This year’s theme for African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia is Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance. The Nova Scotia African Heritage Month Information Network invites us all to recognize the living legacy of Black Nova Scotians this February.

People of African descent have contributed to the social, cultural, political, economic, and relational landscape of this province for hundreds of years. From the Black Loyalists and the Maroons to the Southern American Black refugees, the legacies of these arrivant communities and their descendants have had a profound influence in our province. As our population grows we are also witnessing the contributions of people from across the African diaspora, and we are proud to have many newly registered social workers from these communities who have chosen to make their home here in Nova Scotia. 

Living legacy

The brilliance of Black & African Nova Scotians exists far beyond the annual recognition each February. Alongside celebrating the achievements and history of Black & African Nova Scotian peoples in Nova Scotia, the NSCSW has a commitment to reparations for people of African descent. Social workers work towards advancing social justice; to even begin that process we must recognize, understand, and respond to the shared history that contributes to our current social context.

In the early 17^th century, Black brilliance manifested itself as African Nova Scotians developed resilient networks of support and healing rooted in their heritage. Traditional healers played a vital role by employing herbal medicine and spiritual practices to address various ailments, thereby fostering community well-being, cultural preservation, and resistance against oppression.

That brilliance, determination, and commitment to collective well-being has persisted through the centuries since, eventually founding the Association of Black Social Workers, a charitable organization that has championed and supported the brilliance of Black and African Nova Scotians since 1977.

Our celebration of Black brilliance must be supported with continued efforts to end anti-Black racism, environmental racism, and systemic oppression; we live in a region which still creates and maintains barriers to the rights, freedoms, and opportunities of Black & African Nova Scotians. We see bold resistance to these challenges represented in the ongoing work of the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition, which continues to advocate for more resources and supports for community-based groups.

Upcoming professional development events

The NSCSW has events and opportunities during African Heritage month and events throughout the year that celebrate and recognize Black brilliance, while also building knowledge and skill for social workers. It is important to have an ongoing commitment that exists beyond a single month, and contributes to systems change and advocacy addressing anti-Black racism and creating a safe(R) community for Black & African Nova Scotian social workers. 

On February 3, we have a panel discussion celebrating the brilliance of three African Nova Scotian social workers who will share with attendees how the Principles of Africentric Social Work are present in their lives. 

On February 27, we begin a series of closed group community of practice gatherings for Black & African Nova Scotian social workers hosted by Bria Symonds, Associate Registrar. These closed group sessions strive to honor and respect the NSCSW’s commitment to reparations, addressing anti-Black racism, and aligning resources and opportunities towards the support of Black & African Nova Scotian social workers in the province. Closed groups based on racial identities provide safe(R) spaces for affinity groups to debrief, learn from each other, and strategize on issues related to their practice and lived experiences. 

After African Heritage Month ends, we look forward to Dr. Ingrid Waldron joining us on March 27; the third session of our Active Hope series on climate justice will focus on environmental racism that affects Black & Indigenous communities. And on May 29, we will be joined by Louise Delisle who will share with our members the effects of environmental racism and climate injustice on the African Nova Scotian community in Shelburne and throughout the province.

Transforming regulation

As we consider safe(R) social work practice, we must also consider how the NSCSW and the social work profession itself can continuously engage in resistance to white supremacy and anti-Black racism.  

The new CASW code of ethics and our upcoming revisions to NSCSW’s Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice have clear commitments to promote social justice and to work against anti-Black racism. The draft includes guiding principles that call on Nova Scotian social workers to advocate for the rights of African Nova Scotians, and for persons of African descent to be free from systemic hate, inequity, and racism, pursuant to “An Act to Dismantle Racism and Hate” (2022).

Opportunities for learning & growth

Wherever you are in the province, please consider in engaging in this years’ theme for African Heritage Month, Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance. Look to the work and events put on by the ABSW, your local library’s resources or community events, or take the initiative to organize something in your agency or community.   

