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ADVOCATEA L B E R T A C O L L E G E O F S O C I A L W O R K E R S

THE

Volume 33, Issue 2, summer 2008

www.acsw.ab.ca

Cover story: 100 years of child protection page 30 Pulse of Social Work 2008 page 8 2008 ACSW Conference wrap-up page 11 Ethics in action: Service to humanity page 18 A day in the life: Holley Belland page 26 People Power: Monsignor William Irwin page 28 Keeping it open: the world of adoption page 34 Movie review: Juno page 38

The Advocate • Summer 20082

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 inter-est 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.

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COVER STORY

100 years of child protection ..................................Joan Marie Galat .......................................... 30

FEATURES

A day in the life: Holley Belland ..............................Joan Marie Galat .......................................... 26

People Power: Monsignor William Irwin .....................Don Milne .................................................... 28

Keeping it open: the world of adoption ....................Barbara Beattie ............................................ 34

NEWS

From our desk to yours ..........................................Lori Sigurdson ................................................3

The Faculty Beat: Pulse of Social Work 2008 ..............Lynne Dulaney ...............................................8

“What I have seen is unsurpassable...” ....................Gayle Gilchrist James .................................... 10

2008 Conference update ........................................Tammy Kwan-Hough & Margaret Proudlove ...... 11

Discipline Decisions ..............................................ACSW staff ................................................... 21

New RSWs ............................................................Membership as of May 23, 2008 ...................... 23

REGULAR FEATURES

President’s Report .................................................Randy Harris ................................................ 14

Executive Director & Registrar’s Report ....................Rod Adachi .................................................. 15

Social Action/Social Justice: Partnership

combines efforts to achieve goals and

training opportunities ........................................Rick Guthrie ................................................. 16

Ethics in Action: Service to humanity .......................Alison MacDonald ......................................... 18

Clinical Committee: What is the Clinical Registry? ......Sharon Lindstrom ......................................... 22

Diploma Dialogue: Mount Royal students join

group of women global leaders ............................Jay Decore ................................................... 24

For Your Information .............................................Announcements ............................................ 37

Movie review: Juno ................................................Peter Smyth ................................................. 38

All material with bylines is ©2008 by author. ACSW retains copyright when no author is listed.

The AdvocateVolume 33, Issue 2, Summer 2008

Published by:The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)

550 10707 100 AVE NWEdmonton AB T5J 3M1Phone: (780) 421-1167

Toll-free in Alberta: 1-800-661-3089Fax: (780) 421-1168 or toll-free 1-866-874-8931

E-Mail: [email protected]: www.acsw.ab.ca

Executive Director & Registrar: Rod Adachi, MSW, [email protected]

Associate Registrar: Alison MacDonald, PhD (Cand), RSW [email protected]

Professional Affairs Coordinator: Lori Sigurdson, MSW, RSW, [email protected]

Coordinator, Finance and Administration: Gladys Smecko

Registration Coordinator: Brenda Gross

Executive Assistant to the Executive Director: Kim Chiles

Registration Secretary: Monica VasconezRegulatory Secretary: Desiree Hurst

Administrative Secretary: Nearint NeamPromotions Coordinator: Ilona Cardinal, BA, BFA

Competency Secretary: Jennifer Catt

ACSW Council:President: Randy Harris, MSW, RSW

Vice President: Bob Johnson, MSSW, RSW Secretary: Elaine Spencer, MSW, RSWTreasurer: Bonita Decaire, MSW, RSW

Members: Jake Kuiken, MSW, RSWDerek Chewka, BSW, RSW

Tera Dahl-Lang, MSW, RSWRichard Shelson, MSW, RSW

Terry Wilson, BSW, RSWTimothy Wild, MSW, RSW

Aboriginal Committee Representative: Brenda Gladue, BSW, RSW

Public Members: Marija Bicanic, LLM Lynne Davies, BScN, MEd

Ralph Westwood, Dip Mental Deficiency Nursing, BEd, MEd Alanah Woodland, MSc

CASW Representative: Jake Kuiken, MSW, 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, RSWLeslie MacKinnon, BSW, RSW

Anne Marie McLaughlin, PhD, RSWPeter Smyth, BSW, RSW

Trudy Wilson, SW Diploma, RSW

Editor: Joan Marie GalatProduction Editor: Jena SnyderDesign: 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.

FALL 2008 ISSUE DEADLINE: JULY 15, 2008

Canadian subscriptions are $24/year (outside Canada: $24 US/year) Please notify ACSW

office immediately of any address changes.

ISSN 0847 - 2890PM NO. 40050109

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO550 10707 100 AVE NWEDMONTON AB T5J 3M1

in the news

3Volume 33 • Issue 2

From our desk to yoursby Lori Sigurdson, MSW, RSW

ACSW Professional Affairs Coordinator

Lori Sigurdson

Celebrating Social WorkSocial workers were celebrated at the Annual ACSW Awards held during our General Meeting at the

Shaw Conference Centre, March 13th. The diversity of award recipients and the range of their fields of

practice, showcase the depth and breadth of our profession. The award recipients are:

Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice • Lana Bentley, MSW, RSW; Alberta

Children’s Hospital, Calgary Health

Region

• Kay Feehan, MSW, RSW; Grant

MacEwan College

• Ian MacKenzie, MSW, RSW; Ian

MacKenzie and Associates

• Shirley Piedt, MSW, RSW; Grant

MacEwan College

• Joan Wahl, BA, RSW; Joan F. Wahl

Consulting

CASW National Social Work Distinguished Service Award

• Ngapogak Project (Peace Through

Education): Paban Adhikary, MSW,

RSW; Peter Both, MSW, RSW;

Rose Lamoureux, BSW, RSW; Liza

Lorenzetti, MSW, RSW; Wek Kuol,

MSW, RSW; Angela Smith; The City

of Calgary.

