Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Social Work Activism: Police need training in mental health

Police need training in mental health

As a registered social worker I find Royson James’ statements that “cops are social workers, with guns” offensive and ill-informed. Police are not “de facto” social workers and they never will be.

While police officers have become first responders in the crisis of under-resourced services for those suffering from mental illness, social workers play a very, very different role in the lives of people in need of support, and in society, than police officers.

Social workers have a distinct education, professional knowledge base and skillset, which enables us to provide care and support to the most vulnerable people in society, by working in collaboration with clients, and others toward positive change.

Police officers’ role is to keep the peace, to serve and protect and ensure that individuals who have committed potential offenses under the Criminal Code of Canada are dealt with in a fair and just manner.

If police officers involved in the Sammy Yatim case had even an iota of the education and training social workers receive, a sick and fragile young man would be alive today and a family would not be mourning the tragic loss of their loved one.

One of the lessons of this tragedy is that Toronto police officers, and those across Canada, require training in mental health and how to deal with individuals in acute mental health crisis.

As the social safety net, including mental health systems of care, continues to be ripped apart in Canada due to a lack of governmental vision and leadership and underfunding, police officers will continue to be the first responders in the mental health crisis gripping cities.

As a social worker, I call on law enforcement leaders in Toronto, and across Canada, to begin to find ways to educate, inform and provide police officers with the tools they need to become more effective and humane in working with individuals who are experiencing severe mental health challenges. This kind of training will not only lead to some degree of culture change, I suspect it will also provide increased awareness of the mental health issues that many law enforcement officers suffer from due to the nature of their work.

This may also lead to the kind of culture change that must occur within the policing culture of Canada so those who serve and protect receive the mental health support and help they require to prevent other tragedies from happening.

Tracey Young, Vancouver

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Read the original article I responded to here

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Employment: Clinical Counsellor - Campbell River/ K'omoks / Cape Mudge

Employment Opportunity
Clinical Counsellor
Location: Campbell River/ K'omoks / Cape Mudge, BC

As an employee of the Kwakiutl District Council (KDC) you will be a key member of the Mental Health & Addictions team, providing direct client support to KDC member nation citizens. 

This is a one year term position, 4 days per week.

Reporting to the Mental Health & Addictions Program Manager, the Clinical Counsellor is professionally-accredited and key role is to provide counselling to individuals, families and youth, across all KDC Health sites. Duties include coordinating therapy with other service providers, and participating as part of the KDC Health team to create care plans for clients.

A Masters degree in an allied health discipline including supervised practicum for an approved post-secondary institution, coupled with a minimum five years directly-related experience as a Clinical Counsellor with minimum of one year in a community setting, registered member in good standing with the BC College of Social Workers and familiarity with Clinical supervision required. Previous experience working in a First Nations Community setting preferred.

For a comprehensive job description, please email: candy.bateson@kdchealth.com
To apply, submit resume, cover letter (including salary expectations and three employment references) to:

HR Coordinator, KDC Health
1400 A Drake Road
Campbell River, BC V9W 7K6
Email: candy.bateson@kdchealth.com Fax: 250 286-9713

This posting will remain open until 4:30 pm, Thursday July 31, 2014.


Professional Development & Training: Justice Institute of BC

Justice Institute of BC certificate programs:


The Graduate Certificate in Complex Trauma & Child Sexual Abuse Intervention values theoretical, experiential and applied learning that is learner-centered and informed by current research and practice.
This program is for counsellors, therapists, psychologists, clinical social workers, mental-health, child and youth care and other practitioners with a Bachelor's or Master’s Degree or equivalent work/study experience, who are working with children, adolescents and/or adult survivors of complex trauma and child sexual abuse.

The program takes an integrative approach to the assessment and treatment of complex trauma and child sexual abuse, drawing on the most current clinical and evidence-based material on effective complex trauma intervention, as well as the most recent research on attachment, neurobiology, memory and dissociation.
This 30-day program is situated within an understanding of culturally relevant practice and how multiple identities, social locations and historical contexts inform theory and practice.

Application deadline: August 15, 2014

Courses include:

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Job Opportunities: Worksafe BC Case Managers

WorkSafeBC is looking for experienced adjudicators who share our enthusiasm for compassionate service.

As a case manager, you’ll work collaboratively with injured workers, employers, and a team of professionals to adjudicate wage-loss claims and design and implement recovery and return-to-work plans to help your clients return to work in a safe and timely manner.