In your practice as social workers, please find time to celebrate Black brilliance not just in February, but throughout the year. Consider: how does your practice contribute to or work against anti-Black racism? Please reflect on the long history of Black brilliance in our province and how, as we move forward towards social justice, we can celebrate the achievements of Black & African Nova Scotians while also ensuring that the harms of yesterday and today are prevented, and that we actively build more equitable futures in solidarity with one another.

Tyler Colbourne, RSW
Professional Development Consultant
NSCSW

As we wrap up our renewals and reflect on our professional development (PD) from 2024, we can begin to consider how we can grow and learn with intention in 2025. Now that you have reflected on your previous year, this is a great time to consider your learning goals for 2025. Consider these questions: 

• At the end of the next registry year (February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026), what do you want to be different about your practice as a social worker?  
• What knowledge, values, or skills do you have to shift over the coming year?   
• What do you want to learn as a social worker? 

At the NSCSW, we are busy planning for this year, and we want to help you answer these questions. This blog post provides overviews of our plans for PD in this upcoming year and our Professional Development Standards, including ways you can complete PD outside of our webinars and lunch and learns and how you might want to grow and learn with intention this year.  

PD matters in social work

At its core, PD is learning. Other associations and colleges use terms like continuing education, career advancement, and occupational training; no matter the title or term, learning is about the building and deconstructing of knowledge, values, and skills. For many, it also can have a spiritual element. There are many ways we learn, including formal, informal, and experiential.  

At the NSCSW, PD is part of our regulatory mandate towards cultivating safe(r) social work in Nova Scotia. Fulfilling PD requirements is also an opportunity for members to critically consider how they want to grow in their practice.

Each year our members are required to complete up to 40 hours of PD per year, including up to 20 hours of formal learning and 6 hours of learning related to our mandated topics; many members exceed these minimum standards. Our PD standards help highlight the differences between Formal, Informal, and Mandated topics. Formal learning opportunities are typically structured like academic courses, webinars, seminars, and lunch and learns. Informal learning is usually found in experiences and activities such as volunteering, supervision, mentoring, and advocacy.

So, how will you approach your PD in 2025?  

Bringing you opportunities for lifelong learning

The PD programming delivered by the College is guided by the PD Standards, NSCSW By-laws & Regulations, and data (e.g. analysis of complaints, candidacy, quality assurance, member feedback), and is supported by a team of volunteer social workers in our Professional Development Committee. The members of this committee help define the scope and strategy for the registry year and support me in planning, delivery, and evaluation of learning activities at the College. As always, our PD is grounded in the principles of: 

• Relevance to the field of social work 
• Collaboration 
• Focus on justice 
• Applicability to practice 
• Future-focused 
• Fostering critical thinking & self-reflection 
• Sustainability 

In 2024 we held over 90 hours of online professional development lunch & learns, seminars, and webinars. This year we are continuing to offer learning opportunities for our members, both online and in-person. We have a plan for over 30 learning events in 2025 organized and led by the NSCSW online and in-person. Our members also continue to have access to the high-quality and engaging learning opportunities led by the Canadian Association of Social Workers. 

For this year we will be hosting learning opportunities focused on skill and knowledge development, shifting of worldviews and values, and opportunities to build relationships and connections with other social workers. Some of the PD we are planning for are: 

• Communities of Practice: We will be hosting our quarterly CoP starting in March, along with beginning closed-group sessions for specific communities and identities. We will be starting with a closed group community of practice for Black and African Nova Scotian social workers, led by our Associate Registrar, Bria Symonds.  

• Cultivating our Wellness: This year we will have quarterly sessions focused exclusively on preventing vicarious trauma, secondary stress, compassion fatigue and burnout in social workers.  

• Climate Change & Sustainability: We are beginning a four-part series in January focused on social workers roles in addressing issues of hope and advocacy related to the climate emergency.  

• Roadshow: In March we will begin a series of in-person events around the province for educational and connection opportunities with social workers in the region. 

