989-04-2009 Advocate Winter

Transcription

Volume 34, Issue 4,
winter 2009
THE
www.acsw.ab.ca
ADVOCATE
A L B E R TA C O L L E G E O F S O C I A L W O R K E R S
Mental health
doesn’t draw a line at health care. If you
treat people well in hospital, they get a
treatment prescribed & are stabilized &
in a position to recover. What happens
when they have nowhere to live, no means
to support themselves, or no means
to get across the city to access their
medications?
(From “An expanded approach to mental health,” page 22)
An Advocate special issue on mental health
Special Feature: An expanded approach to mental health page 22
Letters: Social workers speak
out on the effect of cuts to Alberta Health Services page 26 A day in the life: Robert Scott page 28 Fighting
mental health stigma page 30 The language of needs page 31 Review: Humanizing homelessness page 20
The Advocate
Volume 34, Issue 4, Winter 2009
COVER STORY
An expanded approach to mental health............. Joan Marie Galat�� 22
in this
issue
FEATURES
James Bond meets Nellie McClung...................... Donovan Hoggan�� 16
Letters: Social workers speak out on the effect
of cuts to Alberta Health Services................... ACSW members�� 26
Published by:
The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)
550 10707 100 AVE NW
Edmonton AB T5J 3M1
Phone: (780) 421-1167
Toll-free in Alberta: 1-800-661-3089
Fax: (780) 421-1168 or toll-free 1-866-874-8931
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.acsw.ab.ca
Executive Director & Registrar: Rod Adachi, MSW, RSW
[email protected]
A day in the life: Robert Scott........................... Joan Marie Galat�� 28
Associate Registrar: Alison MacDonald, PhD (Cand), RSW
[email protected]
Fighting mental health stigma........................... Austin Mardon�� 30
Professional Affairs Coordinator:
Lori Sigurdson, MSW, RSW, [email protected]
The language of needs...................................... Jim Thomson�� 31
Coordinator, Finance and Administration:
Gladys Smecko
Registration Coordinator: Brenda Gross
NEWS
From our desk to yours..................................... Lori Sigurdson�� 3
Pulse of Social Work Awards.............................. Lynne Dulaney�� 8
The Faculty Beat: Learn how to work with
vunerable populations................................... Lynne Dulaney............................................... 10
Book Review: Humanizing homelessness.............. Peter Smyth�� 20
REGULAR FEATURES
President's report............................................. Bob Johnson�� 12
The impacts of reductions in services.................. Rod Adachi�� 13
Diploma Dialogue: Mount Royal University........... Linda Fountain�� 14
Communication Corner...................................... Joan Marie Galat�� 17
The lighter side of social work........................... James Grasdal�� 17
Private Practice Committee............................... Laurie Fisher�� 18
New RSWs....................................................... Membership as of August 14, 2009�� 19
For Your Information........................................ Announcements�� 32
All material with bylines is ©2009 by author. ACSW retains copyright when no author is listed.
THE ADVOCATE EDITORIAL POLICY: The Advocate seeks to serve as a “meeting place” for Alberta
social workers by publishing information about social work research, theory, practice, and education;
professional affairs; social issues; the work of the College; books, journals, and other media of interest to social workers; continuing education and job opportunities; and the comings and goings of
Alberta social workers. Members and the public are welcome to submit articles, stories, anecdotes,
poems, thoughts and ideas. Letters to the editor, announcements, cartoons, artwork, and pictures
are also welcome. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit submitted material. Please call the
ACSW office for a copy of “Writing for the Advocate” before submitting any material. Publication
does not imply endorsement by the College.
The Advocate is published quarterly. Deadlines are JANUARY 15 for the SPRING issue (March
publication), APRIL 15 for SUMMER (June publication), JULY 15 for FALL (September publication), and
OCTOBER 15 for WINTER (December publication).
ALL SUBMISSIONS:
The Advocate, ACSW, #550, 10707 - 100 Avenue, Edmonton AB T5J 3M1
ATTN: Lori Sigurdson • E-MAIL: [email protected] • PHONE: (780) 421-1167 • FAX: 421-1168.
2
Executive Assistant to the Executive Director:
Kim Chiles
Registration Secretary: Monica Vasconez
Regulatory Secretary: Desiree Hurst
Administrative Secretary: Nearint Neam
Promotions Coordinator: Ilona Cardinal, BA, BFA
Competency Secretary: Jennifer Catt
ACSW Council:
President: Bob Johnson, MSSW, RSW
Vice President: Elaine Spencer, MSW, RSW
Secretary: Terry Wilson, BSW, RSW
Treasurer: Bonita Decaire, MSW, RSW
Members: Derek Chewka, BSW, RSW
Tera Dahl-Lang, MSW, RSW
Richard Gregory, MSW, RSW
Barry Hall, PhD, RSW
Jolene Losness, MSW, RSW
Aboriginal Committee Representative:
Verna Wittigo, BSW, RSW
Public Members: Marija Bicanic, LLM
Lynne Davies, BScN, MEd
Austin Mardon, CM
Ralph Westwood, Dip Mental Deficiency Nursing, BEd, MEd
CASW Representative: Emily Drzymala, PhD, RSW
The Advocate is published quarterly for members of
ACSW and other interested parties.
Editorial Board: Papiya Das, MSW, RSW (Chair)
Duane Burton, BSW, MEd, RSW
Eugene Ip, MSW, RSW
Leslie MacKinnon, BSW, RSW
Anne Marie McLaughlin, PhD, RSW
Elaine Paras, MSW, RSW
Peter Smyth, BSW, RSW
Trudy Wilson, SW Diploma, RSW
Editor: Joan Marie Galat
Production Editor: Jena Snyder
Design: Kyle Loranger Design
Advertising space is available; please call the ACSW
office for details or to place an ad. The Editorial Board
reserves the right to reject any advertising.
SPRING 2010 ISSUE DEADLINE: JANUARY 15, 2010
Canadian subscriptions are $24/year
(outside Canada: $24 US/year) Please notify ACSW
office immediately of any address changes.
ISSN 0847 - 2890
PM NO. 40050109
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
550 10707 100 AVE NW
EDMONTON AB T5J 3M1
The Advocate • Winter 2009
From our desk to yours
by Lori Sigurdson, MSW, RSW
ACSW Professional Affairs Coordinator
Area Coordinator Events
Lori Sigurdson
in the
Area Coordinators have been busy this fall hosting several events.
news
Calgary Area Coordinators kicked things off with a full day
of continuing competence on Sept. 19th. Social workers were
given the opportunity to learn about working in a foreign
land, collaborating with other professionals, understanding
animals as well as having some fun with laughter yoga. Many
thanks to Rob Halfyard, chair of the coordinators, for his
leadership in this event.
Continued on page 4
Laughter Yoga at the Calgary workshop
Calgary workshop presenter Sarah Davies
Calgary workshop
Holiday
greetings
from the
ACSW
office staff!
ACSW office staff: Back row, L to R: Nearint Neam, Monica Vasconez, Jennifer Catt, Alison MacDonald, Brenda Gross, Gladys Smecko
Front row, L to R: Desiree Hurst, Ilona Cardinal, Rod Adachi, Kim Chiles, Lori Sigurdson
Volume 34 • Issue 4
3
Continued from page 3
in the
news
Athabasca
A Halloween costume party was
hosted by Athabasca Area Coordinator
Suzanne Taylor. Prizes were given out
to all wearing costumes.
St. Albert
On Sept. 24th St. Albert Area
Coordinator Sharon Mills invited
guest speakers Elizabeth Atkins and
Elisha Astles from Canadian Forces Base
Edmonton. The presenters explained the
operational stress injury social support
program. A networking lunch followed
the presentation.
Rocky Mountain House
Photo collage from Athabasca’s ACSW Halloween costume party
David Brady organized a unique activity for Rocky Mountain House social
workers on October 7th. Guest speaker Robin Smith Mandel Slave Lake
explained how to develop a local eating lifestyle. A potluck
Slave Lake Area Coordinators Gail Ungstad and Sylvia
lunch with foods produced locally was enjoyed by those
Pratt invited local social workers to an event with ACSW
attending.
Executive Director and Registrar, Rod Adachi, on Nov. 17th.
Portfolio Workshops:
Medicine Hat, High Prairie & Grande Prairie
If you would like to know about events in your area please
check out our members’ only website and click on Regional
Activities.
Portfolio Workshops were organized in 3 locations this fall.
Area Coordinators Linda Boksteyn and Peggy Davis
hosted the event in Medicine Hat along with members of
the Competence Committee. High Prairie Coordinator
Verna Wittigo and Grande Prairie Coordinators Sandra
Guzzwell, Marianne Hartman and Ghislaine Boucher
hosted workshops in late November.
Social worker publishes
Val Kinjerski, PhD, RSW, has
published a new book, Rethinking
Your Work: Getting to the Heart of
What Matters.
Thanks to Derek Chewka, Competence Committee and
ACSW Council Member, for his work presenting at these
events.
Edmonton
Edmonton Area Coordinators organized a Category A
Workshop entitled Plain Language Writing: Say What You Mean.
Advocate editor Joan Marie Galat presented the workshop
on Nov. 16th.
Rethinking Your Work
by Val Kinjerski
Val has previously been a
keynote at our conference and is
presenting a workshop in 2010
regarding inspired leadership. She
is a leading authority in the field
of employee engagement and on
the topic of “spirit at work.”
Val runs Kaizen Solutions for Human Services:
www.kaizensolutions.com.
Continued on page 5
4
Area Coordinators Retreat
in the
Once again area coordinators were invited to our annual
retreat. This event gives coordinators an opportunity to
connect with social workers across the province. It is also
a chance for coordinators to relax, rejuvenate and learn
about ACSW initiatives. Rod Adachi, Executive Director
and Registrar, welcomed the coordinators and presented
the provincial and national activities of the College.
Alison MacDonald, Associate Registrar, presented a portfolio
workshop. Lori Sigurdson, Professional Affairs Coordinator,
discussed membership and advocacy activities of ACSW.
Many thanks to the Area Coordinators for their work
throughout the year promoting our profession!
2010 ACSW Conference March 18 – 20
Social Workers Inspired to Serve Humanity
Telus Convention Centre Edmonton
Don’t miss this one! Our 2010 conference is shaping up to be
a fantastic experience. See pages 11 and 40 for details.
2010 Social Work Week March 1 – 7
The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) has
chosen the theme Social Workers Speak Up: Poverty Costs for
2010. For assistance planning activities in your area or further
information, contact Lori Sigurdson.
CORRECTIONS
Anton Quon
In the Summer 2009 issue of the
Advocate, we neglected to mention that
the pictures of the Calgary ACSW
conference were taken by Anton Quon.
Anton is someone with a passion for
capturing events and people in their
moment and showing them at their best.
You are invited to browse his website to
learn more about what services he offers.
Please visit www.nshorizons.com.
In our Fall 2009 issue, we were incorrect in saying that Len Richards was the first dean of the faculty of social work. In fact, he
was the second dean. Tim Tyler, PhD, was the founding Dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare (as the Faculty of Social Work was
originally known) from 1966 until his retirement in 1978. Len Richards, PhD, served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare
from 1978 until 1983.
Last but not least, in our Summer 2008 issue, Jean Lafrance was listed as a professor emeritus of the Faculty of Social Work,
University of Calgary, but in fact is a professor. n
5
news
news
Alberta College of Social Workers
2010 Awards
in the
 Call for Nominations 
ACSW members are invited to submit nominations for the following awards:
•
John Hutton Memorial Award for Social Action/Policy
The John Hutton Memorial Award for Social Action/Policy recognizes Registered Social Workers in good
standing who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession of social work and the community
through advocacy, social action, policy development/analysis, program development or political action
aimed at enhancing social functioning, service delivery systems and the environments in which we work
with our clients.
•
ACSW Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice
The ACSW Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice recognizes Registered Social Workers in good
standing who have exhibited exemplary skills and commitment to the Code of Ethics and mission of the
ACSW in a variety of practice settings.
•
Honorary Memberships
Honorary Memberships may be awarded to a person or group that has made a significant contribution to
the values and ideals inherent in the profession of social work and who have advanced the goals of ACSW.
Nominees in this category are not Registered Social Workers.
Nominations must be submitted in writing to the ACSW office by January 29, 2010. Please provide
a clear rationale for your nomination and enclose the nominee’s resume and any supporting
documentation for review by the Nominations and Recruitment Committee. The role of this
committee is to review the nominees and make recommendations regarding award recipients to Council
for approval. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Annual General Meeting in Edmonton on Thursday,
March 18.
For further information contact the ACSW office at 780-421-1167 or 1-800-661-3089.
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WANTED: Social Workers willing to meet the challenge
ACSW 2010 Council Elections
Call for Nominations
• This Call for Nominations is circulated to
the membership in December 2009
• carrying out activities and governing regulated members in a manner
that protects and serves the public interest,
• providing direction to and regulating the practice of social work,
• establishing, maintaining and enforcing a code of ethics and standards
for registration, continuing competence and standards of practice.