John Hutton Memorial Award for Social Action/Policy

• Marina Giacomin, MA, RSW; CUPS Community Health

Centre

• Pol Ngeth, BSW, RSW; Calgary Immigrant Aid Society

Marina Giacomin

Joan Wahl

Pol Ngeth

Ian MacKenzie

Lana Bentley

Kay Feehan

(Left) CASW Award Winners:

Top, L to R: Angela Smith, Liza Lorenzetti, Rose Lamoureux

Bottom, L to R: Peter Both, Wek Kuol, Paban Adhikary

Shirley Piedt

(Right) Taking

a break—and a

stretch—at the ACSW

office

Office staff enjoying

a Tai Chi lesson over

lunch hour

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Kay Long, BSW, RSW, is a social

worker in Lethbridge. After the

death of her husband, she wrote

The Widow’s Walk: A Survivor’s

Handbook. In the book, Kay

describes her own experience of

being overwhelmed with grief

and loneliness. She gives helpful

information to those experienc-

ing loss. The Widow’s Walk: A

Survivors’ Handbook is available

through www.amazon.ca.

New Council MembersResults of the election of ACSW

Council are in. Executive positions and

new Members are as follows:

Treasurer:

Bonita Decaire,

MSW, RSW

Secretary:

Elaine Spencer, MSW, RSW

Members:

Derek Chewka,

BSW, RSW;

Tera Dahl-Lang,

MSW, RSW;

and

Terry Wilson,

BSW, RSW

Thank you to

Council Members

who have com-

pleted their terms

and are stepping

down:

Erin Gray, PhD,

RSW, and

Mike Dickinson,

MSW, RSW.

4

From our desk to yoursContinued from page 3

The Widow’s Walk: A Survivor’s

Handbook by social worker Kay Long

Another AwardHeather Moon, BSW, RSW, social

worker in the pediatric unit of the

Red Deer Hospital, received an award

from the Canadian Mental Health

Association. Heather’s outstanding

work serving mental health clients and

educating other professionals in areas

of trauma and bereavement, was recog-

nized recently when she received the

Professional of the Year Award.

Congratulations to all the award recipients!

Social Workers publishingThe Sturgeon Lake

Reserve is located between

Valleyview and Grande

Prairie in the northwest of

our province. University of

Calgary Faculty of Social

Work Professor Emeritus Jean Lafrance, following

the oral tradition, listened

to the stories of the Cree

people regarding their

contact with the oppressive systems of Residential Schools

and Child Welfare. These stories were published in The

Sturgeon Lake Journey and are intended to help create the kind

of healthy community desired by the Sturgeon Lake Cree

Nation.

Copies are available from the author at a cost of $35.00 by

emailing [email protected].

Heather Moon

INVITATION TO TELL YOUR STORIES

This request forms an integral part of a major project entitled

Mobilizing Knowledge for Aboriginal Child, Family, and Community

Wellness. We wish to explore your interest in contributing to a

publication on promising Aboriginal programs that can help to

inform policy, program and practice development. We are seeking

stories that can be broadly shared—those gems that can inspire

all of us, and give us hope. If you are interested, please send a

brief paragraph to Jean Lafrance [email protected].

Bonita Decaire

Elaine Spencer

Derek Chewka

Terry Wilson

Tera Dahl-Lang

Erin Gray and Mike Dickinson

The Sturgeon Lake Journey Toward

Empowerment by the People of Sturgeon

Lake accompanied by Jean Lafrance

in the news


ACSW Welcomes two new Public MembersUnder the Health Professions Act, Public Members serve on Council,

our governing body. They are volunteers appointed by government

to assist ACSW in governing its members in a manner which protects

the public.

Public Members are objective participants. In order to ensure they

are objective, they may not be Registered Social Workers, involved in

negotiation of collective agreements for RSWs, members of regional

health authorities nor employees of the Government of Alberta.

We welcome our two new Public Members, Marija Bicanic, LLM, and Alanah Woodland, MSc, who will both be serving for

three-year terms.

Marija is a lawyer who works in policy development. Alanah has expertise in the health system, non profit organization gover-

nance and indigenous issues.

2008 National Social Work ConferenceOver 500 social workers attended the National Social Work Conference in Toronto

May 22 – 25. Human Rights in a Diverse Community was the theme.

Keynote speakers Mark Keilburger, Martha Kuwee Kumsa, Cindy Blackstock,

Margaret Trudeau and Ariane Brunet spoke of significant concerns to social workers.

Dr. Beverley Antle posthumously won the Canadian Association of Social Workers

Award for Outstanding

Service. This award

recognizes the contributions

of a social worker to

social justice and to the

social work profession

locally, nationally, and

internationally.

Approximately 90 sessions

were held at the conference

showcasing practice, current

research and future directions of our profession. Several social workers

from Alberta attended and presented at the conference.

Conferences are a wonderful time to socialize and take in special events.

ACSW President Randy Harris and Professional Affairs Coordinator

Lori Sigurdson were among several conference attendees who took in a

Blue Jays game while at the 2008 National Social Work Conference in

Toronto.


The Alberta College of Social Workers

Co-sponsored byCanadian Association of Social Workers Canadian Association for Social Work Education

Hosted by

Marija Bicanic Alanah Woodland

ACSW President Randy Harris and Professional Affairs Coordinator Lori

Sigurdson at a Blue Jays game while in Toronto for the 2008 National

Social Work Conference

Continued on page 6

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6 The Advocate • Summer 2008

Social Work WeekWe celebrated Social Work Week in Alberta March 23rd to 29th.

Human Rights in a Diverse Community was the theme.

Lori Sigurdson (standing) talking to students during social work

week in Lethbridge


L to R, Elaine Eskow and Sue Ramsden from Calgary Health Region and Gayla Rogers,

Dean of the Faculty of Social Work at University of Calgary

Calgary Health Region’s Social Work Week event

From the South

Lethbridge and Area social workers and social work students

celebrated with their 8th Annual Forum on March 18th. One

hundred and five participants attended. The forum included

presentations, a panel discussion, a luncheon provided by the

Southern Alberta Ethnic Society, a silent auction organized by

the Social Work Student Society (SWSS), and entertainment

by the Japanese Momiji Dancers.

Thanks go out to the Social Work Professional

Development Committee, who organized the success-

ful event. Lori Sigurdson, ACSW Professional Affairs

Coordinator, provided an opening address from ACSW and

also hosted a lunch hour information session for social work

students.

Calgary

The Calgary Pulse of Social Work Awards were held on

March 26th (see Lynne Dulaney’s article on page 8 for details).