• Mini-conference: On May 2 we will be hosting a virtual mini-conference with a focus on building connections, relationships, and supporting the development of professional social work identity with the theme of Building Connections & Activating Hope with social workers from across the province.   

• Africentric Social Work Practice: Learning opportunities that help social workers learn about principles of Africentric social work.

These are just a few of the sessions we are currently planning. We also have plans for sessions and engagements focused on social justice, decolonization, social work ethics, and practical skills like documentation and communication. Our bi-weekly newsletter, website, and Eventbrite page are the best places to stay aware of upcoming sessions as they are announced.  

Aside from the content we are planning, we also have resources and support for members to create their own PD opportunities. If you want to plan your own PD activity, you can learn more about that process in the blog post, “Developing & hosting professional development activities.”   

We can also advertise and amplify learning opportunities that exist in community or from other organizations in our bi-weekly newsletter that reaches thousands of social workers. There are many events online and throughout the community that meet our principles for planning PD and can benefit social workers. If you are aware of an engagement or if you are planning an event that can support the PD of other social workers in the province, submit an advertising request with the College using our Advertising Requests form.  

We are also looking for members who are interested in developing PD activities with the College. If you have knowledge, skills, or practice interests related to safe(r) social work practice that you would like to share, send me an email and let’s talk about your ideas! Planning and delivering PD is also a PD activity and counts towards members’ formal learning activities.  

Setting forth with intent

However you plan to learn this year, I hope you can do it intentionally.

• Which personal and professional goals do you wish to pursue?
• What are the different forms of knowledge and skill that will shift in you this year?
• How might your values, beliefs, and worldview develop as you engage in topics of social justice and decolonization?

Setting learning goals this year could help you in more clearly understanding what you have learned and how you are growing. As you set these learning goals, consider how you will shift your knowledge, values, and skills in support of your social work practice. When we reach the end of the year, you will be more able to perceive and reflect on the actions and steps you have taken to develop yourself professionally.

As you learn with intention this year, you may attend the many sessions we offer at the College, develop your own PD activities, or engage with external learning opportunities online or in-person. Either way, don’t limit yourself in what you can and want to learn. Growing and learning with intention doesn’t mean you have to be strict or rigid in your approach.

Thinking strategically and critically about how you want to develop this year can support you in your continued development of ethical practice. It can also lesson the work of your yearly PD activity submissions! 

Workplace support

Ideally, every agency and context where social work happens would prioritize at least 5% of a staff member’s time towards learning and development. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Many members across the province often tell me they struggle to find time to complete their PD.

If this is a barrier for you, setting learning goals early and communicating them to your supervisor directly early in the year can often help in creating the space for participating in PD activities. Aligning your learning goals with the PD standards and the strategic objectives of your agency or practice context can help as well.

We are working with employers throughout the province to continue to develop a learning and development culture that empowers social workers to take advantage of learning activities with the College and in community as part of their day-to-day work tasks. Ideally, our members wouldn’t have to complete their PD on the evenings, weekends, or outside of their paid work time. PD is an essential part of the regulatory mandate of safe(r) social work in Nova Scotia and you should be able to learn on the job.  

We’re in this together

As we enter this new year at the College, we invite all our members to grow and learn with intention. Please take advantage of what we have to offer and consider participating in learning activities in your own community and practice context as well. There are many opportunities for learning at the College and throughout the province that help social workers maintain and develop ethical and safe(r) practice. Learning is the most human thing in the world, and when we make intentional space and time for our learning, we can better understand the impact of the learning on our knowledge, values, and skills.

If you need any support around your plans for your yearly PD, reach out and let’s chat. Hopefully this time next year you will be able to reflect back and see how setting intentional learning goals supported you in your practice.  