We are accepting applications for an upcoming fall 2014 training class. Positions will be available in various offices throughout British Columbia, including Burnaby, North Vancouver, Richmond, and Victoria. Please specify in your cover letter which location(s) you prefer.

Your experience and educational background:

· an undergraduate degree
· a minimum of three years of adjudication experience where you independently made complex decisions by analyzing facts and evidence and applying law, policies, and procedures
· disability management experience is helpful, but is not required
· an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered


Training: Dalhousie University Continuing Education

Dalhousie's School of Social Work offers Continuing Education courses.

Solution Focused Therapy:

Online Workshop


Solution focused practice is characterized by the use of respectful curiosity in learning about what is important to clients, and in the co-construction of their preferred future. In this interactive online workshop, Barry McClatchey and Jill Ceccolini provide a solid introduction to the beliefs, values, and assumptions inherent in this respectful, collaborative approach to helping others.


Sep 8 - Oct 5

Early registration deadline: Jul 28
Regular registration deadline: Aug 18
More Information

Mindfulness & Self Care

in Social Work: Online Workshop


In this 4-week interactive online workshop, Deepika Mittra will introduce you to mindfulness and its role in taking care of the whole self as a helping professional. Investigate the integral relationship between body and mind, and examine the philosophical and scientific foundations of mind/body health with an emphasis on developing mindful ways to promote professional self-care and protect against burnout and consider the importance of self-care for your clients.

Oct 6 - Nov 2

Early registration deadline: Aug 25
Regular registration deadline: Sep 15
More Information

The Heart of Helping

Understanding Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue: Online Workshop


Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are common occupational hazards for professionals in high-care fields. Lynda Monk designed this 4-week online course to teach those in the helping, human service, and healthcare professions about vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue -- what they are, how they manifest, and how to prevent and/or intervene with these negative effects.


Oct 14 - Nov 9

Early registration deadline: Sep 2
Regular registration deadline: Sep 23
More Information

Counselling Skills Level 2

More Counselling Skills - Building on the Basics: Online Certificate Program


Jill Ceccolini and Debbie van Horne have designed Counselling Skills Level 2 to build on the skills developed in the Counselling Skills Level 1 Certificate Program. Practice intervention tools and techniques, explore the use of self within the counselling relationship, and learn to articulate your own philosophy and approach to counselling in this 6-week interactive, online Certificate Program.


Oct 20 - Nov 30

Early registration deadline: Sep 8
Regular registration deadline: Sep 29

More Information 

Payment in full is required to guarantee your space in CE workshops and certificate programs. Please note course registration deadlines. Payment must be received (or postmarked) by the early registration deadline to qualify for the early registration rate. Continuing Education Policies

To register:

Continuing Education Program, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University
coned@dal.ca www.dal.ca/socialwork 902.494.6899

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Canadian Politics: Conservatives dismantling social programs built over generations

This is such an important feature article. When you follow the link to the article there is an interactive map you can click on for particular groups & programs  where the Harper government has been dismantling the social infrastructure in Canada. 

For social workers working on the front lines you are front and centre bearing witness to the impacts of this tearing apart of Canada's social safety net. This is not the time to be silent, or complacent. In whatever ways we can everyone has to raise their voices and speak out against these cuts and the impacts they are having on Canadians of all ages. 

Conservatives dismantling social programs built over generations

A Toronto Star analysis has for the first time pulled together a detailed account of the range of recent cuts seen under Stephen Harper’s government.

Whittington, L.  (2014). Toronto Star. 

OTTAWA—Nathaniel Parent has known hunger on and off for most of his life.

Now cleaning offices for $11 an hour while he awaits a chance to acquire better job skills, the 21-year-old former foster care ward from Midland, Ont., finds himself choosing between student loan payments and food.

“For the most part, I don’t eat very often,” Parent says. Sometimes when his debt has to be paid, he says, “I do choose to pay it and it’ll be like, OK, I’ll just wait to eat or maybe have something at a friend’s house.”

Parent, who says he often went without food as a child before being placed in foster care, adds that it’s a struggle for many of his acquaintances to keep from winding up on the street.

He currently pays employment insurance premiums but, Parent says, like most people he knows, he wouldn’t expect to see any of that money if he lost his job. “I have no faith in that system,” he says in an interview.

From the unemployed to low-income families and poor seniors, more people than ever are struggling with grim choices as they try to cope in the leaner, meaner Canada presided over by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Since winning power eight years ago next month, the federal Conservatives have chipped away at programs that helped define the compassionate, caring Canada built over the course of several generations.