The Department of Social Work, Calgary Health Region,

engaged in a variety of activities to “celebrate our

accomplishments and promote our profession.”

At each of the three adult acute care sites:

• Coffee parties for social work staff were held

• Displays were set up to inform professional colleagues and

the public about our roles, and

• Social workers were profiled in each hospital’s newsletter,

Frontlines.

On March 27, the Department hosted an inaugural event invit-

ing over 500 RSWs in the Region. Sue Ramsden, Manager of

Social Work and Spiritual Care, emceed the event. Jack Davis,

Chief Executive Officer, and Paula Tyler, Vice-President, Child

& Women’s Health & Specialized Clinical Services Portfolio,

brought greetings from senior management. Randy Harris, ACSW President (and colleague) also brought greetings to

the group of over 100 social workers in attendance. Dr. Gayla Rogers, Dean, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary,

delivered the keynote address, entitled: “Social Work: The

regular feature


Heartbeat of Health Care or In Need of Resuscitation?” Her presentation was an inspiration

to many in the audience, and did put forth a few challenges as well. Many social workers

expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to network with colleagues who are spread

throughout the Region and to hear from the distinguished guests.

From the North

About 20 Peace River Area social workers

gathered for a luncheon

on March 25th to

celebrate Social Work

Week!

Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald - 500 lines - 5 11/16” x 7 1/8”

Social Workers: Advocating for Albertans

Registered Social Worker (RSW):The professional standard in social work

The Alberta College of Social Workers regulates social work practice in Alberta. Its primary focus is toserve and protect the public interest by promoting skilled and ethical social work. www.acsw.ab.ca

Across Alberta, Registered Social Workers can befound helping others. Often, you will find usadvocating for those who are not able to speakfor themselves.

Alberta’s income disparity gap is a good example.A growing gap between the haves and have notshas resulted in more homelessness, more workingpoor, an affordable housing crisis and many othersocial problems.

As social workers, we are on the front lines, urginggovernment to repair major cracks in our socialinfrastructure and to adopt social policies that lookafter the needs of vulnerable Albertans.

Access to resources to meet basic human needs isevery person’s right. Alberta’s 5800 RegisteredSocial Workers are advocates for fairness and socialjustice. Advocacy is a fundamental aspect of ourprofessional ethics and at the heart of what we do.

Celebrate Social Workers! March 23 – 29 is National Social Work Week. You can find outmore about income disparity in Alberta by going to our website at www.acsw.ab.ca

Peace River social workers at a luncheon during social work week

St. Albert social workers at the Social Work Week event

Other events were organized to honour our

profession. Proclamations, articles and adver-

tisements in newspapers highlighted the work

of our profession. The ad pictured above ran in

all of Alberta’s daily newspapers.

From the Centre

St. Albert social workers met over lunch

with the Mayor of St. Albert, Nolan

Crouse, and Councillor Carol Watamaniuk

to discuss social policy concerns. The

Mayor listened to the concerns and then

joined social workers at City Hall in a

Proclamation Ceremony for Social Work

Week.

In Edmonton, the Glenrose Hospital social

workers organized workshops throughout

the week.

Congratulations, Joan ! Advocate Contributing Editor Joan Marie Galat receives Canadian Authors Association AwardOn May 30, 2008, the Canadian Authors Association (Alberta Branch) presented Joan Marie Galat with the Exporting Alberta Award for her

newest book: Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories of the Zodiac. Joan also received $1000 to promote her title outside Alberta.

Published by Whitecap Books in Vancouver and Toronto, Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories of the Zodiac blends night sky science with storytell-

ing—revealing the ancient myths told by early Greeks. The book includes a glow-in-the-dark chart depicting northern hemisphere constella-

tions, enabling readers to discover how to locate zodiac constellations by jumping from one star group to the next—dot to dot in the sky.

Written for ages 8-12, the book is also a favorite for adults as an astronomy and mythology resource. Its content matches school curriculums

covering astronomy, mythology, and Greek history.

An accomplished storyteller, Galat is a regular presenter at schools, libraries, and other venues.

The book is the fourth in a series that includes the following titles, which are also translated into Korean: Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories of the

Moon, Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories of the Planets, and Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories in the Stars. *

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With a career spanning almost 50 years, one of Alberta’s most eminent social workers received a well-

deserved Lifetime Achievement award at the sixth annual Pulse of Social Work ceremony, held in Calgary

on March 26. With her lifelong involvement in social advocacy, public policy, social work education and

international social work, Gayle Gilchrist James has contributed to the social work profession at the

local, provincial, national and international levels.

The Community Development award went to Liza Chan,

program manager for the Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizen’s

Association. “Liza has made many impressive contributions

to community development, and has provided leadership in

developing strategic directions for addressing issues and social

concerns faced by the Chinese community in Calgary,” says

her nominator.

Larissa Wankel, a social worker and counsellor at both the

Women’s Health Clinic at the Peter Lougheed Centre and

the Calgary Health Region’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Program, won the Frontline Worker award. “I’m honoured

to share in my clients’ intimate experiences of pregnancy loss

and/or decision-making about pregnancy outcomes,” says

Wankel.

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ApologiesEditor’s note: Apologies to Lynne Dulaney for my

mistakenly crediting her tribute to Bill Kirwin in the Spring

2008 issue of the Advocate to our contributing editor, Joan

Marie Galat.

Lynne’s original article appeared first as a cover story in

the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work newsletter.

— Production Editor, Jena Snyder

After 29 years of service, Gilchrist James retired in 2004 from

the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, where she

was a noted advocate and mentor for generations of students

and colleagues. Widely recognized for her efforts to promote

international social work, Gilchrist James helped establish the

Faculty’s international MSW concentration.

A natural leader, Gilchrist James served as president of

the Canadian Association of Social Workers and of the

International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). She

helped establish the Human Rights Commission of the IFSW,

and co-authored a manual on human rights and social work.

She was also a founding member of the Alberta College of

Social Workers, holding RSW #5.

Other Calgary and area social workers were honoured at the

Pulse ceremony, including Liza Lorenzetti, a social worker

at the City of Calgary’s Community and Neighbourhood

Services, who received the Advocacy award. A social justice

leader and activist for over 20 years, Lorenzetti is considered a

“poster child” for advocacy. “Liza lives and works by the social

work code of ethics,” said a nominator.