Tyler Colbourne, RSW
Professional Development Consultant
NSCSW

Recognizing National Child Day

For a third consecutive year the NSCSW is joining our community partners for a National Child Day event. This year we are partnering with the Healthy Populations Institute at Dalhousie University, the IWK Mental Health and Addictions Health Promotion Team, Riverside School in Albert Bridge, Cape Breton, and youth advocate Stacie Smith. We’re holding a panel discussion with youth and adults, Nature Rules the World! at the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute in Halifax (and online from anywhere) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on November 20.

This event is a celebration and recognition for the many ways nature and the natural world are integral in the lives and well-being of youth. We know that the growing climate emergency has a direct impact on the wellbeing, learning, and joy of youth around the world. According to the One Chance to Be a Child report, “The places and spaces where children and youth spend their time play a key role in supporting their health and well-being but access to safe and healthy places and spaces is not equitably distributed – too many children and youth in Nova Scotia are not able to connect directly with the natural environments where they live. The mounting threat of the climate emergency also cannot be understated.” (One Chance to Be a Child, 2022).  

As we consider this year’s National Child Day, we know that social workers have a role in supporting the health, wellness, and education of youth in the province. In particular, we know a large number of social workers in Nova Scotia are engaged in child protection and welfare work. The child welfare paper by Wisdom2Action that we published in 2023 (Building an Ecosystem to Realize Children’s Rights and Support Family Well-being in Nova Scotia) also called out that climate justice is integral to the well-being of children and youth. Our upcoming revised Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice will deepen the College’s commitment to sustainability, as part of ensuring safe(r) social work practice in Nova Scotia. 

While there is no shortage of concerning and alarming news about the climate emergency, it is the youth of today who will bear the biggest challenges of the changing climate. Fostering a connection to nature and the natural world in youth is essential for addressing the climate emergency and for fostering the health and wellness of youth. We are proud to partner with Riverside School in Unama’ki, as they are an example of how a school can support youth in connecting with nature and working towards truth & reconciliation.  

Riverside School – Nature Rules the World! 

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Riverside School began work on their dream of the Knowledge Path, a walkable educational journey that is part of the National Healing Forests Initiative. The Knowledge Path is a place for students and educators at the Primary to Grade 8 school to engage with nature while learning about Mi’kmaq history. Students participate in learning activities along the path at spots like the Medicine Wheel Sharing Circle, the Mawita’nej Outdoor Classroom, and the Sule’katike’l Sound Garden. It is the hope that by allowing students to engage with nature while learning or using the space for leisure, they will become stewards in protecting the environment. Suzanne Brown, the principal of the Riverside School, will be participating in the National Child Day event on November 20 and sharing the vision and purpose of the Knowledge Path and how it supports the learning and wellness of the students.  

The students at Riverside School chose the name, Nature Rules the World! for this year’s event. Riverside School and the Knowledge Path demonstrate what is possible when education and on-the-land learning meet. The students at Riverside can engage with Mi’kmaw teachings and get to experience nature through their education daily. From treasure hunts, to performances, to creating art work for the Knowledge Path, the students and educators are in the Knowledge Path almost daily to support deeper learning and connection to nature.  

Join Our Event 

People in the Halifax Regional Municipality and surrounding areas are invited to attend our in-person event, while those who are outside of the region can join our event virtually. Registration can be found at the Eventbrite link.  

The celebration will include hearing from Principal Suzanne Brown and the students at Riverside School. The panelists and speakers at the event will be highlighting the importance of connecting with nature and addressing issues of social and climate justice.

Here at the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers we are committed to ensuring the provision and delivery of safe(r) social work services in the province through the professional development of our members. We offer many webinars, workshops and panel discussions that provide formal learning opportunities on social work ethics, social justice, vicarious trauma, clinical skills, supervision, and more; many of these are recorded for later viewing on our YouTube channel.  

However, we recognize that online learning doesn’t replace in-person learning with others. As a member of the college, you are also empowered to develop and deliver your own professional development activities with support from the college! We offer financial support for the delivery of professional development activities, as well as support in planning and promotion. 