“It is changing Canada,” former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow says of the current federal approach to social and economic policy.

“Unchecked, if we continue down this path, the big danger is a more regionalized and more unequal nation,” Romanow, who headed a royal commission on the future of health care in 2002, told the Star.

Social programs long valued by Canadians are in the Conservatives’ crosshairs.

Federal health-care spending is to be reined in. Canadians in future will have to work two years longer before receiving old age security — a measure Harper said was meant to address Canadians’ disproportionate focus on “our services and entitlements.”
And at a time when 1.3 million are without jobs, the federal government has toughened the criteria that employment insurance recipients must meet to hang on to their benefits. In all, only 37 per cent of jobless Canadians are eligible for EI benefits.

Dozens of groups dedicated to improving human rights or the well-being of the most vulnerable citizens have also seen their funding reduced or eliminated as Ottawa redraws its priorities and budget allocations.

At least 10 aboriginal organizations and more than a dozen environmental groups, including the Experimental Lakes Area research site and the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission, were hit. Groups working on child care, rights advocates, health-care researchers, numerous immigrant support organizations and women’s groups — including the National Association of Women and the Law as well as the National Network on Environments and Women’s Health — received less support from Ottawa. The list goes on and on.

Many believe the Harper agenda is turning Canada into a more unjust society where free-market, business-driven values trump a commitment to fairness, equal opportunity and community-building.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said the government is reducing “services that Canadians rely on” — from health care and pensions to basic municipal infrastructure — to pay for across-the-board corporate income tax breaks, a practice he says started with previous Liberal governments.

“Families are getting hit three times at once,” Mulcair said. “They’re getting fewer services. They’re paying a bigger share of the tax bill. And while incomes have increased for the top 20 per cent of families, the bottom 80 per cent of families have seen their incomes decline.

“In short, we’re becoming the first generation in our country’s history to leave our children and grandchildren with a lower quality of life than we inherited from our parents,” Mulcair said.

The government does not provide a comprehensive list showing all the federal programs that have been cut or eliminated, or naming the non-government groups that have seen part or all of their funding axed by Ottawa. A Star analysis has for the first time pulled together a detailed account of the full range of recent cuts.

In 2006, in their first year as a minority government, the Conservatives unexpectedly began chiselling away at programs and spending on the same day Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a $13-billion budget surplus from the previous fiscal year.

Acting on long-held Tory objections to what was considered unneeded spending by the previous Liberal government, Flaherty eliminated $1 billion in spending. Gone were the Court Challenges Program, which had funded legal actions by gays and rights activists, and the Law Commission of Canada, a respected federal law reform agency. At the same time, the Conservatives took aim at Status of Women Canada, closing regional offices and barring the federal organization from funding women’s groups involved in advocacy and research.

Also among Harper’s first moves was cancellation of the $5-billion, five-year national child care program set up by the Liberals. It was replaced by a program that provides $100 a month to parents for each young child. Debate over whether the Conservative plan — which has now cost $17 billion — has really helped parents, particularly when the majority of mothers with young children are working, has raged ever since.

During the 2008-09 global recession, the Harper government spent heavily to prop up the economy. But by 2010 the Conservatives had resumed their efforts to reduce Ottawa’s spending. The 2012 budget — coming less than a year after the Tories won a majority government — carried the full imprint of Harper’s thinking.
It laid out plans for billions in annual spending cuts by government departments, including a reduction of the federal workforce by 19,000 over three years. An analysis by then parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page said $783 million, or 15 per cent, of that year’s cuts came out of social programs.

The pivotal budget axed the renowned Katimavik youth program; cut the Canadian International Development Agency’s budget by $319 million; trimmed spending in the Aboriginal Affairs Department by $165 million and reduced Environment Canada’s budget by $88 million. It also scrapped the independent National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy that had been created in 1988 by the Mulroney government, and it informed everyone younger than 54 that they would have to work to the age of 67 — not 65 — to receive old age security.

The budget legislation overhauled environmental protections established over many years, weakened equal pay rules meant to protect women, aboriginals and others working for federal government contractors, and launched a crackdown on charities, including environmental groups, suspected of doing too much political advocacy.

Overall, it is estimated that by 2017 Ottawa will have reduced spending by a cumulative total of $13.6 billion since 2010.

But it was changes to the EI system that sparked some of the angriest responses to the Conservative agenda. The new rules require laid-off workers to take jobs they might previously have considered unsuitable, possibly with up to 30 per cent less pay. If not, they could lose their EI benefits.