Lana Bentley, a family counsellor at the Alberta Children’s

Hospital’s Eating Disorder program, took home the Clinical

Practice award. As a social worker in a medically-focused envi-

ronment, Bentley is passionate about her work with clients and

serves as a strong advocate for her patients and their families.

The Faculty BeatLynne Dulaney University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work

Pulse of Social Work 2008

Celebrating Calgary and Area Social Workers

regular feature

�Volume 33 • Issue 2

Along with the rest of Cochrane’s Family and

Community Support Services (FCSS) team, social

workers Susan Flowers, Connie Biden and Lorraine Spector received the first-ever Innovation in Social

Work award. For the past seven years, this team—a

successful partnership between the FCSS office,

Parent Link Centre, Western Rocky View Family

and Community Resources Centre, and Rocky View

School Division—has proven effective in finding

creative solutions to difficult community issues

including affordable housing, childcare shortages,

and the recent closure of Cochrane’s mobile home

park.

Joan Roy, human resources manager at Distress

Centre Calgary, received the Pulse of Social Work’s

first Mentorship award. “Joan nurtured, guided,

educated and challenged me during my first year

at the Distress Centre. She encouraged me to take

every possible opportunity to learn and to explore

new skills,” says one of Roy’s nominators.

The third new award, the New Professional award,

was presented to Kyla Vieweger, a social worker/

counsellor at the Women’s Health Centre of the

Peter Lougheed Centre who completed her MSW

degree in 2007. “Kyla embraces opportunities to

learn and grow, seeking feedback and mentoring

opportunities within the clinic and related

community partners,” one nominator said.

The annual Pulse of Social Work awards honour

professionals in the field and social work as a

profession. They are co-sponsored by the University

of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, Alberta College

of Social Workers, City of Calgary, Calgary Health

Region, United Way of Calgary and Area, and

Calgary and Area Child and Family Services.

For more information, please visit:

fsw.ucalgary.ca/pulse. n

“The annual Pulse of Social Work awards honour professionals in the field and social

work as a profession. They are co-sponsored by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of

Social Work, Alberta College of Social Workers, City of Calgary, Calgary Health Region,

United Way of Calgary and Area, and Calgary and Area Child and Family Services.”

The winners

Gayle Gilchrist James ��Lifetime Achievement

Retired

Liza Lorenzetti ��Advocacy

City of Calgary’s Community

and Neighbourhood Services

Liza Chan��Community Development

Calgary Chinese Elderly

Citizen’s Association

Larissa Wankel ��Frontline Worker

Women’s Health Clinic,

Peter Lougheed Centre

& Calgary Health Region’s

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Program

Susan Flowers

Connie Biden,

Lorraine Spector

& the Cochrane FCSS team ��Innovation in Social Work

Cochrane Family and

Community Support Services

Joan Roy ��Mentorship

Distress Centre Calgary

Kyla Vieweger ��New Professional

Women’s Health Centre

of the Peter Lougheed Centre

Congratulations to all the winners!

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My favourite Stratford Shakespearean actor, William Hutt

asked in his final public appearance, “How do you exit from a

profession, and how do you exit from life?” This Pulse of Social

Work award helps me do both.

Organizational consultant Margaret

Wheatley explains well social workers’

world view. “I have learned that in

this exquisitely connected world, it’s

never a question of ‘critical mass.’ It’s

always about critical connections.”

Thus it is that every professional social worker is connected

to, and makes common cause with, every other professional

social worker in countries as disparate as Armenia, China,

Russia, Croatia, Japan, Israel, Kuwait, Peru, and Sudan. We

know enough to know that our world view works, that it has

support from the best science as we know it currently, and

that it is borne of a shared ethic, rather than our individual

governments’ public stances.

Thank you for this great honour. Please let me close with

a quote from the great Indian philosopher Rabundranath

Tagore (1861-1941):

“When I go from hence, let this be my parting word, that

what I have seen is unsurpassable.”

For this, I thank you…

— Gayle Gilchrist James, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award

Gayle Gilchrist James Gayle Gilchrist James

“What I have seen is unsurpassable...” Excerpts from Gayle Gilchrist James’ remarks at the Pulse of Social Work 2008 ceremony, where she was given the Lifetime Achievement award

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Gayle Gilchrist James, who died peacefully in her sleep

on May 30th. Gayle will be missed by all those who knew her or were touched by her actions during her

lifetime as a social worker, a teacher, an advocate and a friend. Goodbye, Gayle.

I have had the enormous privilege of

growing up as an educated woman in

a democratic country, who fell into a

profession that I loved … and love. It

is a tribute to the science of quantum

physics, and its principles of random-

ness and chaos theory, that I have

held a variety of leadership positions in my professional life.

This is not modesty on my part; it is truth.

Social workers, the world around, are bound together by

“critical connections.” It is by this phenomenon that we can

explain why our brothers and sisters, world-around, have been

meeting nationally for 82 years and internationally for 80

years.

I would doubt that there is any other profession in the world

that has such a track record… or any other profession, and its

educators, that has had its self-definition, ethical principles,

and global standards of practice adopted by approximately 90

nations. I doubt that there is another profession in this prov-

ince or country that can claim to have had influential repre-

sentation on its international executive body for 22 (1978 to

2000) unbroken years, as can solely the social workers of this

province.

regular feature


Conference CommitteeMargaret Proudlove, SW Dip, RSW

Tammy Kwan-Hough, BA, RSW

Conference Committee Co-chairs

2008 ACSW ConferenceInside Out: The Courageous Heart of Social WorkMarch 13-15, 2008, Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton

The 2008 ACSW Conference welcomed more than 1000 social workers

and other professionals to a wide variety of Category A workshops, as

well as many opportunities to enjoy speakers and connect with friends.

Early registrants enjoyed pizza and prizes after the Annual General

Meeting on Thursday evening at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre.

Opening keynote speaker Val Kinjerski inspired listeners with stories of

courage—suggesting we connect with what is in our hearts to discover

our own spirit at work.