We encourage our members to partake in and plan your own professional development activities in your own communities. There are educators and facilitators in each of your communities and regions that specialize in learning opportunities related to safe(r) social work practice.  

Past learning opportunities arising from these collaborations have included an environmental racism webinar, a 3-part series on grief and trauma, several in-person events for social workers to network and co-create responses to regional concerns, and more. We look forward to learning what our members can imagine next.

To request support from the College, you can complete this form to let us know what you have in mind:

Collaborate and listen 

At times it might be difficult to know where to start when planning a learning activity. Joining our quarterly Communities of Practice sessions (the next one is on October 24), is a great opportunity to connect with your peers and explore options for learning together.  

The pre-recorded webinars we already have available on our YouTube channel can be helpful for not just immediate learning, but also for sparking ideas about topics you would like to explore for future professional development.  

You are also welcome to reach out to me at any time if you are curious about planning your own professional development activity. 

Whatever you do, the most important step is the first one. 

Design the learning you wish to see 

There are a few steps you can follow to create an enriching learning experience. The list below is the approach I take when planning professional development and it could offer some guidance to you in planning your own learning experiences.  

• Purpose: The purpose of a learning activity can be about addressing a challenge by building knowledge, values, or skills related to the issue. There are also other reasons to hosts learning activities including bringing people together, having fun, and building relationships. When I am identifying the purpose of a learning activity, I am often thinking about, “What is the need and how does this activity meet that need?” 

• Date, time, & location: Is it online, in-person? Is it during the day or evening, and for how long? Many of our PD sessions are 1-1.5 hours, but some learning activities are better suited to longer sessions where people can connect, engage, and integrate learning together.  

• Who will be involved: Will you have partners in this work, a paid facilitator/educator, or co-hosts? Who is the audience for this learning activity? How will you reach them?  

• Resources: Do you have everything you need to run this activity? What might you need to acquire for this activity? Learning can happen just about anywhere with very few resources. However, it can be helpful to have flipcharts, presentations, and visual aids to support learning. Will there be snacks and drinks for attendees? Many people find it helpful to have fidget toys and resources if there is an in-person workshop.  

• Accessibility: How can you support learning for everyone in a way that reduces or eliminates barriers? Do you need an interpreter, is the space you want to use accessible, and are their ways to support disability justice in your planning and delivery of this session?  

• Feeling & Vibes: How do you want to feel in this work? How might you want to the attendees and participants of this learning activity to feel? Sometimes planning for how you want to feel and how you want the participants to feel can help you make decisions for activities. For instance, if you want people to leave feeling engaged and empowered, perhaps you want to include activities that allow them to co-create and process as part of smaller teams, rather than having a lecture.  

• Agenda & Flow: What is the timing of the session? Will there be breaks? I find it most helpful to always plan for a thorough welcome, land acknowledgement, framing, and check-in, along with a check-out.  

• Objectives & Outcomes: What will attendees leave with? How can your activity support shifts in knowledge, values, and skills? We cannot always predict what learnings participants will take away from an event, or when this learning will arrive, however attendees should have a general idea of what the objectives and outcomes of the activity are. It can be helpful to write the objectives with active language like, “You will leave with increased knowledge in…” and outcomes with language like, “You will be able to better understand the…”.  

• Evaluation: How will you know your learning activity was successful? What will you change if you were to offer this activity again? It can be helpful to evaluate the objectives and outcomes, but also the process you used to develop your learning activity.  

Most of our members are required to complete 40 hours of professional development each year, including six hours of training on specific topics selected to support safe(r) social work in our province:  

• Social work ethics (1 hour) 
• Anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice (1 hour) 
• Truth & reconciliation (1 hour) 
• Vicarious trauma & secondary stress (2 hours) 
• Social justice (1 hour) 

Each of these topics offer rich opportunities for learning, growth and collaboration. 

Keep it simple 

There are many factors to consider when planning learning and professional development activities, from logistics to desired learning outcomes. However, it is also important to not overcomplicate or overplan.  