Labour organizations see the new approach as unfair, particularly because it comes when shifts in the job market are forcing more workers into part-time or contract employment that doesn’t make workers eligible for benefits.

“It’s a downward spiral that this government is putting us in and they need to seriously look at what they’re doing to Canadians,” said Tracey Newman, a special needs educational assistant who joined a recent protest against the EI changes in Toronto. “The Harper government has made changes to our employment insurance system that puts workers like me at risk. The changes have been made without a mandate at election to do so and they have been made without consultation with the public.”

But the government says the vast majority of workers who pay into EI and leave work through no fault of their own receive benefits. Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney said the EI changes are meant to ensure unemployment payments are not a “disincentive” to job seeking. He said the initial indications are that more people are working year-round in high-unemployment regions as a result of the reforms.

As for fewer people having the kind of permanent, full-time jobs that lead to EI benefits, Kenney said the trend toward self-employment and contract work has been building for decades and “is just a reality.”

Overall, say anti-poverty activists, Harper’s policies have contributed to a glaring social deficit. Food bank usage in Toronto is still higher than before the recession began in 2008. The number of children living in poverty is down 200,000 since the Tories came to power, but it still totals 967,000 — or one in every seven children, according to Campaign 2000, a national coalition of social organizations. The Canada Child Tax Benefit, the main federal tool for combating family poverty, needs substantially more funding, the group says.

An estimated 30,000 people are homeless every night in Canada, and federally subsidized housing units have been on the decline for years. While the 2013 budget earmarked $1.25 billion for affordable housing, that’s seen as not nearly enough to deal with a housing situation that is getting worse as a result of skyrocketing shelter costs across the country. Some 72,000 households are stuck on the waiting list for social housing in Toronto alone, according to the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association.

More needs to be done to address income equality, opposition MPs say. A recent study by Statistics Canada said the top 1 per cent of Canada’s tax filers accounted for 10.6 per cent of the nation’s total income in 2010, up from 7 per cent in the early 1980s.

With wages stagnant, the middle class is falling deeper into debt, says Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. “Canadians are struggling at a time when our economy is supposedly doing well, and people I meet across the country have a lot of questions as to why their government hasn’t been able to help them through these difficult times,” he commented.

There are also calls for Ottawa to take the lead to head off what many call an impending crisis of inadequate pensions. The current lack of action is “an outrage” and is giving people “very little hope,” said Susan Eng, vice-president of advocacy for CARP, the seniors group.

And the government’s critics say the Conservatives’ policies are not dictated by a lack of money, since they have forgone an estimated $23 billion a year with cuts to the GST and business tax breaks.

In an interview, Kenney rejected the notion that the Conservatives are undercutting social programs. “This is a government that has been far more humane in its approach to balance the budget and fiscal discipline” than the Liberals in the 1990s, he said. Unlike the Liberals, the government has chosen not to attack the budget deficit by reducing transfers of federal money to persons or transfers to the provinces. Instead, he said, the Conservatives are finding efficiencies in internal government operations.

As for cutbacks to immigrant settlement agencies, he said funding has been increased but shifted away from some groups to others because of changes in the pattern of where people settle. Kenney added that changes had to be made to old age security eligibility and health-care transfers to the provinces in future to ensure they are financially sustainable.
And he made no apology for the Conservatives’ decision to bar funding for non-governmental groups engaged in advocacy, saying it was a deliberate policy to favour “programs that help real people.”

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Global Social Work: The First Global Report on Social Work and Social Development

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The First Global Report on Social Work and Social Development: Promoting Social and Economic Equalities

IFSW, (2014). 

‘The First Global Report on Social Work and Social Development: Promoting Social and Economic Equalities’ was launched in Melbourne, Australia today. “This marks a historic moment in the evolution of social work, bringing together practitioners, educators and social development workers in a shared vision”, said Dr Rory Truell, IFSW Secretary-General.

The report is built on examples of effective social work practice from around the world, illustrating the essential contribution of social workers to communities. IFSW Global Agenda Coordinator, Dr David N Jones, said: “social workers have an ethical duty to focus the world’s attention on the realities of social conditions and on the positive and effective solutions available to individuals, communities and governments”.

The report highlights the growing social crisis resulting from increasing inequality. The evidence from social work practice finds that:

People cannot be developed by others: Our frontline experience has taught us that to escape from poverty and oppressive situations, people need to be actively involved in their own futures.

The cornerstone of a thriving economy is a stable, well-resourced and educated community: All too often governments argue that they cannot afford to invest in community, whereas our frontline experience informs us that investing in community stimulates entrepreneurship, skill development, cultural innovations and business growth and widens opportunities for young people, men and women.

