CAMH’s Nicotine Dependence Clinic has much to celebrate. After more than 10 years in operation, it has trained thousands of Canadian healthcare practitioners on best practices in tobacco dependence treatment, through the Training Enhancement in Applied Cessation Counselling and Health (TEACH) Project.
These practitioners have gone on to help tens of thousands of clients address their tobacco use and improve their quality of life. Ten years of operation is also a time to reflect on how much work remains ahead, as the TEACH project sets its sights on building increased capacity here in Canada and abroad. Led by CAMH’s Director of Medical Education, Dr. Peter Selby, the TEACH project is aimed at eradicating cigarette addiction through innovative educational interventions.
Commercial tobacco has had a volatile history in Ontario, and across Canada. Widely acknowledged as one of the leading causes of preventable death, tobacco addiction remains a major health risk for millions of Canadians, despite ongoing efforts to prevent its long-term consequences. Several interventions are currently in use to curtail tobacco use, including:
• age restrictions for purchase;
• prohibited smoking in public areas;
• escalating taxes on cigarettes;
• restrictions on product visibility and advertising;
• visceral warnings and imagery on product packaging.
Despite the best efforts of policy makers and healthcare practitioners, cigarette smoking has not been eradicated. However, thanks to programs like TEACH, smoking rates are in decline.
The TEACH Advantage
The TEACH project successfully equips healthcare practitioners with the skills to work collaboratively with clients. TEACH incorporates evidence-based research and best practices in adult education to provide client-centered treatment. These practices include:
Reciprocal teaching: TEACH faculty acts as “coaches” rather than instructors, and leads clinician learning through collaborative, applied learning and skill development
Problem-Based Learning: learners apply critical thinking, reflection, and collaboration to solve complex case studies
Cultural Embeddedness: context-specific curriculum and training strategies help clinicians adapt learning to specific populations and environments
Interprofessional Education & Collaboration: unparalleled interprofessional cross-training (including physicians, psychology, nursing, and social work), sustained by a large and dedicated community of practice.
The TEACH project has become one of Canada’s most acclaimed and recognized tobacco dependence training programs. Accredited by multiple institutions including the University of Toronto and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, TEACH has trained over 5,400 clinicians across Canada. Versatile in its methodology and applicability, TEACH can be customized to any population, cultural context, or healthcare environment.
Expanding the reach of TEACH
CAMH also is proud to announce TEACH’s new consulting arm, which will bring best practices in tobacco dependence treatment to the international market, and adapt its evidence-based interventions to a variety of new cultures and clinical environments. CAMH and the Nicotine Dependence Clinic are excited to scale up this world-class training, and bring enhanced quality of life to new patient populations and the clinicians who serve them.
If you would like to learn more about how TEACH can assist your organization, please contact professionalservices@camh.ca.
You can check out the TEACH web site and see upcoming courses at: https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com