I am a big believer in the Eight Principles of Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown, who writes, “Less prep, more presence” (brown, 2017). There are many times I have fallen into the trap of over planning and by doing so, I missed out on the opportunities for learning that were only possible because of the people who were participating in the learning engagement. There is a lot of wisdom in social workers, and professional development activities are often better when people get to share their lived and professional experience.  

Get started & get in touch 

If you want to plan your own professional development activity in your region with your peers, please reach out and consider requesting support from the College. We have resources and can support you and your colleagues in achieving your professional development goals.  

I am beginning to chart our professional development activities for 2025, and I am eager to know what you would like to see more of. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to me at [email protected].  

Tyler Colbourne, RSW
Professional Development Consultant
NSCSW

Reference 
brown, adrienne maree. (2017). Emergent strategy: shaping change, changing worlds. AK Press. 

photos by Tyler Colbourne

On September 19, 2024, I attended Cape Breton’s University Department of Social Work conference, Allies: Working Together on the Path of Change. The conference was a one-day event planned and delivered by the inaugural cohort of the Bachelor of Social Work program at CBU. The day was filled with guest speakers, engaging discussion, and many opportunities to reflect on how to be an ally as a settler social worker in Mi’kma’ki. The students were demonstrating humility, bravery, and dedication to decolonization in their work with the conference. Many students were openly sharing their experiences of striving to be a settler ally to Indigenous peoples, while also honestly and authentically sharing their misteps and lessons learned. Witnessing the reflections of the students, speakers, and attendees has me reflecting on my own role as a settler Canadian social worker while considering my responsibilities towards decolonial practice in allyship with Indigenous peoples.  

Settler Responsibility as a Social Worker 

September 30 is National Truth & Reconciliation Day, followed by Treaty Day on October 1, beginning Mi’kmaq History Month here in Nova Scotia. Beyond being days and months of recognition, these are calls to action for settler Canadians like me to uphold treaty rights and contribute to the dismantling of oppressive and harmful ways of knowing, being, and systems.  

Many of our systems, ways of knowing and being, and practices are rooted in settler colonialism. To move through this paradox, conference presenter Michelle Marshall-Johnson highlights we should adopt a Two-Eyed Seeing approach. This approach, first established by Elder Albert Marshall, kin of Michelle Marshall-Johnson, suggests a way of “always looking for another perspective.” She asks social workers to do this while also holding onto the idea that no one person or being is greater or lesser than another. As a settler Canadian social worker, I am reflecting on the ways I can continue to adopt a Two-Eyed Seeing approach in my practice.  

Conference presenters and students at the Allies conference asked attendees to resist domination and let go of entitlement in our work as social workers. We were called to act in acknowledging the land we are on and to truly and authentically know the histories of this land. One presenter talked about the concept of challenging “settler amnesia.” As a settler Canadian social worker, I grew up with a limited understanding of the pervasiveness and depth of colonial harms historically and in the present day. It wasn’t until I was introduced to the work of Cindy Blackstock that I began to see the links between settler colonialism and social work practice. Many of the settler students who spoke at the conference shared similar experiences, of having their eyes, ears, minds, and hearts opened to the power and harms of settler colonialism, and their responsibilities to resist and to support Indigenous resurgence and resistance.  

What is professional development in a decolonial context?  

Allyship can be complex and uncomfortable for folx who have privilege, yet it is required as we strive for decolonial practice. As the NSCSW moves towards social justice and reconciliation, so too must our Professional Development, Code of Ethics, and Standards of Practice.

Learning is the most human thing in the world, and we all learn every single day. Within a social work context, we are developing learning opportunities that seek to disrupt dominance and the status quo. We are striving to create lunch and learns, panel discussions, and community engagement opportunities that build relationships and connections, foster sustainability, and reflexivity for safe(r) and more just social work practice in Nova Scotia. This means we will continue to offer content that supports the development of knowledge and skill, but also shifts values and spirit towards liberation and justice.  

