity, which is promising, but it requires a lot of work because it’s very difficult to change the system quickly.” – LG

“We are moving from just doing programs – we are incorporating the concept of systems change in all that we are designing moving forward.” – LG

“If we continue in the long-term to address the systemic issue, then every CHC, every healthcare facility, every youth-serving agency will be meeting the needs of those racialized and marginalized communities and the system would be working for everybody.” – LG

“I usually say COVID is like an x-ray. It showed us how broken the bones were.” – LG

“We came through this huge impact of COVID-19 and we’re still functioning as a community. As staff and as an organization, and many other CHCs would share this view, we need to hang on to this resiliency” – LG

“I would not use the word ‘consultation’, I use the word ‘engagement’ – engaging with communities and really being transparent and saying, ‘We’re here to listen and we’re here to support’.” – LG

Mentioned in this Episode:

Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity

TAIBU Community Health Centre

Black Health Alliance

Dr. Christopher Morgan

The Ubuntu Village Project

Sickle Cell Association of Ontario

Black Creek Community Health Centre

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

Rexdale Community Health Centre

Peloton Anti-Racism Initiative

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