People are happier and wellbeing is better for all in more equitable societies: The massively unequal distribution of wealth causes more social instability, health and crime problems, negatively affecting everybody.

When people have a collective voice they are more able to advocate for their rights and participate in decision-making processes resulting in better wellbeing.

The report is the first in a series of bi-annual statements developed by IFSW and its global partners. The reports will be published at the joint world conferences. The focus of the next two years will be the Agenda theme, ‘Promoting the Dignity and Worth of People’ which will be the subject of the next report to be published at the world conference in Seoul in 2016.

Read the report

Job posting: Director of Community Services - Fort St. John

Blueberry River First Nation is seeking a leader for the role of Director of Community Services in Fort St. John. You will be working in a Community-based Community Centre with outreach for home and school visits and community activities. Some travel may be required for meetings, training and community member support.
Reporting to the Band Administrator, you will provide leadership and administrative direction in the management and development of BRFN Community Services. This will involve acting as a healthy role model for the staff and the community and working collaboratively with BRFN staff.
In exchange for your hard work and dedication, you will be rewarded with a highly attractive salary and excellent benefits package to support you and your family.
Benefits include:
  • Full medical, dental benefits and RRSP/pension/life insurance/disability plan; and
  • Plenty of opportunities for growth and paid training.

For more details and to apply visit: www.applyfirst.ca/job58265  

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Ethics: Whistleblowing in Social Work

Doing What Is Right Versus Doing What Is Easy: Whistleblowing in Social Work

Novell, R.J. (2014). 

Any Social Worker who has had the misfortune to ever need to consider whistleblowing at work will know that the battle of doing what is right versus doing what is easy is unimaginably more difficult than it first appears.

Social Workers choose this complex and often emotionally challenging profession because they are driven by a core desire to do good, to help, to do what is right. Our values and our ethics underpin everything we do both in our professional and private lives.

What happens then, when something at work feels intrinsically wrong to you and yet everyone else is acting as if it is right? Do you go along with everyone else? Do you quieten the little voice inside your head that has encouraged you to do so much good before?

Hopefully, highlighting your concern to those involved will solve the problem. If not, escalation to management should lead to resolution. However, for some individuals in some offices, the issue is no longer solely a misuse of power or acts of injustice, but rather the institutional acceptance of malpractice as normal.

In the United Kingdom, we have seen the tragic reality of widespread acceptance time and time again in notable cases such as Winterbourne View and at Haringey Council. In environments such as this, Social Worker’s can find themselves in a very lonely position if they decide to speak up.

If and when you decide to ask the questions that you believe need answering, you quickly discover the sad fact that, for many people, integrity and justice are of secondary importance to paying the mortgage. 

Manager’s can betray you. Colleagues can turn against you for “rocking the boat” or they may disagree with your desire to change things.  And whilst you will feel a sense of incredible guilt that colleagues may become collateral damage due to the issues you have highlighted, it is always worth remembering that complacency and unintentional negligence is still negligence. Where possible, ensure that you give colleagues the opportunity to speak up with you, and if they choose not to, then they alone are responsible for the consequences of their decision.

Whistleblowing also has a heavy impact on the Social Worker’s health and wellbeing. A whistleblower has to continue managing, what are often dangerously high caseloads, whilst simultaneously recording evidence of malpractice, ensuring she does not make mistakes for fear of disproportionate reprisals and doing all this with little to no support. This combination is a crucible which makes work mistakes more probable and infinitely raises stress levels. Often those who would offer the most support, your friends and family, will want you to quit rather than stay and fight. They are unable to fathom the drive within you which means you willingly put yourself under so much strain and potentially sabotage your career.

Supervision is a crucial element of safe Social Work practice. In toxic Social Work environments, you can begin to feel yourself going mad. You are sure that things are wrong but everyone is acting like there is no problem. No one acknowledges the issue and so you begin to wonder if there is an issue at all. Some of the best advice I have been given by a Supervisor was: “Don’t think you are mad simply because you are the only sane one in a mad world.”

Of course, always remember that your take on the situation may indeed be inaccurate or skewed. But there are no right and wrong answers when it comes to ethics and morality; so whilst you may be wrong, it is just as likely that you may be right. You should never be punished for asking that people be held accountable for their actions, in the same way that you must always be accountable for yours.