Resources for Decolonial Practice  

Wherever you are on in your journey towards decolonization and Indigenous allyship, there are resources to support you. On October 9, at noon Atlantic time, we are hosting a panel discussion as part of collaborative health series focused on Decolonizing Our Care. This panel will involve helpers from across fields and perspectives who are committed decolonization. This session offers an opportunity for our members and the public to learn more about what decolonization can look like in practice.  

There are also incredible resources found online and in bookstores. I was introduced to the work of Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures, Vanessa Andreotti, and Elwood Jimmy at a session with Andreotti in Kjipuktuk in 2019. Since that time, I have referenced and returned to the Decolonial Futures website and the excellent resource Towards Braiding; if you are new to the journey of decolonization, I suggest you download and read this book, and explore the resources and ideas on the site.  

If you want to dive deeper, you can also read the book Living In Indigenous Sovereignty, by Elizabeth-Carlson-Manathara with Gladys Rowe. This book is described by Michael Anthony Hart as, “The most comprehensive book on anti-colonial practice focused on non-Indigenous peoples.” This book offers insights and wisdom from many scholars and writers who are committed to everyday decolonial practice.  

We also have webinars and content from the Canadian Association of Social Workers and within many of our own communities that recognize Truth & Reconciliation, Treaty Day, and Mi’kmaq History Month. Wherever you are and whatever your practice context, the important thing is to start and strive to for decolonization every single day. Take part in opportunities offered in your local community, learn the name of the land you are on, and consider how as Angeline Denny-Sylliboy stated at the conference, “Allyship is friendship”.  

As I consider my role as a settler Canadian social worker practicing in a predominantly colonial context, I seek to deepen my allyship and work towards being a better friend and relation to not only Indigenous peoples in Mi’kma’ki, but also towards the land and each other. As Dr. Mohamad Musa shared at the CBU Allies conference, “Allyship goes beyond just solidarity to the people you know in their/your lives”. It must be for all people, the land, and all living things.  

Tyler Colbourne, RSW
Professional Development Consultant
NSCSW

photo credit: James MacLean

My name is Tyler Colbourne, and I started with the NSCSW as the Professional Development Consultant on August 12, 2024. I come to the college with 20+ years’ experience in the non-profit, tourism, and community development sectors. Prior to joining the college, I have worked as a consultant, educator, photographer, deckhand on a tall ship, tour guide, flight attendant, youth outreach worker, facilitator, communications manager, and more. I became a social worker later in life, having returned to school to complete my first degree at Dalhousie University for their Bachelor of Social Work program. It took me 18 years to get a degree, then another three to finish my Master of Social Work through the University of Victoria.  

My practice as a social worker is informed by my intersectional identities as a queer, white, mostly able-bodied settler of European descent with lived experience as a mental health service user and as someone who has struggled with addiction. I care deeply about decolonization and social justice, and I strive to approach my work through a systems change lens. My previous work as an Executive Director of a cooperative charity focused on mental health and my work as a facilitator greatly inform my role and practice here at the NSCSW.  

I live in Punamu’kwati’jk (Dartmouth) with my partner and am involved in community-based initiatives focused on art, youth leadership & education, mental health, and social justice. I try to foster a sense of relationality, whimsy, and creativity in all areas of my life. I try as much as possible to inject joy into work and relationships. I am guided by the work of adrienne maree brown and Pleasure Activism, and the many other leaders and movement workers who center joy and pleasure in the work of co-creating more just and equitable futures.  

I am thrilled to have joined the NSCSW as the Professional Development Consultant. I am excited to blend my diverse work experience in the areas of facilitation, adult-learning, and community-development with social work practice and regulation. If you are curious about me and my experience, I encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn. I am looking forward to supporting and engaging with NSCSW members and helping steward the standards and regulations of professional development for social workers in Nova Scotia. Reach out to me anytime at [email protected].