The new and well-received two-hour lunch format enabled

participants to feed body and soul simultaneously. Pre-ordered

lunches saved time and eased mealtime for those taking advan-

tage of this year’s uplifting speakers. Gary Bailey’s passion and

humour stirred listeners to renew their sense of pride in the

social work profession. He shared his insights on the role of

advocacy and addressed some of the ground-breaking steps

being taken to increase awareness of the important role of

social workers in the United States. Wendy Edey’s message of

hope and leadership encouraged listeners to look at the world

from a fresh perspective and challenged us to take positive

action in our daily lives.

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of this conference’s

sponsors—Capital Health, University of Calgary Faculty

of Social Work, Health Sciences Association of Alberta, and

Calgary Health Region—as well as the many organizations

and individuals who contributed the multitude of door prizes

for Thursday night’s festivities. On behalf of the planning

committee, thanks to the council members for their sup-

port, ACSW staff members who worked tirelessly to make it

Margaret Proudlove and Tammy Kwan-Hough

all happen, and Conference Committee members for their

dedication during the past 15 months. The conference’s suc-

cess also resulted from the many volunteers who donated time

from busy lives. Thanks to each and every one of you for your

generous contribution to this event! n

Stuffing the conference

bags—many hands make

light work!

MORE CONFERENCE PHOTOS, PAGES 12-13

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Presenters of Aboriginal Social Work Committee Workshop: Inside Out: The Original

Code of Ethics (L to R): Kurtis Gladue, Brenda Gladue, Karen English, Monica Red

Crow and in front, Willy Alexson.

Margaret Proudlove, co-chair of conference committee, along with other volunteers

preparing the conference bags.

Mic Farrell and Joleen Losness at the AGM (Jolene is the Chair of the Competence

Committee and is registering Mic for the AGM)

Photos from the 2008 ACSW Conference

(Below) Social Workers at a workshop at the Conference

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One of the keynote speakers, Gary Bailey, MSW, ACSW

Social Workers at the AGM

Social Workers at the AGM

2008 ACSW Conference

(Below) Social Workers at a workshop at the Conference


President’s report2008 Conference and AGMACSW hosted another successful conference and AGM. Thank you to all conference organizers, as well as all members

who attended the AGM. I think this AGM was one of the best attended in recent years. It might have helped that it was

conducted without a break and food was provided at the end!

AGM attendees helped honour our award recipients—the

fellow social workers who serve as examples to all of us. The

awards reminded me of the increasing variety of work settings

where social workers make a difference. Although we often

express concerns with insufficient funding and resources, our

recipients demonstrated that social work remains a dynamic

profession despite its challenges.

New faces on CouncilThe recent ACSW election brought three new members to

the April Council meeting. We welcomed Derek Chewka,

Tera Dahl-Lang, and Terry Wilson. Recently appointed by the

government, two new public members—Marija Bicanic and

Alanah Woodland—also attended their first Council meeting.

Motions considered at the AGMThis meeting saw the consideration of two motions to be

presented at the Canadian Association of Social Workers

(CASW) AGM in May. The first is a proposal to provide

Quebec social workers with a mechanism to become indi-

vidual CASW members. With 200 or more individual mem-

berships, Quebec social workers would be eligible to elect a

member-at-large to sit on the CASW Board.

As many of you know, Quebec chose to leave the CASW a

number of years ago. We would all like to have a truly nation-

al social work body and recognize that without Quebec’s

participation, we miss an important group of colleagues.

However, the motion was not in response to requests from

Quebec social workers asking to become CASW members

and the Quebec provincial organization has not been formal-

ly consulted. Because the Quebec organization has not been

involved in developing this motion, it could be interpreted as

interfering with their decision. As a result, I advised refraining

from supporting this motion and council followed my recom-

mendation.

The second motion relates to a proposed CASW fee increase

of $5.00 per member, to become effective in 2010. This

would enlarge ACSW’s contribution to CASW to nearly

$30,000 per year. Currently, ACSW contributes approximately

35% of CASW membership fees because ACSW combines

regulatory college and association roles. Our legislation

requires mandatory professional registration, which results in

all our members being included in the CASW fee calculation.

Many other provinces do not have mandatory registration.

In three provinces, the regulatory body is separate from the

professional association and belonging to the association is

optional. Consequently, as CASW member organizations are

associations and not regulatory bodies, some provinces with

many more social workers than Alberta have smaller provin-

cial association memberships. Fewer members translate to

lower fees paid to CASW.

Finding an equitable formula

ACSW is totally supportive of a strong and vibrant national

social work body such as CASW. However, it is not sustain-

able to have one member of that national body contribute

disproportionately. This is also recognized by CASW, which

has struck a working group to address the issue by reviewing

its funding formula. I recommended council vote against this

motion as it places a burden on our members that is neither

equitable nor sustainable. Council supported my recommen-

dation. A healthy CASW will need to find a more equitable

formula for collecting member fees and we intend to partici-

pate in that process.

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PresidentRandy Harris, MSW, RSW

Randy Harris

Continues on page 17

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Executive Director & Registrar’s report Demographic PressuresOver the past few years, ACSW has participated in government consultations on health profession workforce concerns,

relating to recruiting and retaining health professionals in Alberta. These discussions reflect concerns that arise from the

demographics of health professionals, including registered social workers.

Like most health care professionals, a large percentage of

RSWs (55%) are baby boomers born between 1947 and

1966, with the leading edge of this cohort just turning 60.

Within our membership, some 28% of the boomer cohort are

more than 50 years of age. Pre-boomers, born before 1947,

make up 9% of members. We predict that in the foresee-

able future, many RSWs may consider retirement or reduced

workload options. The impact this will have on the ACSW

membership requires serious consideration.

In addition to reviewing retirement and reduced workload

trends, ACSW is attempting to determine whether there will

be enough new registrants to replace RSWs leaving at the

end of their careers. However, even if adequate numbers to

replace retirees exist, there is a concern this may not be suf-

ficient. Many new RSWs will be women of child-bearing

age, therefore some will be on maternity leave at any given

time. Currently around 9% of our RSWs are inactive—many

for maternity reasons. A growth in the number of inactive

RSWs on maternity leave, combined with increasing numbers

of retirees, could result in an overall reduction of social work-

ers in active practice. This could lead to a major shortage of

practicing social workers at a time when Alberta’s growing

population creates an increasing demand for services.