ACSW also serves as a professional association that promotes best practices
in social work, supports membership activities that strengthen the
profession and advocates for public policies that support competent social
work practice.
• Completed nominations forms signed by
two RSW nominators must be submitted by
January 18, 2010. Biographies of nominees
must be emailed to the office.
The Council of ACSW is comprised of elected and appointed members
who are responsible for conducting the affairs of ACSW in accordance
with the HPA. The membership elects ten (10) registered social workers
to serve on Council. Four (4) public members, who are not social workers,
are appointed to serve on Council by the Alberta government.
• Once the nominations are received a list of
candidates and biographies will be posted on
the ACSW website.
Serving on ACSW Council is a challenging commitment. Registered
social workers seeking election for a position on Council should be
willing to:
• Voting will be conducted online via the
ACSW website.
• become well informed about the role of ACSW and its legislative
obligations,
• commit to serve in the best interests of ACSW and the social work
profession,
• discuss diverse perspectives on a variety of complex topics,
• commit time and energy to the activities of ACSW,
• face challenges and opportunities related to implementing the legislative
requirements of the Health Professions Act,
• deal professionally with conflict of interest situations and confidential
matters,
• be part of a team that holds a broad view of the issues and challenges
facing the profession,
• represent, involve and mobilize the membership on professional issues,
and
• represent a diversity of professional interests.
• Elected candidates are determined by a
majority of the members’ votes cast.
• Election results are officially declared at the
Annual General Meeting.
A single candidate for any 2010 position
will be elected by acclamation. Unfilled
positions may be filled at the Annual General
Meeting by an election of nominees from
the floor conducted by the Nominations and
Recruitment Committee.
Nomination forms are available for
downloading from the ACSW website:
www.acsw.ab.ca.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING
NOMINATION FORMS AND
BIOGRAPHIES IS JANUARY 18, 2010.
Council members meet about 6 times a year including the Annual General
Meeting held in conjunction with the annual provincial conference.
Members in executive positions attend additional meetings. Council
members may become involved in committees and other activities that
require additional time commitments. Costs associated with Council
meetings and activities are reimbursed to Council members. n
7
news
Election Procedure
The Alberta College of Social Workers is authorized by the Health
Professions Act (HPA) to conduct the activities of a professional regulatory
body, which involves:
in the
If you are interested in becoming a member
of ACSW Council or know of other RSWs
who could contribute their expertise
and time towards ACSW Council, please
consider the nomination process for available
positions. Positions up for election in 2010
are the Secretary, Treasurer, and three Council
members. All positions are for two-year terms.
ACSW Council Member Roles and Responsibilities
news
in the
Pulse of Social Work ceremony
celebrates lucky number seven
By Lynne Dulaney
When you hear the expression “a feel-good event,” what comes to mind? Many Calgary and
area social workers would answer the Pulse of Social Work.
“Advocating on behalf of marginalized groups has been a
passion for me for many years,” says Kongnetiman, a firstgeneration immigrant. “As a social worker, it’s important for
me to address the barriers our clients face.”
For seven years, the annual Pulse of Social Work award
ceremony has honoured outstanding Calgary and area
registered social workers and celebrated the social work
profession. This year, more than 130 people gathered in
Calgary at the Health Research Innovation Centre. The
October 28th event paid tribute to the achievements of seven
individuals and one four member team.
Fellow practitioner June Yee celebrated winning the
Clinical Practice Award. She feels her profession substantially
impacted her team at the Peter Lougheed Centre cardiac
congenital clinic, including their work to research clients’
subjective needs, identify predictors of psychosocial wellness,
and advocate for practical services.
Linda Kongnetiman, Alberta Children’s Hospital diversity
program coordinator, received the 2009 Advocacy Award in
recognition of her work with the hospital’s culturally diverse
patients and their families.
Pulse of Social Work Award Winners: Back row, L to R: Trina Nagel, Yvonne Secord, Nicole Mizzi , Joanne Ramsay Smith (representing her father, Dick Ramsay).
Front row, L to R: Patti Knott, Sarah Witt, Suzanne DuGray, Rose Lamoureux, Linda Kongnetiman, June Yee. Missing: Rachael Burton, Dick Ramsay.
8
Congratulations!
“With community development, obstacles can be removed
through creativity and perseverance, and every small success
achieved along the climb can help achieve long term
outcomes,” says Lamoureux. “An integrated community-driven
approach provides people with the skills they need to reach
their intended goals, while effecting change in their lives and
their communities.”
The Frontline Worker Award was presented to
Rachael Burton, a social worker from the Foothills Medical
Centre’s multidisciplinary team for trauma services. Described
as “dedicated, calm and compassionate,” Burton serves as
a critical contact point for patients and their families who
arrive at the unit after devastating and sometimes life-altering
injuries. “Rachael commits herself to serving those who need
it most at the time,” said one nominator.
The Innovation in Social Work Award recognizes an individual or group that uses creativity and flexibility to respond to a
complex social problem or issue in a new way. It was presented
to HomeFront’s Early Intervention and Outreach team:
RSWs Suzanne DuGray and Sarah Witt, HomeFront;
Yvonne Secord, social worker, Calgary and Area Child and
Family Services; and Risk and Threat Specialist Patti Knott
from Calgary Police Service. This ground-breaking team
approaches domestic violence from a preventative perspective
and provides outreach to individuals, families, and children
facing the risk of domestic conflict.
“Not only does this program take an innovative approach
to a critical issue in the community, its collaborative
model is also unique, blending services and supports from
three organizations,” says an awards selection committee
representative.
Trina Nagel, a team leader at Alberta Children and Youth
Services in Strathmore, received the Mentorship Award. Her
team’s nomination noted Nagel is approachable, accepting,
and inspiring. She challenges her staff to become better social
workers while providing them with effective support and
resources.
Nicole Mizzi, a 2008 Mount Royal College social work
diploma graduate, took home the New Professional Award
in honour of a social worker who graduated within the past
three years. Mizzi, who works at Calgary’s Youth Criminal
Defence Office, counsels and advocates for youth in conflict
with criminal law. “Nicole works with passion and heart,” said
her nominator.
Gayla Rogers, dean of the Faculty of Social Work, paid tribute
to all who have ever received or been nominated for a Pulse
award, as well as the entire social work profession. “Not
only does the Pulse of Social Work draw attention to some
outstanding practitioners, it celebrates the incredible work
social workers do in our community,” she said.
The co-sponsors of the annual celebration are the University
of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, Alberta College of Social
Workers, City of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, Calgary
and Area Child and Family Services, and United Way of
Calgary and Area. Along with Mount Royal University’s
Department of Social Work, and Governors for Children, these
eight organizations fund $500 cash prizes for each winner in
addition to the sparkling Pulse of Social Work awards. n
For more information or to see photos of the ceremony, visit
fsw.ucalgary.ca/pulse.
Lynne Dulaney is the communications consultant for the Faculty of Social Work at
University of Calgary.
9
news
Rose Lamoureux, RSW, with the City of Calgary’s
Community and Neighbourhood Services, was thrilled to
receive the Community Development Award. She likens her
role as a community social worker to climbing a mountain.
Internationally renowned for his body of work on suicide
prevention, Richard (Dick) Ramsay received the 2009
Lifetime Achievement Award. He is well-known for his
commitment and involvement in the social work profession
at local, provincial, national, and international levels. Ramsay
retired in 2004, after 29 years with the University of Calgary’s
Faculty of Social Work.
in the
“Throughout my career, I’ve been grateful to have had the
opportunity to do what social workers do best—helping
people shine a little brighter in their own social functioning,
within a community,” Yee says.
The Faculty Beat
Lynne Dulaney
in the
news
University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work
Learn how to work
with vulnerable populations
It has always been a University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work priority to respond to community needs. Programs
resulting from consultation with stakeholder groups include distance learning, international social work specialization,
and the innovative Learning Circles for rural, remote, and Aboriginal communities.
The faculty’s Centre for Social Work Research and
Professional Development has two new offerings that will
provide practical preparation for post-degree social work
practitioners.
Clinical Social Work Foundations
Certificate in Working with Homeless
Populations
This offering is designed for social work professionals without
an MSW in clinical practice who want to apply to the
ACSW’s Clinical Registry Roster. Candidates will have an
MSW in a non-clinical stream, an equivalent master’s degree
as approved by ACSW, or be near completion of a master’s
degree.
To begin preparing professionals for clinical social work, the
faculty will also offer a new 40-hour online course—Clinical
Foundations for Social Work.
Until now, frontline workers in homeless-serving sectors had
few training opportunities. That will change in January 2010
when the Faculty of Social Work will offer a new non-credit,
Category C continuing education program. The Certificate
in Working with Homeless Populations: Basic Skills and Practices
was developed collaboratively with the Calgary Homeless
Foundation and Alex Pathway to Housing—an innovative
community agency working towards ending homelessness in
Calgary. The Calgary Homeless Foundation will fund the first
student cohort.
This innovative interprofessional seven-month certificate
program will offer Calgary’s frontline practitioners the basic
skills and practices they need to work with this population’s
complex personal, interpersonal, and societal problems. It will
address a broad scope of issues, as well as examine mental
health, addictions, health care, assessment, and interviewing, as
well as re-housing and intervention strategies.
The certificate will be delivered face-to-face in Calgary,
although the faculty anticipates providing a template for
delivery across Alberta and eventually Canada. Intermediate
and advanced levels are expected to follow this first level
certificate.
Although not confirmed at time of writing, the start date
is expected to be the third week of February. For more
information, contact the Centre for Social Work Research
and Professional Development.
Other areas of interest
Are you interested in:
•
•
•
•
•
•
mental health assessment and treatment in adults and
children?
loss and grief?
counselling men?
motivational interviewing?
Aboriginal issues?
parenting capacity assessment?
For more information about these topics, the Certificate in
Working with Homeless Populations, or Clinical Foundations
for Social Work, contact Lobsang Galak, associate director of
Continuing Professional Education at [email protected]; or
visit fsw.ucalgary.ca/pd.
10
2010 ACSW Conference
Social Workers Inspired to Serve Humanity
March 18 – 20, 2010
Telus Convention Centre Edmonton
W o r k e r s
c h i l d r e n
e n v i r o n m e n t
d e s i g n e d
b y
I l o n a
C a r d i n a l
A l b e r t a
C o l l e g e
o f
S o c i a l
s o l a c e
c a r i n g
2010 ACSW Annual Conference
In 2009 our Aboriginal Acknowledgement Ceremony at the
annual conference recognized the role social workers played in the
implementation of government policies that negatively impacted
Aboriginal people. CASW President Veronica Marsman delivered a
statement of acknowledgement on behalf of social workers. This ceremony
followed the Government of Canada’s apology to Aboriginal people in
2008. In 2010 we are moving forward to support Aboriginal people.
We are pleased to announce that our
keynote speaker is Cindy Blackstock,
PhD, an Aboriginal social worker.
Cindy is the executive director of the
First Nations Child and Family Caring
Society of Canada,
www.fncaringsociety.com.
The Faculty Beat
Mark Your Calendar!
Laurence Shulman, an expert on effective supervision, will lead workshops that focus on:
•
•
•
•
dealing with difficult staff
feeling caught between staff and administration
dealing with the impact of traumatic events
addressing inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic issues.
The two-day workshops will be held in Edmonton
May 11-12 and Calgary May 13-14 in 2010. Email
[email protected] for more information. n
Lynne Dulaney is the communications consultant for the Faculty of
Social Work at the University of Calgary.
Cindy’s work has resulted in the
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
regarding the treatment of First
Nations children. Further information
Cindy Blackstock
regarding this may be found through
the I am a Witness Campaign ( www.fnwitness.ca ). Cindy’s keynote
address will look at how broad-based inequities in government resources
undermine the success of First Nations children on reserves and what is
being done about it.
In addition to this significant keynote address, over 60 Category A workshops are scheduled representing a wide range of fields of practice. More
advanced workshops for seasoned professionals than ever before will be
held. The 2010 conference brochure will be out in early January. n
11
news
March 18 - 20, 2010
Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton Alberta
in the
Social Workers:
Inspired to Serve Humanity
Our theme highlights the third value of the CASW Code of Ethics
(2005): Service to Humanity. “The social work profession upholds
service in the interest of others, consistent with social justice, as a core
professional objective. In professional practice social workers balance
individual needs, and rights and freedoms with collective interests in
the service of humanity. When acting in a professional capacity, social
workers place professional service before personal goals or advantage, and
use their power and authority in disciplined and responsible ways that
serve society.”
President
regular
feature
Bob Johnson, MSSW, RSW
Bob Johnson
President's report
This past month, Randy Harris made the difficult personal decision to resign as president of the Alberta College of Social
Workers. Randy did an excellent job as president and represented us well provincially, nationally, and internationally. He
will be missed and we all wish him well.
It is my pleasure to assume the role of president. After three
years on council and two years as vice president, I look forward to continuing work in this enhanced role with Rod
Adachi and his staff. I am pleased long time council member
and secretary, Elaine Spencer, has agreed to assume the vice
president role and that Terry Wilson will serve as secretary.
