May 8, 2020 — Social workers are needing to make rapid changes to their social work practice to adapt to the COVID 19 pandemic. Heidi Sturgeon, an RSW in NS who’s been practicing online therapy for the past 4 years, offers an overview of how to transition to social work telepractice. Recording available on-demand after event via CASW.
A message for our members during a time of crisis: What you do matters, and it makes a difference.
Now is the time to enact the best evidence-based policy tools to alleviate stress on what was already an overburdened mental health system. As with the COVID-19 public health response, we must try to prevent a huge spike in mental health needs, to avoid overburdening the system all at once. With the horrific events of April 19 squarely in the hearts and minds of Nova Scotians we must act now to ensure that the social determinants of mental health are acted on and ensure that all Nova Scotians have universal access to mental health services.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, many folks have reached out for guidance on best practices for using technology to conduct their social work practice.
The NSCSW is writing to plead for the consideration of social workers when contemplating the decisions behind the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) within the province.
The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, like many in our province, is particularly concerned about vulnerable children and youth during this time of crisis. We are asking that the province implement the following steps to ensure that vulnerable children, youth and their families are protected throughout these unsettling times.
Measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission continue to be necessary for protection of the public during this challenging time. Our office is open only by appointment. Last updated April 7, 2022.
As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic hits Nova Scotia, the impact on our collective well-being will be felt. The pandemic won’t just impact our physical health, but our mental health as well. In these stressful times professionals from different specialties are called upon to get involved. The goal of social workers in a crisis is to holistically resolve problems through social intervention.
In social work practice, social workers place professional service before personal goals or advantage and strive for impartiality in their professional practice. They must refrain from imposing their personal values, views, preferences, stereotypes/assumptions on clients and seek to understand the lived experiences of those whom they serve. It is the responsibility of social workers to establish the tone of their professional relationship with clients, and others to whom they have a professional duty, and to maintain professional boundaries.
National Social Work Month is an opportunity to reflect on how we enact the values of our profession within the communities where we live and practice. This month, the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia (CCPA-NS), released a new report titled “Creating the future we all deserve: A social policy framework for Nova Scotia.”
CONNECTION is the official newsletter of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers.
