Self-Management BC Programs

We are very excited that United Churches of Langley, at the initiative and support of our Social Justice and Outreach Team, has become a venue partner for the Self-Management BC programs. 

These health programs for adults of all ages with one or more ongoing health conditions were developed at Stanford University and are supported by the Province of British Columbia. The workshops are offered free of charge with the aim of helping people learn the skills and develop the confidence to live well with their conditions. 

The programs are delivered to small groups over six weeks. The first one taking place in the Sharon Chapel is the Chronic Conditions program, running from October 10th to November 14th, 9:30am – 12:00pm. Registration is open at www.selfmanagementbc.ca. 

Family members and friends are welcome!

About Self-Management BC

Self-Management BC is part of The University of Victoria’s Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health. This multidisciplinary research centre aims to advance knowledge in the field of aging. The overall goals are to contribute to improving the health and quality of life of an increasingly diverse population of older adults and to assist their families, healthcare providers, and governments in meeting the challenges and potentials of an aging society.

About Self-Management BC Programs

Self-Management Programs were initially developed and evaluated at Stanford University in California in the 1980s and are currently implemented in 25 countries worldwide. These programs were introduced to BC in 1986 and to date, have been delivered to over 30,000 participants in over 160 communities.

Participants gain knowledge, skills and confidence to manage ongoing health conditions and assist them in maintaining active and fulfilling lives. Pairs of trained leaders, many living with chronic conditions themselves, deliver the program to groups of 10 to 16 people.

Self-Management Programs are considered “evidence-based” as they have been evaluated extensively and have been found to improve a number of health outcomes. In a recent meta-analysis, the research found that people who take the programs usually report having some of the following positive health outcomes such as:

• more energy and less fatigue
• an improvement in their health status
• higher self-efficacy to manage the disease and other symptoms
• less pain and health distress
• less depression
• less limitation in their social roles
• better communication with their doctors
• better planning skills