ACSW council is a group of elected social workers and
appointed public members dedicated to making our profession stronger. They, along with members who volunteer on
regulatory and membership committees, serve as area coordinators, or assist with other activities, make ACSW a more
effective organization.
Elaine Spencer
Terry Wilson
ACSW is participating in a Canadian Association of Social
Workers organizational review. The results could impact our
role and relationship with CASW and may have future funding implications for them. We are also involved in forming a
new national regulatory organization—the Canadian Council
of Social Work Regulators. In addition, over the past two
years we have taken part in ongoing discussions to ease social
worker mobility across provinces.
years. Costs have risen and for the first time we have reached a
deficit budget situation. As a result, council reluctantly voted to
increase fees by $50 a year, effective June 2010. This is the first
fee increase for registered social workers in Alberta in 14 years.
While our fees were among the lowest in Canada, the increase
will move us to the middle of the pack. Council is currently
exploring fee payment options in order to make it easier for
members to meet their regulatory registration obligation.
Internationally, we continue to enjoy a positive collaboration
with the Association of Social Work Boards, which represents
both state and provincial social work regulatory bodies.
I look forward to working on your behalf as ACSW president
to address the challenges facing us in these trying times.
The regulatory demands and membership activities undertaken by ACSW staff and council have increased over the
On behalf of ACSW council, I wish each and every one of you
all the best of the season and a healthy, happy New Year. n
Bob Johnson is the president of ACSW. He can be reached at [email protected].
Happy New Year!
12
Executive Director &
Registrar
Rod Adachi, MSW, RSW
Rod Adachi
The impacts of reductions in services
regular
Today social workers are facing challenging times. In the spring Advocate I wrote about ACSW’s participation in the
feature
Friends of Medicare rally to Stand Up for Public Health Care. Since then we have faced continuing threats to health
and social services. The economic downturn has affected all Albertans. Many are facing difficulties and are turning to
agencies for services and support. Regrettably programs and services are becoming less available.
Examples of reductions in services are growing: the closure of
the Strathcona Bosco Homes facility, the loss of 100 positions
at the Edmonton Boys and Girls Club, de-listing health
services as part of the re-organization of Alberta Health
Services, proposed changes to the pharmaceutical and longterm care plans for seniors, bed closures at Alberta Hospital
Edmonton, government hiring freezes in Children & Youth
Services and Alberta Health Services.
All of this impacts social workers and other health and
human services providers in a time when demand for services
is increasing. In addition, this limits the ability to provide
appropriate supervision, which not only impacts workers but
also students seeking field placements in agencies struggling
to manage demanding workloads. Another limitation is to
opportunities for professional development, which poses
barriers to meeting legislated requirements for continuing
competency for regulated health professionals.
government to re-think its decisions about cuts to health and
social services.
These efforts must be sustained as many in the health and
human services sector fear that 2010 will bring further cuts
to services. ACSW calls on all RSWs to join in our efforts
to inform local MLAs and government officials that cuts to
health, education and social programs and services are shortsighted measures that will lead to detrimental long-term
consequences for the health and well-being of Albertans.
Please support our efforts to advocate on behalf of Alberta’s
vulnerable and marginalized citizens. n
Rod Adachi is the Executive Director and Registar of ACSW. He can be reached at
[email protected].
NOTICE:
ACSW Annual General Meeting Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Annual General Meeting of the Alberta College of Social
In a time of economic recession, conventional wisdom
recommends that governments invest in public services
to mitigate the impact of losses in business and industry.
However, in Alberta, the provincial government is intent on
limiting or reducing spending in health, education and human
services. Cutting programs and reducing services do not serve
the best interest of Albertans.
Workers will take place Thursday afternoon, March 18, 2010, at the
Edmonton Shaw Convention Centre.
The AGM provides an opportunity to report on the events of the
past year, recognize award recipients, and meet newly elected
members of ACSW Council.
Time will be available at the AGM to discuss resolutions. If
you wish to submit a resolution please review the format for
ACSW has communicated its concerns about service cuts
directly to the government and through media releases. In
addition, ACSW continues to support the advocacy efforts of
Friends of Medicare, the Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness
and Mental Health, Public Interest Alberta, the Greater
Edmonton Alliance, the Parkland Institute and the Edmonton
Social Planning Council. These activities help to influence the
submitting resolutions posted on the ACSW website at:
www.acsw.ab.ca/who_we_are/council/council_committees/
process_for_resolutions.doc/index_html
All resolutions must be submitted to the ACSW office by January
10, 2010, to allow time for preparing the AGM agenda.
13
Diploma Dialogue
regular
feature
Linda Fountain, MSW, RSW
Mount Royal University
What’s in a Name?
Mount Royal is celebrating its challenging endeavor to become a university. Its new status, officially proclaimed
September 3, 2009, is even more exciting as Mount Royal celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.
Since 1931, Mount Royal has delivered university-level
courses, with most students in baccalaureate programs or
university-level courses. The university remains committed to
excellence in teaching, small classes, and individualized attention from professors with extensive field experience. Mount
Royal’s new goal is to be the number one ranked undergraduate university on all measures of student success.
Many people have been asking whether Mount Royal will
continue to offer a social work diploma. The answer is a
resounding yes. The program has never been stronger, with well
over 600 applicants this year. The main change is that full-time
faculty members are now supported in research and scholarly
work in their areas of expertise. While this is exciting for faculty, teaching excellence continues to be our primary focus.
Sisters in Spirit
Student and faculty activities
The Student Social Work Society (3SW) has participated in
an assortment of social action initiatives.
Take Back the Night is an internationally held rally and
march to protest rape and other violence against women.
Although the annual march in Calgary was cancelled, social
work students participated in a peaceful candlelight vigil on
September 22.
Sisters in Spirit is a nationwide event that pays tribute
to the memory of Aboriginal women taken from us. It is
intended to create awareness and heal the spirit. Social work
students participated in events which included speakers, singers, and drumming, as well as a peace walk. Clean up the Core is an annual occurrence initiated by
alderman and social worker Joe Ceci. It brings social work
students together with clients and staff of downtown street
services, business owners, and volunteers to clean up the
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
downtown core and show commitment to keeping the city
green. It was held October 18.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes supports the need to stop violence against women. A Mount Royal team of male faculty
donned pink and leopard high heel shoes to participate in
the city’s September 21 event. Gaye Warthe, associate professor, organized the team. Our Turn Off the Violence committee organized another on-campus Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
for November 4. The male basketball team, members of the
executive, staff, and faculty took part.
14
Practicum
We are changing faculty field supervisors’ roles to focus more
on professional supervision. Seminars have always centered
on application and integration of theory, as well as consideration of social work ethics and scope of practice. Now we
will conduct these sessions according to a group supervision
mentoring model, rather than an instructional model.
Social Work Program Advisor
Yasmin also incorporated an innovative initiative into the
c ommunity development curriculum by joining forces with the
ARUSHA centre
and Marda Loop
Film Festival. Select
documentary films
were previewed at
Mount Royal to
heighten awareness
of social justice and
environmental issues,
and inspire new
social workers to
activism. These same
students have signed
up for Alberta’s
Eco challenge in
recognition that
Yasmin Dean and Parlimentary Assistant Manmeet
social workers
Bhullar
have an ethical
responsibility to act with integrity toward our world. Mount
Royal aims to make a difference…one water bottle at a time!
Social Work and the Family
We have revamped the Social Work and the Family course to
offer a more applied focus on in-home support. This change
reflects the needs of students and graduates hired to conduct
in-home support with high risk families. Student feedback has
been very positive.
Students are buzzing with appreciation for our new social work
program advisor, Mount Royal graduate, Gina Coupland. This
is a new role, and students love having a dedicated advisor who
has been through the program. So do faculty!
New e-learning website for children with
disabilities
An e-learning website for people who support children with
complex disabilities is being developed. It will encompass
three inter-connected sites for community aides, families, and
school staff. This site will provide information on how to promote adaptive behaviors, manage challenging behaviors, work
as a team, and address program planning.
The project’s intent is to enhance the capacity of everyone in
the child’s life to support the child’s development by giving
teachers, family members, therapists and aides access to the
same information and strategic approaches. The website will
demonstrate strategies with engaging interactivities and video.
The first phase, for community aides and therapists, will be
ready for use this fall. The other phases will be completed next
year.
This exciting project is supported through grants from Family
Supports for Children with Disabilities and Alberta Education.
Linda Fountain, social work and disability studies chair, and
Joanne Baxter, child and youth studies chair, head its development. This project, along with research on siblings of babies
who have died of sudden infant death syndrome, will keep
Linda busy while on sabbatical this winter. n
Linda Fountain is the social work and disability studies chair with Mount Royal
University.
15
feature
More registered social workers are needed to supervise student
practicums. If you are interested in this enriching experience,
please call practicum coordinators Yasmin Dean and Cynthia
Gallop and find out what benefits are available.
In June, Yasmin Dean, associate professor of social work, was
awarded an Internationalizing the Teaching and Learning
Practice: Award of Distinction. This recognized her work in
coordinating an e-collaboration and professional conference
publication with a team of Mount Royal social work students
and Zayed University students—from a variety of faculties.
The students presented on women as global leaders at an
international conference.
regular
Project Homeless Connect is an event students participated
in to help provide essential services to homeless individuals
and families. Activities included assisting with access to
housing, medical treatment, mental health services, income
support, employment counseling, identification documents,
Veteran and Aboriginal Affairs. Participants were also able to
receive clothing, comfort kit items, haircuts, and a nutritious
lunch.
in the news
regular
feature
James Bond
meets Nellie McClung:
Computer security for social workers
Donovan Hoggan
By Donovan Hoggan
A laptop belonging to a psychologist friend of mine was stolen. It had quite a few sensitive client files on it, but he
wasn’t concerned since it was “password protected.” At the Windows log-in screen, he had to enter a password. My first
thought was to leave well-enough alone, but then I though, “He needs to know this.” I fired up his replacement laptop,
and, within two minutes, was opening client files. Then I shut it down and did it again, using a different technique. Then
I did the same thing a third time.
It’s also worth noting that all three of the methods I used
Let me give you a sense of how difficult these are to crack. If
were free and within the skill level of the average 14-year-old. you do the math on how long it would take the average PC
to try all of the possibilities, the number you’ll come up with
So, if it’s that easy to get past security, why even bother?
is longer than the universe is thought to have existed.
Because it’s actually very difficult to get past good security. Let
me offer you some options.
The only caveat to add to that is that it’s as secure as the
password you choose. If your password is “password” or your
The first step is a firewall. Every computer should be behind last name, I can’t help you. But, as long as you choose a good
a router, which will give you a hardware-based firewall. For
password, you’re set.
mobile use, a software firewall (i.e. one on the computer
itself) is better than nothing, but you should never plug your
“Good password,” by the way, means at least eight characters
office or home computer directly into the modem that gives (15-20 is better), upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers
you your internet connection.
and symbols. If you want some hints on super-secure passwords that are easy to remember, send an email to me an
Next step is the anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
email at [email protected] and I’ll send you a link to
There are free alternatives like AVG or Avast, but they’re only an article.
licensed for non-commercial use. For corporate use, you
should look at the paid versions. If you work with a nonThe next suggestion I’m going to offer is: do backups. I can’t
profit, be sure to ask about special pricing. I’ve seen some
tell you how many times in the average week I talk to someremarkable discounts for non-profits.
one whose hard drive has crashed, taking with it their only
copy of business files, client files or, worst of all, personal files
Here is where it starts getting interesting. OK, I’m a geek, so
like family photos. To be useful, a back-up plan needs to be
it’s interesting to me. For you, maybe “useful” is a better word. automatic, secure, tested and off-site.
The first is encryption. Encryption software secures the files
on your computer by encoding them. Without the password to de-code the data, all I will see is jibberish. The most
important detail, though, is how tough is it to crack the code.
We’ve all seen TV shows where someone pops a disk into the
computer and, in a few seconds, it figures out the password.
On the other hand, we all remember the TV show where
Norm MacDonald became a social worker to satisfy his community service requirements. Don’t believe what’s on TV!
Automating a solution is necessary for most people. Everyone
plans to back up their data, but only 4% actually do. By
making it automatic, you remove a point-of-failure.
The need for security of your client files should be fairly
obvious. Testing, though, is often forgotten. After you have
data backed up, try to restore it to ensure that you’re backing
up what you want to and that it’s actually saved.
Continued on page 17
16
Communication Corner
By Joan Marie Galat
Do you secretly dream of sharing your experiences, thoughts, or wisdom with others? Are you a potential Advocate contributor?
Do you want to write in a style that engages your audience? Whether you are an aspiring writer or someone who needs to
communicate well in your job, use these writing tips to help your written word stand out.
they realize from reading beyond your catchy beginning?
Start your article with one or two sentences that hook the reader. Begin with a funny, clever, provocative, or surprising
feature
statement. Can you start with a question?
Write in the third person—she, he, it, they.
Present the most important information first; end with background information.
Include quotes from people you interview.
Edit yourself! Replace general words with specific words, such as “a few people” with “eight members.” Remember,
computer fonts require using only one space after the period. And don't forget to proofread to catch any mistakes!
