Andréa Shaheen
NSCSW Council Cape Breton Representative

My name is Andréa Shaheen and I am a clinical social worker with the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA). I graduated from the University of Toronto’s Master of Social Work Program in June 2017. I currently work in Child & Adolescent Mental Health and Addiction Services in Cape Breton as one of the concurrent disorder clinicians. I am also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, high-risk suicidality, and/or self-harming behaviors. As of right now, I’m working towards getting involved in research projects that are happening in the eastern zone, as well as research projects at our local university, Cape Breton University.

I am a new member to the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers as a social work candidate. While I am relatively new to the social work profession I believe that it could be very beneficial to have a new member on the council. As a member, I would contribute to the council by working towards strengthening stakeholder and public awareness of social workers and the NSCSW. In particular, developing communication strategies so that the community is aware of social worker roles and the NSCSW, and highlighting the contribution of social workers within our communities. A second goal would be to uphold ethical and professional practice. As a new social worker to the field, I recognize the importance of ensuring our members, especially our newer members, understand the standards of practice and the importance of continued development, reviewing and revising standards of practice. Thirdly, I also want to help advance social workers in Nova Scotia by working to promote research and education in the field of social work, as well as professional and educational development.