Issued: October 3, 2022
Leanne (Dawn) Archambault
On December 20, 2021, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court issued a Permanent Injunction Order restraining and enjoining Ms. Archambault from, among other things:
- taking, assuming, or using the titles of social worker and Registered Social Worker, or making use of any abbreviation of such titles, or any name, title, designation, or description which may lead to the belief that she is a social worker, Registered Social Worker, or a member of the College, and/or entitled to practise social work; and
- acting in such manner as to lead to the belief that she is authorized to fill the office of or to act as a social worker or Registered Social Worker;
The Permanent Injunction Order also compelled Ms. Archambault to,
- remove and erase any and all social media posts, advertisements, online biographies, and all other communications, whether electronic or otherwise, that describe herself in any way as a Social Worker, Master of Social Work, member of the College, and/or entitled to practice social work.
In January 2022, the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers learned that Ms. Archambault committed several violations of the Permanent Injunction Order. Specifically, the College learned that, on January 5, 2022, less than three weeks after the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia issued the Permanent Injunction Order, Ms. Archambault held herself out to her employer as someone that was authorized to act as a social worker. Ms. Archambault subsequently held herself out to prospective and actual clients as someone who was authorized to act as a social worker. The College also learned that Ms. Archambault failed to remove an online biography wherein she described herself as a social worker.
In response to these violations of the Permanent Injunction Order, the College applied to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to have Ms. Archambault found in contempt of court.
Ms. Archambault did not resist the College’s application for a Contempt Order. She accepted responsibility for her breaches of the Permanent Injunction Order and admitted that she intentionally breached that Order.
Accordingly, on October 3, 2022, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia granted the College’s application, found that Ms. Archambault was in contempt of court, and issued a Contempt Order.
The penalty hearing is currently scheduled to take place at the Law Courts, 1815 Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia on Friday January 6, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.