As Social Workers, we are taught to engage in ethical decision-making and to promote justice. This cannot be mere rhetoric. Standing up for justice will sometimes demand from us every last ounce of strength we have. It takes real courage. If you decide to challenge the powers that be, however alone you feel, know that you are not the first person to have been through this and you will not be the last. Seek support. And remember that the smallest of battles can have the biggest of impacts.

Imagine if Rosa Parks had moved to the back of the bus.

Global Social Work: Updating the Global Definition of Social Work

How do you define social work? Reader responses

Two international social work bodies are preparing to vote on a new global definition of the profession, but what do you think?

What is social work?

Hardy, J. (2014). Guardian Professional, Guardian UK.

In August the International Federation of Social Workers and the International Association of Schools of Social Work will vote on a proposed new definition of social work.
Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.
If accepted, the definition will globally represent what social work is.

See what responses people have had here

Here are some alternative explanations of what social work is, from people who work in the sector.

If you have your own definition, add it in the comments or tweet us @GdnSocialCare.


Monday, July 7, 2014

Training: University of Calgary: Social Work

Since there is relatively little in the way of training & professional development through our Social Work departments in B.C.'s universities I thought I would highlight what is available online via University of Calgary. I've taken one of their distance courses & it was excellent.

If you know of any BC SW professional development being offered around the province please email me @ catalystbc7@gmail.com so I can put it up on the blog.

Fall 2014 Professional Development Program

Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Fundamentals
Oct 2 - Nov 4, 2014; University of Calgary, Calgary and Online
Faculty: Deborah Dobson, PhD
Early Bird Rate (on or before Sept 11): $875.00 (no GST)
Regular Rate (after Sept 11): $975.00 (no GST)

Parenting Capacity Assessment in Child Protection Matters
October 6 - 31, 2014; Online
Presented by Peter Choate, PhD RSW (Clinical Registry)
Early Bird Rate (on or before Sept 22): $275 + GST = $288.75
Regular Rate (after Sept 22): $325 + GST = $341.25
FSW Field Instructor Rate: $185 +GST = $194.25
Student Rate:$185 + GST = $194.25

Clinical Social Work Supervision
October 20 - Nov 14, 2014; Online
Presented by Jane Matheson, PhD RSW (Clinical Registry)
Early Bird Rate (on or before Sept 29): $275 + GST = $288.75
Regular Rate (after Sept 29): $325 + GST = $341.25
FSW Field Instructor Rate: $185 +GST = $194.25
Student Rate:$185 + GST = $194.25

Friday, July 4, 2014

Job Posting: Family Support Worker - Fort St. John

Blueberry River First Nations has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Family Support Worker to join their friendly and dedicated team near Fort St. John, BC.

As a Family Support Worker, you will provide emotional support, as well as practical help and advice, to families that are experiencing short or long term difficulties.
In exchange for your hard work and dedication, you will be rewarded with a highly attractive salary and excellent benefits package to support you and your family.
Benefits include:
  • Full medical, dental benefits and RRSP/pension/life insurance/disability plan; and
  • Plenty of opportunities for growth and paid training.

More details can be found here: www.applyfirst.ca/job58267

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Training: Drug and alcohol issues and child attachment cycle model - Vancouver

Family Services of Greater Vancouver is offering a one-day workshop on drug and alcohol issues and diagnosis in children as well as the attachment cycle model with specific emphasis on Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) children. 

It will be facilitated by Cyndi Fairbrother, ministry social worker and facilitator of the MCFD Adoption Education Program (AEP). Cyndi will be reviewing the topics and information that is presented in the AEP so that social workers will be able to discuss these issues when they are assessing families for homestudies. Social workers will learn what the families have learned and Cyndi will speak to the definitions of the risk factors on the MCFD Adoption Questionnaire.

Cyndi suggested a movie available online about drug and alcohol that would be beneficial to watch ahead of time. It’s called Finding Hope and it profiles children from British Columbia with a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosis. The link is below:


All social workers are welcome to attend and the workshop can be used for your education requirements for your BCCSW registration.

This workshop may be of particular interest to the social workers who have completed the SAFE training to complete MCFD homestudies.

Date – July 12, 2014
Time – 9 am to 5 pm
Location - FSGV 2nd floor Boardroom (1638 East Broadway)
Cost - $25.00 (to cover our costs, cash or cheque at the door). Morning and afternoon refreshments will be served. Bring your lunch (we have a full kitchen!).


Space is limited to 20 people. Please respond to Denise at 604.736.7613 ext. 4002 or dmcgowan@fsgv.com if you would like to attend. Payment can be made the day of the workshop.