CHUMMIES

CONTINUOUSLY CONNECTING YOU

As an inclusive wraparound service, CHUM trainees can opt in to our biweekly CHUMMIES. CHUMMIES are virtual de-stressing and cultural exchange spaces where we, as a collective, candidly and productively discuss issues related to cultural responsiveness and cross-cultural engagement. Lasting two hours, these vibrant, highly organic support groups are facilitated by CHUM staff and held over Zoom. Some weeks, we host guest speakers, ranging from leading practitioners and researchers to their clients and study participants; other weeks, former trainees lead the discussion and challenge us to try to see through their eyes. Whatever the topic or core focus, CHUMMIES brings people together from across the globe to engage in processes of purposeful self-reflection, community-building, and de-stressing (and a wee bit of venting). We purposefully use CHUMMIES to blend self-care needs with cultural humility strategizing, recognizing that one requires the other.

Our reason for developing CHUMMIES is pretty straightforward: trainings are just one part of the journey. Things we learn and absorb come and go. The overarching goal of CHUMMIES is to extend trainees’ involvement and engagement with all things cultural humility, indefinitely. We use CHUMMIES to help shape what trainees gain from our trainings into an ongoing process. As we see it, cultural humility is indeed a lifelong process, and so, it requires ongoing lifestyle changes. In short, CHUMMIES are our way of keeping the party going! To learn more about CHUMMIES, sign-up for one of our trainings or contact us!