Computer security
Last on the list for backups is the need
for off-site file storage. Fires, sprinkler systems, theft and a host of other
problems will cost you access to all
computer equipment in the same room
or building. By storing your backups
off-site, you avoid this. Off-site can be
an external hard drive you take home
every week or, better yet, something
online. An online backup is not vulnerable to theft the way an external hard
drive would be.
The lighter side of
social work...
by James Grasdal
A firewall, anti-virus/anti-spyware,
encryption and data backups—while
no computer security solution is perfect, these four pillars will go a long
way to ensuring that you have access
to your files, and that only you have
access to your files. n
Donovan Hoggan spent 17 years as a social worker,
the last ten of which was managing the local office
of the Canadian Red Cross. Since leaving the Red
Cross in 2008, he’s been working with Memory Lane
Computers, focusing on small and medium-sized
businesses, with a particular interest in computer
security.
regular
Consider your readers' interests. Tell them why your information is important and meaningful to them. What benefits will
17
Private Practice Page
regular
feature
Laurie Fisher, MSW, RSW
Private Practice Committee
Laurie Fisher
The Private Practice Committee held a teleconference meeting on October 16; the following is a summary of the
highlights of that meeting:
• Francis Spearchief from Cardston has been accepted as a
member of the Private Practice Roster.
• We continue to work toward improved coverage under
3rd party billing—only a select few insurance companies
actually cover clinical social workers.
• We are looking at how to achieve fee parity with
psychologists with respect to First Nations & Inuit Health,
Non-insured Benefits. Currently there is at least a $35
difference.
• We are revising our criteria for acceptance in the Private
Practice Roster to accommodate practitioners with a
Masters degree in a related field; e.g., Marriage and Family
Therapy or Counselling.
If you are interested in participating on the Private Practice
Committee, please contact Laurie Fisher at:
[email protected].
New Members:
We would also like to introduce you to two of the Roster’s
new members:
Patrick Griffin — Patrick began his current private practice
in Calgary in July 2006. Most of his 28 years post–Masters
degree in Clinical Social Work was spent in the United States,
mainly in Illinois and Wisconsin. Since 1983 he has engaged
in some capacity in the private practice of clinical social
work. In July of 2005 he moved to Canada and has a managerial role with Alberta Health Services. His part time private
practice is focusing on providing clinical services to adult
and couples with mental health concerns, and to offer EFAP
services as a preferred provider. A smaller portion of his work
will be to offer clinical supervision/consultation and workshops to the general public on clinical topics.
Office Location: Lincoln Park Office Centre, 300, 5 Richard
Way SW, Calgary. Phone: 403-819-1180.
Nicole Gillis-Copping — Nicole began her private practice
in Calgary in September 2008. Nicole graduated from the
University of Calgary with her MSW in 2002. She has a
wealth of work experience dating back to 2000. She has
been a voluntary crisis and sexual assault counsellor, and
been employed teaching independent living skills to youth in
two family service organizations and a woman’s emergency
shelter. In her private practice she is providing counseling
to individuals, couples, children and youth. She particularly
addresses issues in the areas of parenting, family, trauma and
grief, anger management, anxiety and stress, back-to-work
planning and depression.
Office Location: 509, 609-14th St. N.W., Calgary.
Phone: 403-229-2706
We welcome both these competent people to our Private
Practice Roster, wishing them every success, and look forward
to their future contributions to the field of private practice.

Private Practice Roster social workers interested
in giving and/or receiving consultations
Naaz Bhatia, MSW, RSW, is a Private Practice Roster Social
Worker who interested in receiving consultations in Eye
Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR),
trauma, couple and child therapy; and wishing to give
consultations in family violence, family violence with a multiculture component and trauma.
Naaz can be reached at Tran-sitions Counselling &
Consulting Services, Suite 209, 3825 - 34 Street NE, Calgary,
AB T1Y 6Z8
Tel: (403) 291-5337
Fax: (403) 291-5343
E-Mail: [email protected] n
Laurie Fisher is the chair of the Private Practice Committee and can be reached at
[email protected].
18
New RSWs
Membership as of
November 18, 2009: 6,107
Monica Dawn Rae
Dalayna Rayann Taverner
Sonia Ramirez
Kheri Taylor-Milos
Stacy A Rinas
Jennifer Jean Thompson
Kim Arleen Robinson
Adele Toews
Jill Louise Russell
Wendy Anne Voykin
Benjamin Affroh
Shannon Christine Hastings
Candyce Joan Sangster
Aynsley Cynthia Walsh
Jennifer Dawn Allcock
Megan Kelsey Helm
Lorraine A. Scott
Rowen Gladys Waters
Caren Marie Anderson
Wanda L. Hennigan
Kristen Shewchuk
Shaelyn Wehr
Barbara Jean Andreasen
Meghan Dawn Holub
Cassandra Rhea Staats
Madeleine Denise Young
Cara Elizabeth Atkins
Stasha Huntingford
Tandela Lynne Swann
George Ayers
Farzana Huq
Ashley Anne Bahm
Claire Louise Jackson
Barbara C. Barclay
Abur Gai Jacob
Kathy D. Barron
Darlene James-Hussey
Peggy Lee Barrone
Kelly Jean Johnson
Kimberly Baumle
Loretta Johnson
Katrina Marie Beattie
Jenny Kash
Raelene Kyla Beck
Lorna Colleen Kearnes
Cory Adrianna Bekkering
Sara McKenzie Christie Kinley
Danielle Maria Berry
Edith B Kloberdanz
Melissa Bespflug
Erin Anne Kozel
Holly Michelle Biggs
Jennifer Larsen
Anita Bonstrom-Mast
Mervin Lathlin
Brandy Melissa Boucher
Cass Law
Lisa Bowers
Karen Lee Lazaruk
Marvin Russell Burr
Allen D Ledyit
Claudia Carolina Canales
Brandi Liza Leib
Carina Dawn Irene Chenoweth
Esther Leung
Devona Crnkovic
Irene Josephine Lichon
Rachael Crowder
Maria Lyrintzis
Amy-Danielle Hicks Cullen
Harmony Magnusson
Julie Daniels
Victoria Mercedes Maldonado
Hilary Elizabeth Daum
Josephine Jennifer Mathias
Julia Elizabeth Davidson
Elaine Mayo
Jennifer Thadyne Debenham
Lola Elva Joy McGhie
Melissa Diane Devine
Diana Gail Meabry
Danielle L. Dressler
Melissa Diana Karen Megeney
Brenda S. Duran
Jessica Dawn Meister
Diane Lyn Dyck
Lamont James Nimchuk
Rochelle Edwards
Oluseun Ogunfadebo
Jaylene M. Ellard
Sonya Peel
Debbie Farnsworth
Deborah Antoinette Phillips
David Tocun-Dolo Flomo
Amanda Poll
Aimee Raelene Gauthier
Omar Abbas Quraishi
19
feature
Tracy Dawn Hardy
regular
Kwame Abrefah
Book Review:
Humanizing homelessness
in the
news
By Peter Smyth, BSW, RSW
Peter Smyth
Street Stories: 100 Years of Homelessness in Vancouver by Michael Barnholden and Nancy Newman,
with photographs by Lindsay Mearns. Anvil Press, 2007 (121 pages)
The Door Is Open: Memoir of a Soup Kitchen Volunteer by Bart Campbell. Anvil Press, 2001 (144 pages)
Anvil Press is a small publisher with the philosophy of discovering, nurturing, and promoting new and established
Canadian literary talent. It turns out they do more than give Canadian authors a voice. Two of their publications give
voice to the homeless, at least in Vancouver’s notorious downtown eastside.
Small in size but big in impact, the books humanize and
personalize a social issue we may feel more comfortable not
acknowledging. While not new, homelessness is increasingly
relevant as housing creeps higher on the political agenda
and as the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics approach. The
Vancouver Downtown Eastside eyesore could result in a black
eye, depending how image builders try to hide this problem
from the world.
Street Stories: 100 Years of Homelessness in Vancouver and
The Door Is Open: Memoir of a Soup Kitchen Volunteer serve
to compassionately show how the homeless—with their
addictions, mental health issues, broken attachments, past
traumas, guilt, regrets, and losses—are nevertheless people like
the rest of us trying to get by in life, but with few resources
to draw from. They are not portrayed as saints but real folks
with thoughts, emotions, and a few lessons for us.
Whether they intend to do it or even appreciate the fact they
do it, the homeless people we meet in these books provide
the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and how we
view their world. The one drawback is that these books are
most likely to attract people who already have some level of
sensitivity to the social problem of homelessness.
Street Stories: 100 Years of Homelessness
in Vancouver by Michael Barnholden & Nancy
Newman
In outlining the history of homelessness in Vancouver, the
authors conclude that “homelessness is the result of the
failure of all of our personal and social institutions.” We are
challenged to “look at our part in the decline of responsibility
for self and compassion for others…”
While creating an uncomfortable and somewhat helpless
feeling, this draws the reader into the homelessness issue. It
gives a greater human perspective and more arguments to
confront popular myths, such as the one that suggests the
homeless deserve what they get because of their individual
failures and lack motivation for anything better.
To contrast the lives of the homeless people interviewed for
the book, the authors open with what home should be—a
basic human right; a place of safety, security and health
where we hope to realize the finest human qualities; and
a warm, dry, safe, sustainable place. They speak of aspects
of life we may take for granted, the “meaningful social
connections of home.” However, history tells us some people
have never been afforded the luxury of being able to take
this for granted. Government policy, racist thinking and
policies, business practices, and family breakdown have all
served to create a homeless class over the past century. While
acknowledging those who were homeless by choice, such
as many sixties hippies, we are taken through the “war on
the poor” and Expo ’86. We are also exposed to government
cutbacks—especially to mental health services, which swelled
the ranks of the homeless in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
After challenging society to take responsibility for crumbling
social safety networks and swells in poverty, increases in
homeless women, children and seniors, and the fact that First
Nations peoples make up 40% of the homeless population, we
20
The Door Is Open: Memoir of a Soup Kitchen
Volunteer by Bart Campbell
Bart Campbell was in a dark and ugly place in his life when
he went to an even grimmer place to begin his healing
journey. As a volunteer at The Door Is Open, a soup kitchen
in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, he believed he could
provide an act of kindness without being noticed. Despite
the alcoholism, violence, and mental health problems of the
homeless, Campbell found friendship and endless personal
lessons. As a result of the peace and reconciliation he
experienced during this tumultuous time, Campbell offers
profound lessons arising from his new-found wisdom and the
people he meets and helps.
Campbell shares the intuition of a homeless man who
recognizes that he volunteers at The Door Is Open because “I
want to make my life more meaningful, not his….” We learn
about the soup kitchens being popular “not only as a place
to get free food, but because they are the only place left for
the poor urban nomad to find social acceptance….” For one
client, soup kitchens are a place where nobody “reminds me
of what a loser I’m supposed to be.” Brother Tim, who runs
the agency, reminds us that “soup kitchens are really just a
visible sign that something is wrong in society.”
Yet, hope and optimism can be found even in Downtown
Eastside. We learn to never make assumptions when Campbell
But, the conditions are laid bare for us. While there are examples of the homeless demonstrating unimaginable caring for
each other (“…the very poorest of our society are often the
most generous,”) there are also stories of brutal violence.
Campbell is challenged in his attempt to make sense of the
world. He questions what impact he can have and why he
is there. Do soup kitchens enable? He asks what the future
holds as he sees people die prematurely or give up hope.
How long can people keep going when repeatedly evicted,
when constantly hounded at emergency shelters by the
mentally ill screaming in their sleep, or when they need a fix.
He becomes alarmed at feeling routinely indifferent upon
observing a prepubescent girl climbing into a truck with her
first trick.
Appearing to be at the onset of burnout, he is forced to
re-examine his purpose at the agency. Fortunately, Brother
Tim, a prison padre for 30 years, is an anchor who provides
insightful observations. In the end, Campbell is able to truly
appreciate how adaptable and innovative people can be when
faced with this type of survival.
He reflects on the best insight he ever heard. A patron in a
sandwich line observed that homeless people are not stupid,
“…’cause nobody stupid is gonna survive on the street. You
gotta be smart and strong when you’re homeless.”
Campbell takes us on a journey comparable to a two-way,
single-lane, bumpy dirt road drive. While not comfortable,
you feel the need to keep going for the experience. Campbell
does not ask us to do what he has done but wants us to know
the loneliness and tragedy the homeless experience.
Brother Tim captures Campbell’s intent. “The simple hard
truth of it all is that suffering is bad for human beings.
Suffering does not lead to salvation, it just leads to despair and
bitterness.” n
Peter Smyth, a member of the Advocate Editorial Board, is a supervisor in Children's
Services in Edmonton.
21
news
They advise us to stay away from drugs. Don’t do the streets.
