NORTHSTAR HEALTH COLLECTIVE

Our organizing collective core includes health providers— physicians, street medics, nurses, mental health providers, healers, herbalists, and doulas. Many of us are also long term community organizers with diverse experience a range of issues. We work closely with people throughout the community to imagine a more healthy and whole world. We unite around our points of unity, and guidelines for membership. Our points of unity articulate our shared beliefs and values systems, and our guidelines for membership are a series of commitments we make to providing care that is aligned with our points of unity, and care we can be proud of.

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Points of Unity

• We believe health includes physical and emotional wellbeing for ourselves and our neighbors;

• We embrace the full dignity of all human beings;

• We know that health care is a human right;

• We commit to work that is rooted in generations of resistance to systems of oppression and domination;

• We will collaborate with and support others also working for a just and healthy society.  

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Guidelines for Membership

As a member of the North Star Health Collective, I commit to:

• Adhering to an anti-oppression framework 

  • I'm committed to awareness of oppression and vulnerability, and how power dynamics impact my relationships with other health care providers, the larger community, and the people to whom we provide care. These issues may include but are in no way limited to oppression of transgender and genderqueer people, people of color, survivors of sexual assault, and im/migrants. I will incorporate sensitivity to these issues into the care I provide, and my interactions with other health care providers.

• Spreading calm, staying humble, and speaking from my own experiences

  • I will act within the limits of my training and experience. I will get more help whenever needed.

• Being accountable for my actions. We value impact over intent.

  • I will be accountable to the people to whom I provide care for - both for the care delivered, and the manner in which it is provided.

• Not cooperating with the state.

  • I will support someone to the best of my ability regardless of what kind of care they choose, including institutional medicine.

  • I will provide information to people I am treating about other care available, regardless of my beliefs about these therapies.

• Providing care based on consent and individual autonomy.

  • I will get clear and explicit consent for every part of your interaction with an injured person from initiating contact "can I help?" to touching "can I touch your shoulder?".

  • I will treat every individual with respect by asking what their needs are, and how I may be of help.

  • I will acknowledge that people hold different definitions of “health” and “wellness” and my services may not be the best option for the person being treated.

  • I will maintain strict confidentiality about the care I provide, and the people to whom care was provided. This includes information about specific injuries, as well as an individual’s name and any other personally identifying information (clothing, political insignia, etc.). I will, to the best of my ability, prevent media from photographing or otherwise documenting information about anyone to whom I am providing care.

  • I will always accept a person’s request for a different provider and do my best to find one.