Government RelationsA significant amount of effort has involved other matters that

relate to government activities. The passage of Bill 41, the

Health Professions Amendment Act, provides the provincial

government with considerable authority over regulatory

colleges of health professions. The regulations of this

controversial amendment generated much discussion before

the bill was passed and still require further discussion.

The Alberta government has designated the Trade, Investment

and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) as Bill 1 for this

legislature sitting. This agreement was signed in 2006 to

reduce barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobil-

ity between Alberta and British Columbia. Although it came

into effect April 1, 2007, numerous changes are required for

it to be fully implemented April 1, 2009. Interpretations vary

on the agreement’s regulatory aspects and the ACSW has

already held preliminary discussions with its BC counterpart.

Concerns have been raised about how the agreement may

restrict government authority to act on trade and mobil-

ity matters. These issues will require in-depth discussions to

determine the full impact of the TILMA.

Addressing disparity It appears disparity-related campaigns did impact budget

deliberations. Albertans who supported the Who Cares Alberta?

campaign, Public Interest Alberta’s Living Wage campaign,

and the ACSW disparity campaign should be acknowledged

for their efforts to raise awareness of the plight of the many

Albertans who suffer from growing inequality in a province

of plenty.

The recent provincial budget includes a number of

expenditures in areas to address Alberta’s growing disparity.

Many Albertans should benefit from the elimination of the

health premium and the development of 11,000 affordable

Executive DirectorRod Adachi, MSW, RSW

Rod Adachi


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ACSW members make up largest delegation at Greater Edmonton Alliance AGM

Partnership combines efforts to achieve goals and training opportunities The second Greater Edmonton Alliance (GEA) annual

general meeting saw motions made to ratify commitments

addressing issues dealing with long term care, affordable

housing, and local food growth, as well as just wages and

leadership training opportunities for social workers. Nine

ACSW members and numerous representatives from faith

and civil based institutions, as well as unions attended the

April 17 meeting.

ACSW has been focusing on similar issues relating to afford-

able housing, homelessness, health care, and the living wage.

In order to work toward achieving these shared goals, the two

organizations are now partnering to share their expertise. This

is giving social workers the opportunity to learn leadership

and community organization techniques through training

offered by GEA.

A broad-based organization, GEA works to coalesce, train,

and organize Greater Edmonton communities across reli-

gious, labour, ethnic, class, and neighbourhood lines. The

alliance’s primary goals are to develop local leadership and

organize the public to fight for social justice. GEA strives to

hold both public and private power holders accountable for

public responsibilities, as well as initiate actions and programs

to solve community, economic, and ecological problems. The

public as well as the ACSW and other membership institu-

tions define what issues are addressed.

GEA is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF),

formed by Saul Alinsky, whose work is referenced and taught

in social work schools throughout North America. His work

is compulsory reading for anyone studying social action

concepts.

Social Action/Social Justice CommitteeRick Guthrie, MSW, RSW

Social workers attending the GEA AGM: L to R: Catherine McQuade, Butch Nutter,

Audrey Stuckey, Rick Guthrie, Carolyn Nutter, Joanne McGill, Linda McFalls, Lori

Sigurdson. Missing: Linda Kreitzer.

ACSW involvement in GEA has been coordinated through

the college’s Social Action/Social Justice Committee. Part

of the committee’s mission is to participate in activities that

are responsive to social action/justice/policy issues raised by

members, ACSW stakeholders, and partners. GEA is now a

partner, as ACSW Council has approved the allocation of

membership dues from its Edmonton membership.

ACSW has the added opportunity to influence decisions

made within this dynamic organization as it begins plans to

create a similar body in Calgary. ACSW council members

Timothy Wild and Jake Kuiken from Calgary have been

instrumental in conveying the importance of GEA involve-

ment. As Social Action Committee members, they have part-

nered with Carolyn Nutter, Butch Nutter, and Lori Sigurdson

to articulate the organizations’ shared project goals, as well as

the value of an ongoing partnership.


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GEA has worked on the living wage issue for more than

two years and has presented it to Edmonton’s Mayor Steven

Mandel as an area of concern. It has also focused on secur-

ing affordable housing in two Edmonton neighborhoods—

Ashcroft Gardens and Strathern Heights. Trained to organize,

community residents have become actively involved with

other GEA members and successfully worked together to

ensure affordable housing units are included in new develop-

er’s plans for these communities.

Willing to offer ACSW members its expertise in formal

leadership training, GEA has agreed to offer training in

Edmonton. The Social Action Committee is looking at ways

to offer “A” level credits to meet registration accreditation

standards. As foundation builders within GEA, a number of

social workers are capable of facilitating this educational and

experiential process.

If you are interested in leadership training please contact:

• Rick Guthrie, ACSW, Social Action/Justice Committee,

GEA delegate through the ACSW office.

• Lori Sigurdson, ACSW Professional Affairs Coordinator and

Social Action/Justice Committee member at lsigurdson@

acsw.ab.ca or (780) 421-1167. You can also contact Lori

to learn more about the Social Action/Justice Committee,

which meets the third Thursday of every month.

Rick Guthrie MSW, RSW, is the ACSW delegate for the Greater Edmonton Alliance.

Social Action/Social Justice

Our own challengesACSW is facing its own challenges with respect to finances.

We have not had a fee increase for 12 years and Council

is determined to be prudent in addressing these pressures.

Consequently, the 2009 budget will link priorities and goals

with the finances required to complete those tasks. Each

committee will be asked to develop their 2009 priorities and

submit a funding request. The Finance Committee will work

with these groups to develop requests, as well as to monitor

expenditures during the year.

Additionally, as an organization, we need to be mindful of

whether our activities achieve intended results. Despite the

challenges associated with some of our activities, outcome

monitoring needs to be part of how we do business. We are

currently conducting research to determine our social justice

efficacy, as well as implementing outcome monitoring for all

aspects of our work. n

President’s reportContinued from page 14

housing units. Families with children should welcome the

creation of new child care spaces and an out-of-school care

program. Income Supports and Assured Income for the

Severely Handicapped (AISH) recipients will receive a small

increase along with additional health benefits.