Stay at home. Get an education. There are familiar themes,
such as being ignored or judged is hurtful. We learn that
being on the streets is lonely because even though there are
examples of kindness and helping each other on the “mean
streets,” you cannot really trust anyone. Rather than being
about feeling sorry for the homeless, the book it is about
giving them respect and dignity and not accepting the status
quo.
suggests to a homeless man, covered in shit, that he must be
having a bad day. “Not really,” says the man. “Shit washes off.”
in the
see the faces and hear the voices of 38 people experiencing
homelessness. While a couple lived this way by choice, themes
emerged from the majority who could not be accused of
glamorizing street life in any sense. Regrets and the sense of
feeling trapped are expressed.
feature
article
By Joan Marie Galat, Advocate Editor
An expanded
approach to
Joan Marie Galat
Mental Health
It has no single cause. It is more common than many realize. It makes many people nervous to talk
about. Yet just like a physical sickness, mental illness can be treated and cured.
The Alberta Mental Health Board (AMHB) website states that the goal of treatment is not only to achieve
the absence of mental illness, it is to enable mental health system service consumers to develop the
ability to having “meaningful and positive interactions with other people and the environment, the
ability to adapt well to change and cope with adversity, and finding a balance in all aspects of life—
mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual.”
Because mental health is caused by social issues as well as biological and psychological illness, achieving balance demands
an expanded approach. It involves taking a step back from examining the minutiae of mental health services to view and
formulate responses to societal issues from a wider perspective.
Tom Shand, executive director of Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta
Division and volunteer chair of Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental
Health (an ACSW partner), says the majority of costs relating to mental health are
not actually health costs but involve areas such as justice, education, and housing.
“If people don’t have a safe place to live, it’s hard to build on that to deal with
medical treatment and employment. That’s part of the reason you see people that
are homeless.”
Shand would like to see a comprehensive approach to support people with
mental illness beyond the formal health care system. “It’s the social determinants
of health—education, employment, criminal justice system, transportation needs
and social service,” says Shand. “Mental health doesn’t draw a line at health care.
If you treat people well in hospital, they get a treatment prescribed and are
stabilized and in a position to recover. What happens when they have nowhere to
live, no means to support themselves, or no means to get across the city to access
their medications?”
22
Tom Shand
The system is fractured — in fact, some would say it’s not really
a system at all. Police, the courts, social workers, mental health
workers and community agencies are working independently when
they should be sharing the same objectives.
— Alberta's Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force
Like other provincial and territorial health organizations, the
Alberta government health care system is not set up to take
such an all-encompassing approach. “There are some small
areas where there has been some progress,” says Shand, “but
there are not many solutions in place. The Safe Communities
program has the ability to cross over into some of these areas.”
The Safe Communities initiative is part of the Alberta
government’s response to reducing and preventing crime.
Supported by the $60 million Innovation Fund, the initiative
involves nine government ministries, municipalities, police,
community groups, businesses, and social agencies who work
to address crime’s impact on communities and seek long-term
solutions.
Strategic partners can apply for funding to establish pilot
projects to reach at-risk populations and their families, and
address causes of crime and social disorder. These partners
may include youth shelters, mental health clinics, addiction
centres, police agencies, child welfare agencies, school boards,
or others. The first round applicants are implementing
programs that serve to address multiple priority crime issues
and target groups. This includes eight projects that respond to
those with addictions and mental health problems.
The Safe Communities program has funded a mental health
diversion program. It gives people who have committed
crimes, who are recognized as having mental illness, the
opportunity to get treatment instead of going to jail.
“We don’t see it so much as a focus on safe communities,
because that creates a stigma on the mentally ill, but as a
cooperative effort between government services,” says Shand,
who would like to see these programs expanded. “I think
things are going in the right direction, but there’s a lot of
catch-up to do. It’s not that people in the system don’t
recognize it, it’s that the cooperative structure is not common
to government.”
Alberta’s Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force
reports that “The system is fractured—in fact, some would say
it’s not really a system at all. Police, the courts, social workers,
mental health workers and community agencies are working
independently when they should be sharing the same
objectives. People are charged and convicted of crimes while
their underlying problems of drug and alcohol addictions and
mental illness—problems that fuel their criminal activities—
are given ‘band-aid’ treatment at best.”
Excerpted from: www.amhb.ab.ca
n One in three Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life.
n One in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem over the course of a year.
n The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 6 out of the 10 leading causes of “years lived with
disability” in developed regions are mental health diagnoses.
n Depression affects approximately 2 million Canadians 20 years and older at some point in their lives.
n Approximately 2.5 million Canadians 20 years and older live with an anxiety disorder.
23
Famous Mental
Health Sufferers
Abraham Lincoln
Anthony Hopkins
Beethoven
Billy Joel
Buzz Aldrin
Charles Darwin
Charles Dickens
Charles Schulz
Drew Barrymore
Drew Carey
Ernest Hemingway
Francis Ford Coppola
Harrison Ford
Howie Mandel
Isaac Newton
James Taylor
Janet Jackson
Jim Carrey
John Lennon
Kim Basinger
Leo Tolstoy
Mark Twain
Michelangelo
Mike Wallace
Pablo Picasso
Patty Duke
Ray Charles
Robert Schumann
Robin Williams
Rosie O’Donnell
Tennessee Williams
Tipper Gore
Vincent van Gogh
Virginia Woolf
Vivien Leigh
Walt Disney
Winston Churchill
Mental health
Tom Shand sees a need for a more
comprehensive service plan to
accommodate greater numbers of people.
“We don’t believe enough people are
being served in the manner they need
to be served. We’re not questioning the
quality of services that are being provided
in institutions, but the availability of
services.”
Without enough capacity in the formal
health care system, people with less severe
illnesses are subject to reaching more
critical levels if not supported. Achieving
the highest attainable standard of health
involves incorporating policies that will
enable practitioners to achieve their
professional objectives.
Paul Hunt and Gunilla Backman, authors
of Health Systems and the Right to the
Highest Attainable Standard of Health,
indicate, “At the heart of the right to
the highest attainable standard of health
lies an effective and integrated health
system, encompassing health care and
the underlying determinants of health,
which is responsive to national and local
priorities, and accessible to all. Without
such a health system, the right to the
highest attainable standard of health can
never be realized. Thus, it is only through
building and strengthening health systems
that it will be possible to secure sustainable
development, poverty reduction, economic
prosperity, improved health for individuals
and populations, as well as the right to the
highest attainable standard of health.”
Barbara McPherson is a mental health
therapist with the Alberta Health Services,
Regional Pediatric Developmental
and Mental Health Program, as well
as ACSW Social Action/Social Justice
24
Committee co-chair. She works with kids
with learning, behavioral, or emotional
difficulties related to neurodevelopment
challenges such as attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“The ideal is to have a better flow
between primary, secondary, and tertiary
services,” says McPherson, whose
program benefits from collaboration
with community health, pediatrics, and
children’s mental health services. “It’s
a priority to reduce wait times and a
challenge to the system to work tightly
together to make a seamless flow.”
McPherson sees a trend moving towards
getting services to children sooner.
“We hope by intervening at school age,
children can have a better academic and
social outcome. Previous generations
were labeled as unmotivated or having
behavioral problems when really their
problems were rooted in learning
difficulties. Their employment possibilities
were affected.”
Tackling the wide scope of issues relating
to mental health requires input from many
sources, including those in the community
who use mental health services.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to hear their
voices. People suffering from mental health
illnesses do not collectively or individually
have the resources the step forward and
speak up. “By understanding the storm
going on inside we can react better and
manage better,” says McPherson.
“If you’re not listening to the people with
the problems, you’re not going to deal
with them in an effective way,” says Shand.
“There’s not really a strong advocacy voice
for them.”
We hope by intervening at school age, children can have a better academic
and social outcome. Previous generations were labeled as unmotivated or
having behavioral problems when really their problems were rooted in learning
difficulties. Their employment possibilities were affected.
feature
— Barbara McPherson, mental health therapist
Mental health
article
“People don’t want to be identified with having a
mental illness. They have a fear of discrimination in the
workplace—a legitimate fear. If you tell someone you are
Shand envisions one possible solution taking the form of a
experiencing a bout of clinical depression, are there going to
group, such as a mental health council people could address
be repercussions? You can’t say there won’t be. You wouldn’t
and who would look at problems as a whole instead of simply
give that person that advice unless you knew it could
through the Ministry of Health and Wellness. “It would be a
remain confidential. Society is less likely to view the stigma
place where people can have their concerns heard and that
differently if they don’t come forward.”
has the ear of government.”
Alberta Health Services Strategic Direction 2009 – 2012
11
Despite vast room for improvement, Shand says, “People are
The need for the Alberta government to focus on improving
probably better than they ever have been. The medications
both physical and mental health is recognized in the Alberta
4.2 Continuing Care
are better, they allow people to continue to work, there’s a
Health Services Strategic Direction 2009 - 2012 Defining Our
lot better understanding.
We Our
Will: Progress report, dated June 30, 2009.
Focus/Measuring
See the chart (below) for Alberta Health Services’ goals for
of people
in the
system
know
needs to be
 Implement the Continuing Care Strategy which “A
will lot
provide
Albertans
more
options
and what
choices
Addiction and Mental
Health health
(section
4.3). to “age in place”.
to receive
services
done but commitment to resources is another big step in a
 Increase supportive living spaces.
province where resources are under stress.
Meanwhile, existing
organizations
Canadian
Mentalthe shift from facility to community based care.
 Invest
in Home such
Care as
services
to support
Health and the Alberta Network for Mental Health have
“As
we get an increased Targets*
understanding on mental illness and
Baseline
Measure
limited resources to speak forPerformance
their membership.
March 2009
2009/2010
2010/2011 2011/2012
budgets we hope more will be put aside for mental illness in
Number of persons waiting in an acute care hospital bed for
continuing care placement (ALC)
“Some investment in that sector would have large, longNumber of persons waiting in community for continuing care
lasting returns, as
opposed to bailing people out when
placement
they’re failing,” says Shand.
420
the700
overall needs550of our society.”
n
350
1,075
TBD
TBD
TBD
Joan
Marie Galat is the
Advocate's contributing
editor,
as well as a full-time
writer and presenter. Her
latesttobook
is Day Trips
Fromcontext.
Edmonton.
* Targets
be finalized
in budget
4.3 Addiction and Mental Health
Alberta Health Services Strategic Dir
We Will:



Expand Addiction and Mental Health innovations across the province. 4.2 Continuing Care
Increase children and youth mental health services in schools and communities,
reduce risk
We Will:
factors for special populations, and implement early intervention strategies for children and
 Implement the Continuing Care Strategy which will provide Albertans m
youth at risk.
to receive health services to “age in place”.
Increase supportive living
Reduce the harm associated with alcohol, other drugs and gambling by strengthening
the spaces.
 Invest in Home Care services to support the shift from facility to commu
availability of addiction information, prevention and treatment services.
Performance Measure
Performance Measure
Baseline
March 2009
% of Children receiving “scheduled” mental health treatment within
30 days.
78% received
services
within 30 days
2009/2010
placement
85%
82%
*
25
Targets*
2010/2011
2011/2012
Number of persons waiting in community for continuing care
Number of persons waiting in an acute care hospital bed for
continuing care placement (ALC)
90%
to be finalized in budget context.
Targets
Baseline
March 2009
2009/2010
700
550
1,075
TBD
* Targe
4.3 Addiction and Mental Health
We Will:

Expand Addiction and Mental Health innovations across the province.
in the
news
Social workers speak out on the effect of cuts
to Alberta Health Services
An open letter to Dr. Stephen Duckett, CEO, Alberta Health Services:
Dr. Duckett, your offer of prizes to Alberta Health Services staff members who give you “bright ideas” is interesting.
As a regulated health profession in Alberta, ACSW would like
to contribute an idea without any expectation of receiving
prizes. Our idea is that you incorporate social determinants of
health into your planning and actions.
“Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal
resources, as well as physical capacities,” (Ottawa Charter
for Health Promotion, WHO, 1986). Social determinants
of health include early life, education, employment and
working conditions, food security, housing, income and its
distribution, safety net, social exclusion, and unemployment
and employment security. (See Raphael, D. (Ed.), 2009, Social
Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, Toronto: Canadian
Scholars’ Press for a contemporary Canadian discussion of
social determinants of health.)
High quality child care and early child education increase
health throughout the life span. Education at all levels is
a powerful determinant of health, both directly and by
affecting employment, income, and social inclusion/exclusion.
Improving both the quality and accessibility of education
in Alberta will significantly increase the health of Albertans.
Employment and good working conditions affect health
both directly and indirectly: directly through safety and job
satisfaction and indirectly by providing income for food,
clothing, housing, and social inclusion.
An important issue for Alberta Health Services (AHS) is the
disproportionately high use of emergency and other health
services by poor, homeless, and socially excluded persons.
Clearly, food security and adequate housing are essential to
good health in Alberta’s climate. More affordable housing
and improving the safety net would substantially reduce the
over utilization of Alberta Health Services by marginalized
Albertans.
Health care services are an important social determinant of
health for which you have direct responsibility as AHS CEO.
However, from your position of influence you can raise
recognition of other social determinants of health that strongly affect the operations and costs of Alberta Health Services.
AHS spending has not increased to nearly 40% of the
provincial budget. Rather, provincial spending to promote
other social determinants of health has decreased so that
AHS is 40% of what is left. Decreasing AHS spending will
not increase the health or wealth of Albertans. However,
improving all the social determinants of health will increase
Albertans’ health and thereby decrease their needs for AHS
services.
Our bright idea is that you join with us in common cause to
promote policies that enhance social determinants of health
to increase Albertans’ health. What we propose is not a quick
fix. A healthier Alberta population will require fewer AHS
services per person and increase AHS effectiveness.
— ACSW Social Action/Social Justice Committee
Letters to the Edmonton Journal
No more safety net — Sept. 6, 2009
For the past 15 years, I’ve been a social worker at Alberta
Hospital Edmonton. I currently am working with complexneeds individuals with developmental disabilities.
The plan to discharge our patients into the community
will fail if it doesn’t include any opportunity for hospital
readmission. Here’s why: Community residential agencies will
refuse to accept our patients if readmission isn’t an option
when they’re unable to manage a crisis. Patients’ families will
resist discharge for the same reason.
Emergency psychiatric bed availability is viewed by agencies
(Persons With Developmental Disabilities (PDD), The Office
of the Public Guardian, Edmonton Police Service) and our
community at large as being an essential safety net. If this
safety net is taken away, the cooperation the government is
seeking to place additional patients into the community will
never materialize.
Our team is desperate to see our patients successfully
discharged into the community. We’re acutely aware of the
26
Social workers speak out
I have been a social worker since 1992, and have worked with
mentally ill seniors at Alberta Hospital Edmonton since 1996.
I’m distressed by Alberta Health Services’ decision to not
redevelop our site, but instead to preside over its demise.
Their decisions are swiftly executed with next to no
consultation and none at the level of front-line staff and
patients. The impetus is not improving patient care but
economizing it. The seniors I have the privilege to work with
deserve better from the province they built and worked hard
for all their lives.
Instead, Alberta Health Services has approved increased
rents for seniors in assisted living facilities and are hastily
reconfiguring the services painstakingly put together over
decades to serve clients afflicted with mental illnesses.
— Valerie Torgerson, Edmonton
A state of crisis — Oct. 2/09
The lack of services for vulnerable children in Alberta is a
serious concern for the Alberta College of Social Workers
(ACSW). The murder-suicide of a father and son dealing with
autism is another tragic incident in Alberta that highlights the
lack of appropriate services for children and families faced
— Lori Sigurdson, Professional Affairs Coordinatior, ACSW
Staff, patients’ concerns ignored — Oct. 18/09
A few years ago, then health minister Dave Hancock visited
Alberta Hospital Edmonton. He toured our unit and talked
with front-line staff and patients. He listened intently when we
explained what our concerns were and asked relevant, probing
questions. We came away with the sense that he was both
genuinely concerned for our patients welfare and had a deep
respect for Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
Health Minister Ron Liepert and AHS CEO Stephen Duckett
are not comfortable with this direct approach. There was a
time when those who made unpopular decisions had the courage to speak directly with those being most affected by their
decisions. At Alberta Hospital, those people are the front-line
staff and the patients they care for.
Most staff at our facility disagree completely with the rationale
underlying our hospital’s decimation. We think it’s wrongheaded, cynical and dangerous. We wish that Liepert and
Duckett had the courage of their convictions, so we could tell
them our concerns face to face. n
— Rob Scott, social worker, Alberta Hospital Edmonton
27
news
Driven by economy — Sept. 22/09
in the
with difficulties. When resources are not available to families
consequences may be serious. Social workers in Alberta are
substandard hospital unit they’re forced to inhabit. Our patients struggling to meet the needs of families, as the Conservative
have been languishing in this inadequate structure for many
Government continues its retrenchment policies.
years, waiting both for the promised hospital redevelopment
Inappropriate placements and a lack of services have resulted
and eventually for community service providers willing to care
in other tragic consequences. Bosco Homes Strathcona facility
for them.
was recently criticized for lacking proper youth-staff ratios
Why have they been in our facility for so long? Because
as well as taking in youth that were too high risk for such a
they’re very expensive for the community to care for;
facility. Just last month, Boys and Girls Clubs had to lay off
they’re frequently aggressive, destructive, loud and socially
over 100 staff as their youth crisis support program funding
inappropriate; they’re difficult to understand and many people from the government was terminated.
are fearful of them; PDD is unable to provide agencies with
The closing of 246 beds at Alberta Hospital Edmonton is
adequate wages to pay their staff and these agencies are unable
another government decision that will cause significant
to consistently hire qualified staff; and many patients’ families
difficulties for families in Alberta. These beds were for patients
are fearful for the safety of their disabled loved ones and they’ll
with severe psychiatric challenges. Relocating them to the
often become actively resistant when discharge is discussed.
community without appropriate services is a mistake.
Discharging one individual with a disability into our community
is an extremely difficult task, requiring much time, effort, a huge The lack of appropriate programs and services is creating
amount of goodwill and an even larger amount of money. If the a current state of crisis. A long-term strategy for caring for
vulnerable citizens should be a priority for this government.
safety net that our community is begging us to retain is taken
Cutting back on services should not be considered as an
away, discharge will become essentially impossible.
option for dealing with economic pressures. Concerns about
— Rob Scott, social worker, Alberta Hospital Edmonton
costs could be better addressed by considering progressive
social policies rather than resorting to diminished services.
feature
article
By Joan Marie Galat, Advocate Editor
A day in the life
Robert Scott
Joan Marie Galat
with Alberta Hospital
All his clients face a complex range of serious challenges. Each one exhibits an IQ below 70 and endures
ongoing mental health issues. They may be bipolar, schizophrenic, or exhibit other psychiatric disorders.
They may have occasions where they feel aggressive, destructive, or inclined to exhibit other socially
inappropriate behavior. They may need help to cope with phobias, anxiety, or psychosis.
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell, because they almost always have communication deficits—an inability to express their wants,
needs, or experiences,” says Robert Scott, BSW, RSW. “A lot of the psychiatrist’s diagnoses are based on observation and
guessing because we see how they’re behaving but can’t figure out if it’s because of their mental health issues or because they
simply can’t communicate what they need.”
Scott has worked with Alberta Health Services for 15 years. In his Social
Worker II position, Scott is responsible for an Alberta Hospital intake
unit. He assesses adult individuals who have been dually diagnosed with
developmental delays and mental illness and tries to determine the best
ways to assist. Averaging 15 to 20 meetings a week, Scott consults with
patients’ families or paid supports. When possible, he advises on current
circumstances. “Usually it means modifying the caregiver’s behavior to
handle a situation,” he says.
In close consultation with a psychiatrist, Scott’s role as a central
coordinator for admitted patients and outpatients involves an
interdisciplinary team. Depending on government funding or freezes,
this may include rehabilitation practitioners, behavioral specialists,
occupational therapists, therapy assistants, nurses, psychologists,
and others aides. The hospital provides additional services such as
pharmacists, physiotherapists, and dieticians. Scott consults closely with
team members when issues dictate patients will benefit. They are intent
on assisting patients in becoming capable to reenter and function within
the community.
Robert Scott
28
Scott estimates the program follows 700 from 700 to 900
outpatients. He spends much of his day evaluating whether
individuals need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment
or whether they will better benefit from out-patient services.
If an organization feels they don’t have the skills to deal with
a particular individual, perhaps because of staff turnover or a
difficult family, they can ask that person to leave. Sometimes
they give 90 days’ notice, other times it is the same day.
“It’s a huge problem if an agency decides they don’t want to
do it or can’t do it. Then we get an emergency call from a
distressed mom or dad saying ‘They’re putting my son on the
street.’ ”
Scott wants to avoid having such outpatients admitted into
the hospital if they can function in other settings. “It gets
used as a temporary hotel because the person may not have
anywhere else to go. Some we have taken in temporarily are
still with us years later.”
The maximum hospital stay is supposed to be 120 days. The
ideal is to admit, treat, assess, make recommendations to community, and discharge, usually back to the previous residence.
Instead, the average stay is two years with some staying more
than five years waiting for community placement.
“Our guys have bad histories. Because they have complex
needs and the additional label of mental illness, they become
more challenging to place.”
Scott finds the hardest part of his job is talking to people about
when they can move. “There are moms and dads who want
their kids in the hospital but can’t get them back in, and people
who are scared of their own kids and can’t get them out.
“Here they’re not sitting on pins and needles,” says Scott. “If
I talk to a mom about placing her son in a group home, she
wants to know what happens the first time he gets aggressive.
All we can do is try to prevent that, but they know the
reality is they may not be able to get him back in here. We
have many mentally handicapped individuals in the hospital
waiting to get into our unit.
“It’s the mysterious nature of their mental illness that people
are uncomfortable with. It’s one thing to work with someone
who is mentally handicapped and another thing to cope with
someone who is also mentally ill.”
Scotts has seen what can happen when prejudice is tackled on
a personal level. One of his patients is picked up once a week
to go to work washing dishes—an outing he enjoys immensely
and that gives him purpose. Scott says the caregivers involved
were initially apprehensive about the man’s history. After getting
to know him, they came to understand that reports do not
always fully reveal a person’s potential.
“While community agencies bend over backwards to help
the vast majority, potential caregivers need to meet clients to
break down their perception that the person is dangerous,”
says Scott. “They read a report the person was severely
aggressive and they’re scared, but if they meet the person they
see differently.”
Scott says his goal and his team’s goal is to get back to the
mandate of the program—help people quickly and efficiently
and get people back in the community where they have the
right to live. “That’s my personal call, to get that revolving
door revolving again. It just kills us to see people forgotten in
the institution.” n
Joan Marie Galat is the Advocate's contributing editor, as well as a full-time writer
and presenter. Her latest book is Day Trips From Edmonton
29
article
When not working directly with patients, Scott devotes
himself to advocating to increase or maintain the level of
supports clients receive. “Sometimes agencies threaten to evict
outpatients. The agency might say we can’t deal with this
situation anymore. ‘You have to pick him up by this day.’ They
can boot him out at any time. Everything is conditional and
nothing says they have to care for them indefinitely.”
Scott works to persuade families who disagree when their
adult children are ready to go back to the community, as well
as convince the community these individuals are ready to go
back. He understands why some families prefer to have their
mentally ill and developmentally challenged family member
in the hospital. The hospital provides a sense of security and
community, while group homes experiences can be less
enduring.
feature
Alberta Hospital has 14 beds for people who are dually
diagnosed with developmental delays and mental illness. They
are treated through the Specialized Treatment Assessment
Rehabilitation Services—commonly called the STARS
program. Those who need a bed but cannot get one live in
group homes, with families, or on their own.
“We could help when we had more beds and could be more
responsive. I have a caregiver who tells me, ‘I can’t work. I can’t
sleep. Can’t you find a bed somewhere?’ And I can’t help.”
feature
article
By Austin Mardon, CM, BA, MSc, MEd, PhD
with Catherine Mardon, BA, BSc, JD
Fighting
mental health
stigma
Austin Mardon
The most effective manner of mental health stigma reduction is personal contact through speeches
and public awareness. Stigma reduction can only occur at an individual level with positive personal
contact between recovering persons with schizophrenia and the public. Our experience shows that
the goal to touch people by sharing personal stories works best with next generation adolescents.
For the last 15 years, I have been intimately involved with
initiatives to provide public presentations and media interviews
on community education and stigma reduction relating to
mental health. Primarily working through the Schizophrenia
Society of Alberta (SSA) and the Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA), I gave the first public lecture for the
SSA at Edmonton’s Charles Camsell Hospital in 1993 and have
delivered more than 200 speeches over the last 15 years.
The usual SSA lecture format is for a person with schizophrenia and a family member to deliver a speech together.
CMHA replicated this style, which eventually spread across
Alberta. Much money is spent on awareness campaigns
through public media, however they do not offer the same
punch as individual speeches to small groups. Perhaps this is
because media images and campaigns bombard us.
Three Edmonton programs provide the more desired humanto-human contact—Speaking of Schizophrenia, Making Mental
Health Matter, and Mental Health First Aid.
Speaking of Schizophrenia (formerly the Partnership Program)
focuses on delivering basic schizophrenia information.
Personal stories by a schizophrenia sufferer and family member are delivered to junior high, high school, college, and university students. This two-person presentation evolved from
an initial 1993 system involving three presenters—a mental
health services consumer, family member, and professional.
Presentation impact is only recorded through a form given to
audience members.
The community education program Making Mental Health
Matter is administered by the Edmonton Region CMHA. It
delivers workshops and presentations that focus on general
mental health awareness issues. Anecdotal information on its
effectiveness is available.
The Alberta Mental Health Board brought Mental Health
First Aid to Alberta from Australia. Covering a wider swath of
mental health areas, the intensive 12 hour course is delivered
30
The language of needs
by Jim Thomson, BSW, RSW
dad.” Family faces turn to frowns and one sadly responds, “Is my dad a ‘problem’ for you?” The staff
member backtracks: “I did not mean it to sound that way!” This is not a hypothetical scenario but one I
witnessed at a resident care planning conference.