Funded agencies providing services to children and per-

sons with developmental disabilities have been allocated

$41 million to assist with staff recruitment and retention.

Regrettably, this falls far short of meeting the growing wage

gap that has increased significantly over the past several

years. The Who Cares Alberta? campaign has renewed its

efforts to address this human resource crisis. A comprehen-

sive social policy framework is urgently needed to address

the growing disparity that continues to affect marginalized

and vulnerable Albertans. n

Executive Director & Registrar’s reportContinued from page 15

Social Action / Social JusticeContinued from page 16

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CASW 2005 Code of Ethics Value 3: Service to HumanityThis is perhaps the broadest of the values in the 2005 Code of Ethics, as it speaks more to who we are as individuals, how

we must balance competing interests throughout our practice, and our use of knowledge, skills, power and authority

within micro, macro and mezzo levels of practice.

The concept of “service” can mean many

things, particularly in a profession as broad

as social work. The Encarta Dictionary

defines service in part as “work done by

somebody for somebody else … to help

somebody” (online dictionary). “Social

justice” also encompasses a range of con-

cepts, and our personal belief systems will

influence each of us in different ways as we

interpret this value. Typically the term con-

notes themes related to equality; however,

what I may think of as equality will not

necessarily fit with your ideals.

In fact, it may be in coming to terms with

our concept of equality that we are most

likely to be faced with an ethical dilemma.

Take for instance the different approaches

we might utilize if we are trying to achieve social justice in employment. The concept of “equal opportunity” might lead one

to believe that each applicant should be assessed on the basis of their knowledge, skill and ability related to the position with-

out reference to age, sex, ancestry, etc. and that the best person for the job should be hired. The same concept could also be

interpreted in a manner that supports affirmative action, recognizing that some people will appear to be weaker candidates for

the position due to the barriers that have prevented them from reaching the same level of readiness for the job.

Is one ideal better than the other? The Code of Ethics can’t answer that for you. On the other hand, I believe that every social

worker has moments every week, if not every day, when they believe that something they are seeing in their practice is not

just. Sometimes we have the ability to do something about it; to act on our belief in social justice to bring about a better reso-

lution to an issue. Other times we feel helpless, watching people get hurt by the policies of our governments or organizations,

and feeling that we have no power or opportunity to influence change.

Recently there have been two issues that I have faced where I believe that social work values have been in conflict and I offer

Ethics in actionAlison MacDonald, MDipl, RSW

Alison MacDonald

Collage by High Prairie social workers

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1�Volume 33 • Issue 2

CASW 2005 Code of Ethics Value 3: Service to Humanity

The social work profession upholds service in the interests

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. The social work profession

contributes to knowledge and skills that assist in the

management of conflicts and the wide-ranging consequences

of conflict.

Principles:

• Social workers place the needs of others above self-

interest when acting in a professional capacity.

• Social workers strive to use the power and authority

vested in them as professionals in responsible ways that

serve the needs of clients and the promotion of social

justice.

• Social workers promote individual development and

pursuit of individual goals, as well as the development

of a just society.

• Social workers use their knowledge and skills in bringing

about fair resolutions to conflict and in assisting those

affected by conflict.

them here as food for thought. Both arise from our growing

awareness of the need to support Aboriginal people’s rights.

Both circumstances have been quite traumatic for the people

involved.

First is the case of an Aboriginal youth, who has lived for 7

years with the same white foster family. Over the past year

the family has been making plans to adopt the youth, who is

fully a part of their family. Two months ago, the youth’s grand-

parents, with whom she has had infrequent contact over the

past 7 years, asked to have her placed in their care. The goal of

returning Aboriginal children to their community was given

precedence and plans are now underway for the girl to move

to the grandparent’s home. On the surface and particularly

from a non-Aboriginal perspective it may appear that neither

the foster family nor the youth are being treated justly, but to

many in the Aboriginal community this type of action may be

viewed as a first step in reclaiming a just society.

How should social workers determine the best interests of the

client in a case like this? How should we assess the compet-

ing values in “service in the interests of others”, balancing the

rights and needs of the individual with the collective rights of

the community? And how can social workers help to mediate

a resolution to the conflicts that a case like this produces?

Second was the headline on the Edmonton Journal front page,

May 3, 2008. It read “I hate myself ” directly over a 6x6 inch

picture of an Aboriginal woman. Reading the article led to

an understanding that the woman so prominently displayed

is not the person who made the comment, but the mother

of a teenager who was sexually assaulted and murdered. The

comment was made by one of the alleged perpetrators, also a

young Aboriginal woman. Rather than write about the trag-

edy of loss for two native families the author chose to focus

on hate. The headline and almost every paragraph in the story

spoke of hatred, not of the crime or society’s apparent accep-

tance of violence against women, but toward the youth who

participated in this heinous act. I can’t help but wonder when

the Aboriginal community will see true social justice.

How can social workers use their skills and knowledge to

address the systemic racism that allows such a headline to

go to print? What is our responsibility when we see such

injustice? Does the concept of “when acting in a professional

capacity” suggest that we should only respond when it is

related to our job? And how can we reconcile the need of one

person for individual justice with the need of the offender to

be treated with dignity?

I invite social workers to think about these questions and

respond with letters to the editor. Let us know what you think

that we, as a profession, should do in service to humanity. n

Alison MacDonald is the Associate Registrar of ACSW.

Ethics in action

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Discipline mattersACSW staff

Two cases were heard by hearing tribunals in January 2008. In both cases the tribunal determined that

it could be helpful to other RSWs to hear about the actions that resulted in the complaints as well as the

outcome. Both decisions are printed here, without identifying information, for educational purposes.

ACSW Decision of a Hearing Tribunal pursuant to s. 77(a) of the Health Professions Act, RSA 2000

Case AConsent Order

Agreed Statement of Facts1. At all material times the investigated member was a regis-

tered social worker with ACSW.

2. In the scope of her practice the social worker was not per-

mitted to dispense or prescribe medication to any client

without a written order from or consultation with a psy-

chiatrist.

3. On July 10, 2007 the social worker prescribed and dis-

pensed the medication Seroquoel (an anti-psychotic) with-

out a written order or consultation from a psychiatrist.