Challenge yourself to listen closely to the key words used in health care environments between residents/clients, family/
friends, and staff/volunteers. Pay special attention when some level of frustration, unhappiness, uncertainty, worry, anger or
fear underlies communication. You will more frequently hear words such as concerns, issues, and problems. These can fall off a
speaker’s tongue without awareness of how their use negatively impacts listeners.
This type of language adds tension to conversations. Families do not want or need to hear their family member is the source
of problems, issues, or concerns for us. Ill-thought word choices can make situations that may have been easily addressed turn
to ones that require intervention to heal relationship wounds.
Fighting mental health stigma
by certified private individuals and non-profit organizations,
including the CMHA. Research indicates it does reduce stigma
and raise mental illness awareness.
Anecdotal information from the first two anti stigma campaigns
needs to be studied. Evaluation tools should be implemented,
such as a semester-long examination of whether student
attitudes towards the mentally ill change. It would best involve
a one-month baseline before the speech, and reevaluation two
months afterwards.
While meeting former audience members who remember
my speech only provides anecdotal information, my 15-year
involvement indicates presentations do have a positive impact.
I hope to confirm this through my University of South Africa
research. n
Austin Mardon is currently a doctoral student at the University of South Africa. He has
been an advocate for persons with schizophrenia for the last 15 years. In late 2007 he
was invested with the Order of Canada. You can email Austin at [email protected].
Catherine Mardon is currently a master’s degree student at Newman Theological
College in Edmonton. Before retiring from law, she worked in disabled law in the
United States.
I recommend all people in health care environments
replace words that have potentially negative connotations
with the word need. Hear and feel the difference: “Here
are the needs we have identified for your dad. This is the
care plan in place to address those needs.” This works
because each problem, issue, or concern discovered
matches an unmet need. This more neutral phrasing
immediately and effectively directs speakers to the point
at hand and improves the possibility of being able to
satisfy needs in a timely manner. People share basic
human needs and are therefore unlikely to feel singledout, picked-on, defensive, or unfairly labeled when people
address them using non-threatening language.
Poor language choices act like grains of sand—an irritant
thrown into the gears of the health care environment—
while good choices work like a lubricant that helps
human relationships run more smoothly. Thoughtful
word choices are like a preventive medicine that is not
hard to swallow and leaves only positive effects. It is well
worth the effort to change ineffective word patterns.
Before long it will become a constructive new habit. n
For the last 20 years, Jim Thomson has provided social work services in
Edmonton at Capital Care Lynnwood. In the next few years he expects to go
undercover as a haiku poet on Vancouver Island.
31
feature
in the
news article
Imagine someone saying this about a person you love: “Here are the problems we are having with your
information
for your
For your information
PLEASE NOTE: For more listings, please see “Calendar of Events” at: www.acsw.ab.ca/calendar_of_events
Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton 3rd Annual Conference
January 21 – 23, 2010
Edmonton Marriott River Cree Resort, AB
Join us for 3 days of networking, learning, and fun! This conference is designed to provide parents and professionals with practical strategies
to use with children with autism and other developmental challenges such as Down syndrome, FASD, learning disabilities, ADHD, etc.
• What’s the Problem? Preventing Problem Behaviors in Children with Developmental Challenges — Dr. Barry Prizant, director of Childhood
Communication Services in Providence, RI, and Adjunct Professor at Brown University
• Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism: What’s New? — Dr. Pat Mirenda, Professor in the Department of Educational and
Counselling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia
• Empowering Parents with More Than Words — Fern Sussman, Program Manager at the Hanen Center in Toronto
• Peer Play and Imagination in Autism — Dr. Pamela Wolfberg, Associate Professor of special education and director of the Autism Spectrum
graduate program (Project Mosaic) at San Francisco State University.
For information or to register online, go to www.childrensautism.ca or contact the office at 780-495-9235 or email us at
[email protected].
CTRI
CRISIS & TRAUMA RESOURCE INSTITUTE INC.
Winter 2010 Public Workshops
De-escalating Potentially
Violent Situations
Edmonton - February 18-19. 2010
Calgary - February 25-26, 2010
Family Violence - Strategies
for Intervention
Calgary - March 11-12, 2010
Edmonton - March 16-17, 2010
1-877-353-3205
www.ctrinstitute.com · [email protected]
32
¼ page horizontal 5” x 3.75”
$210.00
Last issue placed: June 09
Solution-Focused Counselling
Workshops & Certificate Program
CEU’s: Category A credits
Various conference documents and forms can be downloaded at
Alberta British Columbia Caribbean 2009-2010
www.aascf.com/AASCFConference/tabid/188/Default.aspx
WORKSHOPS
• conference brochure and registration form
•
•
•
•
•
•
• delegate registration form, group registration form
• trade show registration form (both members and nonmembers of
AASCF)
• information for new and past sponsors
• sponsorship levels
Level 1: Practical SFC Skills
Level 2: SFC with Involuntary Clients
SFC with Children and Youth
SFC with Crisis, Suicide and Loss
SFC: School and Classroom Problems
SF Conflict Resolution: groups, families
SUMMER INTENSIVES: Penticton Lakeside
Resort, July 2010
For more information, contact [email protected].
Caribbean: Advanced SF Skills, January, 2010
Continuing Education Hours: Earn 11 hours per workshop.
2010 Joining Together:
Issues and Initiatives in Child Maltreatment
May 3 – 5, 2010
The Westin, Calgary AB
NEW! LIFE COACHING. Make your dreams come true!
CALL US FOR ON-SITE TRAINING
Toll-Free: 1-866-304-8255
E-Mail: [email protected]
The Canadian Society for the Investigation of Child Abuse’s 2010
www.solutiontalk.ab.ca
conference will once again bring child abuse professionals together
to identify and discuss issues and initiatives related to child abuse
forensic investigation and clinical practice. The conference is pleased
to feature sessions related to the latest research and best practices
in forensic interviewing and clinical practice.
The conference is based on a model of
multidisciplinary collaboration.
Conference themes:
• Forensic strategies for child maltreatment
investigation
• Internet sexual exploitation
• Clinical treatment of the abused child
• Medical best practices
• Child witness court preparation
• Intimate partner violence and childhood
exposure
• Prosecution of false allegations of child
maltreatment
For more information, visit the conference
website at www.csiainfo.com.
The Narrative Project
Narrative Therapy with Couples: Working with power
and privilege with Victoria Dickerson Ph.D.
January 28 & 29, 2010 9:00 - 4:00
Definitional Ceremony and Outsider Witnesses in
Narrative Therapy with Ninetta Tavano MSW, RSW.
March 12, 2010 1:00 - 5:00
Becoming Ethical:
A parallel, political journey with men who have abused
with Alan Jenkins, Clinical Psychologist
May 10 & 11, 2010 9:00 - 4:00
An Intensive in Narrative Practice
co-hosted by Dulwich Centre July 15 & 16, 2010
Workshops at the Stanley Milner Library in Edmonton, Alberta
For workshop brochures: www.thenarrativeproject.ca
33
feature
article
for your
information
2nd Annual Conference
Strengthening Today, Building Tomorrow
January 25-26, 2010
Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton AB
information
for your
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 2010 CASWE Conference
Families and Communities: Intersections and Connections
May 30 – June 2, 2010
Concordia University, Montreal, QC
The planning committee is excited about the theme of this year`s
The 2010 CASWE Conference will take place from May 30 – June 2,
The theme for the conference is “Families and Communities: 2010, at Concordia University in Montreal. This is happening once
Intersections and Connections.” again in concert with the Congress of the Canadian Federation for
the Humanities and Social Sciences. The theme of the congress is
“Connected Understanding.” Please visit the Federation website
www.congress2010.ca/content.php?id=427 for complete details
of the congress. Registration will also be available directly from this
link in the next few weeks.
The McGill University School of Social Work, together with the Schools
of Social Work at Université de Montréal and Université du Québec
à Montréal, welcome conference participants to the 2010 Canadian
Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Congress held in
partnership with the Canadian Association for Social Work Education
conference and hopes that you will participate and connect with
colleagues, students, practitioners and others from across the country
to help make this conference a success.
More information about the conference is posted on our website
at www.caswe-acfts.ca/en/Conference_2010_47.html with
important dates mentioned on this page: www.caswe-acfts.ca/en/
Dates_%C3%A0_retenir_29.html
We invite papers, panels, workshops, posters or other types of
presentations related to the conference theme. We especially invite
abstracts from undergraduate and graduate students. Please go to
www.casweacfts.ca/en/Conference_2010_47.html to download
abstract information and forms.
Abstract submission deadline: January 8, 2010.
(CASWE). Continued on page 36
34
EMOTIONS, STRESS, & DISEASE
Instructors:
R.S. Hullon, M.D., J.D. (April 22 & 23)
Laura Pawlak, Ph.D., M.S. (May 6 & 7)
6 HOURS (Social Workers)
PROGRAM





















Stress: The Difference between Eustress and Distress. Shorter Life Expectancy.
Higher Incidence of Cardiovascular and Cognitive Conditions.
Alarm, Adaption, and Exhaustion: The Role of Neurological and Endocrine Systems. The Hypothalamus and Stress. Changing Levels of Hormones.
Does an “Anti-Stress” Pill Exist? Adrenalin, Cortisol, ACTH, and Other Stress Hormones. Chronic Stress and Cancer. Stress and the Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Connection. Stress and Immune Dysfunction.
Fight-or-Flight and Rest-and-Digest Responses. Stressful Eating and Appetite
Pathology. Sleep Pathology, Bruxism, and TMJ Disorder.
Systemic Stressors: Tissue Necrosis, Hypotension and Hypoxia. Stressors and Pain
Pathology. Dental Appliances or Air Masks: Which Is Preferable for Hypoxia
Induced by Sleep Apnea?
Stress and Its Relationship to Fibromyalgia, Pain Pathology, and Sleep Disorders.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Clinical Research Update.
Anxiety, Insomnia, and Stress. Benzodiazepines, Herbal Remedies, and Melatonin
Agonists. Ramelteon (Rozerem). Working Night Shifts and Medications.
Depression and Stress. Serotonin and Norepinephrine Balance. Overmedicating
Depression. Estrogen-Androgen Balance. Brain Steroids.
Techniques for Stress Management: Development of a Positive Attitude,
Self-Talk, Breathing, Exercising, and Meditation. Massage, Touch Therapy, and
Biofeedback. Music and Art Therapy. Pet Therapy.
MEETING TIMES & LOCATIONS
EDMONTON, AB
CALGARY, AB
Thu., April 22, 2010
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Four Points by Sheraton
7230 Argyll Rd.
Edmonton, AB
EDMONTON, AB
Fri., April 23, 2010
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Executive Royal Inn
2828 - 23 St. NE
Calgary, AB
Thu., May 6, 2010
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Four Points by Sheraton
7230 Argyll Rd.
Edmonton, AB
CALGARY, AB
Fri., May 7, 2010
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
The Glenmore Inn
2720 Glenmore Trail SE
Calgary, AB
INSTRUCTORS
Dr. R.S. Hullon (M.D., J.D.) is a physician and surgeon specializing in trauma and orthopedics. His medical experience includes diagnosis and treatment of infectious
diseases, neurological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases (multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases) and psychiatric disorders (personality and mood
disorders). His medical experience also includes diagnostic laboratory work, particularly in hematology.
Dr. Laura Pawlak (Ph.D., M.S.) undertook her graduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Illinois, where she received her masters and doctoral degrees. Author of
22 scientific publications and many academic books, she conducted her postdoctoral research in biochemistry at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center.
Biomed reserves the right to change instructors without prior notice. Every instructor is either a compensated employee or independent contractor of Biomed.
FEE: CHECKS: $111.00 (CANADIAN) per person with pre-registration or $136.00 (CANADIAN) at the door if space remains. CREDIT CARDS: Charges by credit card will
be processed in U.S. DOLLARS at the prevailing exchange rate. The tuition includes all applicable Canadian taxes. At the seminar, participants will receive a complete course
syllabus. Tuition payment receipt will also be available at the seminar.
TO REGISTER:
Please complete and return the registration form below. Or register toll-free with Visa, MasterCard, American Express®, or Discover® by calling
1-888-724-6633. Or fax a copy of your completed registration form–including Visa, MasterCard, American Express®, or Discover® Number–to (925) 687-0860.
ACCREDITATION INFORMATION
Biomed can give continuing education (CE) credit to Alberta-licensed social workers who attend this course. In order to grant CE credit, Biomed must be in compliance
with special procedures established by the Alberta Association of Social Workers. Biomed is in compliance with these procedures.
Course completion certificates will be distributed to social workers completing this course. In the United States, Biomed’s parent organization, INR, is approved by regulatory boards in California, Illinois, and Florida as a provider of continuing education courses for social workers.
For all inquiries, please contact customer service at 1-877-246-6336 or (925) 602-6140.
(This registration form may be copied.)
Thu., April 22, 2010 (Edmonton, AB)
Fri., April 23, 2010 (Calgary, AB)
Thu., May 6, 2010 (Edmonton, AB)
Fri., May 7, 2010 (Calgary, AB)
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Please print:
Name:
Profession:
Home Address:
Professional License #:
City:
State:
Zip:
Lic. Exp. Date:
Home Phone: (
)
Work Phone: (
)
Employer:
E-Mail:
(needed for confirmation & receipt)
Please enclose full payment with registration form. Check method of payment.
Check for $111.00 (CANADIAN) (Make payable to Biomed)
Charge the equivalent of $111.00 (CANADIAN) to my
Visa
MasterCard
Charges by credit card will be processed in U.S. dollars. The prevailing rate of exchange will be used.
Card Number:
Signature:
Please return form to:
Biomed
Ste. 877 101-1001 W. Broadway
Vancouver, B.C., V6H 4E4
TOLL-FREE: 1-877-246-6336
TEL: (925) 602-6140  FAX: (925) 687-0860
(enter all raised numbers)
American Express®
Discover®
Exp. Date:
Please provide an e-mail address above to receive a confirmation and directions to the meeting site.
35
Please register early and arrive before the scheduled start time.
Space is limited. Attendees requiring special accommodation must advise INR in writing at least 50 days in advance
and provide proof of disability. Registrations are subject to
cancellation after the scheduled start time. A transfer at no
cost can be made from one seminar location to another if space
is available. Registrants cancelling up to 72 hours before a
seminar will receive a tuition refund less a $35.00 (CANADIAN)
administrative fee or, if requested, a full-value voucher, good
for one year, for a future seminar. Other cancellation requests
will only be honored with a voucher. Cancellation or voucher
requests must be made in writing. If a seminar cannot be held
for reasons beyond the control of the sponsor (e.g., acts of
God), the registrant will receive free admission to a rescheduled
seminar or a full-value voucher, good for one year, for a future
seminar. A $35.00 (CANADIAN) service charge applies to each
returned check. Fees are subject change without notice.
© Biomed, 2010, CODE: ESD-T1000-SW
 REGISTRATION FORM 
Please check course date:
information

Emotions and Emotional Intelligence. Emotions vs. Feelings.
The Neural Processing of Emotions. Differences between Emotions and Moods.
Dimensions of Emotions: Behavioral, Physiological, Subjective, Cognitive.
Anger, Disgust, Fear, Joy, Sadness, and Surprise. Achieving Emotional Stability.
Overcoming Emotional Abuse. Therapies and Medications.
The Neurology of Emotions: Serotonin, GABA, Glutamate and Dopamine.
Norepinephrine: The “Vigilant” Neurotransmitter.
How Does the Brain Store Memories of Emotions? Diseases that Damage Emotional
Centers of the Brain. Amphetamines for Recovery from Strokes and Brain Trauma.
Stunning Discoveries about Very Common Medications: Can Beta-Blockers “Erase”
Emotionally-Charged Memories? Controversy: Knowing When To Stop Erasing
Negative Memories?
Instability of Mood: Bipolar Disorder. Warnings on Common Antidepressants (SSRI).
Antidepressants and Mood Instability.
Mood-Stabilizing Drugs. Common Mood-Stabilizers: Valproic Acid (Depakene), Topiramate (Topamax), and Others. The Manic Patient and Medication. Omega-3 Fatty
Acids and Mood.
Emotions and Vagal Tone: Shame, Fear, and Vasodilation. Xerostomia, Anxiety, and
their Clinical Consequences, Including Ageusia and Alzheimer’s.
Emotional “Retooling.” The Nervous System and Emotions. Sensations of Lightness
or Buoyancy. Tightness in the Throat and Eyes. Difficulty Breathing and Swallow
ing. Loneliness and Blood Pressure.
for your
Conference registration is from 7:45 AM to 8:15 AM. The conference will begin at 8:30 AM. A lunch break (on your own) will take place from approximately 11:30 AM to 12:20 PM. The course will adjourn at 3:30 PM, at which time course completion certificates are distributed.
information
for your
Friends of Medicare launch new
campaign website:
More Health Cuts? Wrong Way
Who Cares? Alberta Campaign
Relaunched with a New Name:
Albertans Who Care
Albertans should brace themselves! The
Dear friends of Public Interest Alberta and the Who Cares? Alberta
Alberta government has begun a new
campaign:
round of health care cutbacks. In recent
In light of the continuing crisis in community human services, Public
months, the government has announced
Interest Alberta has relaunched the Who Cares? Alberta campaign
a series of cutbacks to crucial health
with a new name, Albertans Who Care, in an effort to reach out to
services.
Albertans from all sectors and walks of life and engage them in this
critical issue. We must rally together for investments in quality human
services in order to care for the most vulnerable in our communities.
Please help us promote the campaign by visiting the website,
www.albertanswhocare.com, and passing the word along to your
friends, coworkers and neighbours. Be sure to add your voice by
sharing your stories about community human services and writing a
letter to the Premier.
Thank you for your continued support.
In response to overwhelming popular input from Albertans, Friends
of Medicare has launched an aggressive campaign to urge the
government to cease and desist from further dismantling of our public
health structure in this province.
It is urgent that we mobilize together so we speak out in a unified
voice against more cuts!
Go to www.wrongway.ca or www.friendsofmedicare.ab.ca for more
information.
Advance online!
accessible•flexible•achievable
Online Education for
Health Professionals
• MasterofHealthStudies
• MasterofNursing
- ANP: Primary Health Care
- Generalist
ApplicationDeadline:
AGD:ANP & MN:ANP - December 1, MHS & MN: GEN - March 1
CENTRE FOR NURSING AND
HEALTH STUDIES
www.athabascau.ca/cnhs
36
Caregivers will recognize the value a wish can have
for not only the person whose life is ending but for
the loved ones who will be left behind. Do you have
a patient who deserves but cannot imagine nor
afford a final wish? We can help. Building Stepfamilies That Work
 a course for couples
When He Has Kids...and You
Don’t
 for women in a stepfamily
relationship who have never
had a biological child of their
own
 Information: 
The Stepfamily Foundation
of Alberta
www.stepfamily.ca
Please contact us at 780-468-5506 or visit our
website at www.angelsanonymous.org.
403-245-5744
• Cameroon: Launching a Domestic Violence program Are you
undogmatic & can adapt to African realities? Do you know DV so
NGOabroad: International Careers & Volunteering
Social Workers, Psychologists & Counselors needed in
Africa & the Americas
well that you can take on these challenges? A plus if you can speak
NGOabroad: International Careers & Volunteering is a unique service
that helps you enter or advance in international humanitarian work &
French but you can use a translator if necessary.
AMERICAS
• Chile: Counseling Pinochet Torture Victims Seasoned post-trauma
therapists are needed.
provides frugal, customized international volunteering.
Volunteers are needed in AFRICA:
• Chile: Community Mental Health — Experienced with sexual &
physical abuse, schizophrenia & bipolar, depression & suicide?
They need you.
• Gulu (Uganda) — People who have experience in sexual abuse or
assault, in trauma work, and work with youth are needed. People
• Bolivia — We need people who love kids & work well with youth
that use sports, music, drama & dance as therapeutic modalities
to tutor...inspire...teach vocational skills...music, art...or take
will fit especially well, as talk therapy is not a good fit in African
kids to doctors’ appointments or peel potatoes. Minimum 3 month
culture.
commitment: the kids need the consistency.
• Ghana: — Help tutor the kids as they play “catch-up”; engage
them in sports; teach health education; bolster their community
garden. The director works with families on re-unification.
• Kenya: AIDS Orphans & Kids Abandoned by Alcoholic Parents —
People with experience with alcohol treatment are needed.
INTERESTED?
Please READ the NGOabroad website.
www.ngoabroad.com/Articles/Cent&SAmerica.html
Email info as requested on home page: embedded resume & answered
Questionnaire to [email protected]. n
37
information
The Angels Anonymous Connection is a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting wishes to
terminally ill adults. In order to qualify for a wish, the
recipient must be 18 years of age or older with 12
months or less to live as diagnosed by their doctor;
they must also be able to show financial hardship.
 Courses 
For Stepfamilies
for your
Our Purpose is to fulfill a dream
for a terminally ill adult
Our Mission is to provide the means
to grant the dream
Our Vision is that no adult die without
their dream being realized
information
for your
ACSW’s
Partners in Advocacy
Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental
Health
The Health Sciences Association of
Alberta represents more than 17,000
professional, technical, and support
employees in Alberta’s health care
system. We bargain for fair wages
and decent working conditions for our
members.
www.aamimh.ca
Edmonton Social Planning Council
www.edmontonsocialplanning.ca
Friends of Medicare
www.friendsofmedicare.ab.ca
Greater Edmonton Alliance
We also raise public awareness about
the important role of allied health
professionals including social workers.
www.greateredmontonalliance.com
Public Interest Alberta
www.pialberta.org
Parkland Institute
www.hsaa.ca
www.ualberta.ca/parkland
GROUP HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE
for members of the Alberta College of Social Workers
PROTECTION MADE EASY...
GROUP RATES MADE EASIER!
As a member of the Alberta College of Social Workers, you can
SAVE on your home and auto insurance through preferred
group rates, while enjoying high-quality insurance products
and outstanding service.
Request a quote and you could
Insurance program recommended by
MelocheMonnex.com/acsw
1 866 269 1371
(Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY and distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and
Financial Services Inc. in Québec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada.
Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan.
*No purchase required. Contest ends on January 16, 2010. Skill-testing question required. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Complete contest rules available at MelocheMonnex.com.
Meloche Monnex® is a trade-mark of Meloche Monnex Inc.
TD Insurance is a trade-mark of The Toronto-Dominion Bank, used under license.
38
The Distress Line is in Distress!
We are in desperate need of Distress Line Volunteers. Without
enough volunteers, the Distress Line could cease to exist and more
than 1,500 calls for help would go unanswered each month.
for your
A few hours of your time each week could make all the difference to
someone in crisis. Be there to listen when life hurts. Become a Distress Line Volunteer!
information
To fill out a Volunteer Application or to find out more about becoming a Distress Line Volunteer,
please visit:
www.thesupportnetwork.com
“The intensive training and practical experience I acquired as a volunteer on the Distress Line challenged
me to grow and enhance my skills as a Social Worker. I recommend this unique opportunity to learn and to
contribute in a rich, meaningful way.”
— Former Distress Line Volunteer
“I strongly believe that the Distress Line has played an enormous role in my personal and professional
growth over the years. The training and experiences that I acquired through the Distress Line Program
provided me with a foundation of knowledge and skills that helped me to successfully complete my social
work education and to take on meaningful work out in the community services sector. My experience with
the Distress Line has proven to be truly valuable and enriching.”
— Former Distress Line Volunteer
With a Master of Counselling Degree
Are you ready for a career that moves you?
If you wish to qualify as a counsellor or therapist (and pursue a career as a Registered
Psychologist in Alberta) our Master of Counselling program is for you. Saturday classes
allow you to earn your degree while continuing your employment. The Counselling
Program trains well-rounded clinicians for the realities of day-to-day practice.
For more information visit us online at
www.CityU.edu/Canada or call 403.209.8352
The term “university” is used under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education effective September 1, 2009 having undergone a quality assessment
process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister.
39
SP2736
Accessible • Affordable • Relevant
ACSW Conference 2010
March 18 - 20, 2010
Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton AB
Social Workers:
Inspired to Serve Humanity
About the design
March 18 - 20, 2010
Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton Alberta
Each year the ACSW Conference Committee chooses a symbol
to represent the conference theme. This year’s theme, Social
W o r k e r s
Workers: Inspired to Serve Humanity, is symbolized by
S o c i a l
hands. These hands are expressing various meanings with
c a r i n g
s o l a c e
c h i l d r e n
e n v i r o n m e n t
o f
gestures.
C o l l e g e
Green was chosen as the “conference colour” to symbolize
encompasses many areas of society. The coloured blocks
based on the medicine wheels used by Aboriginal people in
2010 ACSW Annual Conference
b y
I l o n a
C a r d i n a l
(which you’ll see on the conference brochure) are loosely
d e s i g n e d
the growth within the social work field, which is broad and
A l b e r t a
in the
news
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050109
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
ALBERTA COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORKERS
550 10707 100 AVE NW
EDMONTON AB T5J 3M1
Alberta.
“Solace” is represented by a white square and two hands
gently held together. According to some medicine wheels,
white can represent wisdom, winter and the direction north.
North is also where the wise ones (Elders) sit.
The “Environment” is being represented by yellow; some
medicine wheels also use green, and two hands holding a
small plant. The yellow square refers to the east, spring, and beginning of life with men sitting in the east.
The red square symbolizes “Children” and depicts a child’s hand within an adult’s hand. Red can also symbolize summer,
fertility, life and vitality and correlates to the south, where children and youth sit.
“Caring” is represented by a helping hand in a blue square. Many medicine wheels refer to this as the west, where women sit,
emotions, water and the fall season. Due to the vast number of Aboriginal tribes in Alberta it is difficult to be detailed regarding
the meanings and beliefs behind each colour and direction of the medicine wheel.
Ilona Cardinal, BA, BFA
Promotions Coordinator, ACSW
40

989-04-2009 Advocate Winter

Transcription

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