4. The social worker placed the client at risk because she did

not verify the prescription or consider the contraindications

with respect to the client.

5. The social worker acknowledges that the decision to pre-

scribe and dispense the medication was a lack of judgment

resulting from her stress in the workplace, high case load,

lack of support from her manager and exhaustion.

6. The social worker recorded dispensing the medication to

the client in the medication log book but did not chart the

medication because she had not finished her notes at the

time of her suspension.

7. The social worker was ultimately terminated from her

employment.

Acknowledgement of ResponsibilityIt is acknowledged by the social worker and the ACSW that

her conduct as described in the Agreed Statement of Facts

constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Agreed Findings1. Practicing Beyond Scope of Practice

That on July 10, 2007 you prescribed and dispensed the

medication Seroquoel without a written order from or

consultation with a psychiatrist.

Such conduct contravenes s. 22 of the Standards of Practice

and s. 1, 3.3 and 3.4 of the Code of Ethics (CASW 1983) and

consequently such conduct constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Joint Submission as to SanctionsThe ACSW and the social worker jointly submit that the

appropriate sanctions in the circumstances are as follows:

1. The social worker shall be reprimanded, a copy of the for-

mal reprimand to remain in her discipline file.

2. The social worker shall complete a course or workshop on

psychotropic medication on or before December 31, 2008,

at her own cost.

3. The social worker shall complete a course or workshop on

stress management to be completed on or before December

31, 2008, at her own cost.

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4. The social worker shall discuss with her supervisor at her

present employment her concerns regarding ongoing stress

and shall provide evidence to the ACSW that this issue shall

be addressed on an ongoing basis.

5. The contents of this Consent Order shall be published in

its entirety in the next publication of the Advocate, the

quarterly publication of the ACSW, with the exception that

there shall be no publication of names or the employer.

The social worker shall pay a fine of $400 on or before

January 1, 2009.

The social worker shall write an article for publication in the

Advocate with respect to the issue of prescribing and dispens-

ing psychotropic medications and the role of social work in

medication administration.

Dated and signed at the City of Edmonton, in the Province

of Alberta, this 9th day of January, 2008.

Case BConsent Order

Agreed Statement of Facts1. At all material times the investigated member was a regis-

tered social worker with ACSW.

2. The social worker at all material times was employed as a

counselor.

3. During that time the social worker became involved in a

personal and sexual relationship with a client.

4. The relationship began in June of 2007 and ended in

August of 2007.

5. The social worker acknowledges that this personal and

sexual relationship occurred and that in fact it constitutes

unprofessional conduct.

Acknowledgement of ResponsibilityIt is acknowledged by the social worker and the ACSW that

her conduct as described in the Agreed Statement of Facts

constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Agreed Findings1. Violation of Professional Boundaries

That during the period of June 2007 through to August

2007 you were providing counselling services to clients.

During that time you entered into and carried on an

improper personal relationship with a client with whom

you had a client/therapist relationship that had only recent-

ly been terminated and you further improperly entered

into a sexual relationship with this client.

Such conduct contravenes s. 28 of the Standards of Practice

and s. 5.7 of the Code of Ethics (CASW 1983) and conse-

quently such conduct constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Joint Submission as to SanctionsThe ACSW and the social worker jointly submit that the

appropriate sanctions in the circumstances are as follows:

1. The social worker shall be suspended for a period of six

months effective October 1, 2007.

2. Prior to returning to social work practice the social worker

shall undergo an assessment to determine whether she suf-

ficiently comprehends, understands and has recovered from

the consequences of her conduct specifically as it relates

to the issues of boundaries between herself and the client.

This assessment will be performed by an individual chosen

by the ACSW and instructions to that individual as to the

objectives and nature of the assessment will be provided by

the College and the social worker. The social worker shall

bear the costs of this counselling.

3. The social worker shall be reprimanded, a copy of the for-

mal reprimand to remain in her discipline file.

4. The social worker shall pay the costs of this matter in the

sum of $200. Such costs are to be paid on or before March

31, 2008.

5. The contents of this Consent Order shall be published in

its entirety in the next publication of the Advocate, the

quarterly publication of the ACSW, with the exception that

there shall be no publication of names or the employer.

Dated and signed at the City of Edmonton, in the Province

of Alberta, this 9th day of January, 2008. n

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What is the Clinical Registry?The Clinical Registry Committee is an ACSW regulatory standing committee that reports to council. Its mandate is to

recommend to the Registrar whether Clinical Registry applicants should be approved, as well as advise council on policies

affecting registry individuals. Policies for committee review may include, but are not limited to, continuing competence

criteria, as well as supervision and academic requirements. Written reports must be submitted to council annually and

upon request. The chair may present recommendation reports at council meetings, with council making final decisions on

regulatory changes.

The Clinical Registry Committee includes a chairperson and

up to eight other members. All members are appointed by

council and must be registered social workers. The commit-

tee has two vacancies and welcomes interested members from

Alberta’s northern regions to submit their names for commit-

tee membership.

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please

contact Alison MacDonald, ACSW Associate Registrar, at 1-

800-661-3089 or [email protected]; or Sharon Lindstrom,

committee chair at 780-679-1241.

The Registry A voluntary process, the Clinical Registry provides a way of

recognizing social workers who have reached advanced stand-

ing. Only social workers on the registry may use the Clinical

Social Worker title. RSWs that are qualified to do clinical

work may do so without being members of the Clinical

Registry. However, those who choose to be part of the regis-

try demonstrate their commitment to a high standard of prac-

tice, skill, experience, and clinical knowledge. Clinical social

workers meet additional competency requirements—a total

of 50 hours of professional development activity, which must

include 10 hours of supervision/consultation/peer review and

at least 20 hours of clinically focused training annually.

Admission involves preparing a detailed application outlining

levels of knowledge and abilities in clinical social work prac-

tice, as well as passing a clinical social work exam.

In brief, Clinical Registry admission criteria are:

1. MSW with a specialization in clinical social work or equiv-

alency—based on specific knowledge criteria, normally

attained through an MSW with a specialization in clinical

social work

2. two years supervised post-masters experience, totaling

1600 hours in an agency or organized setting.

If you are a Clinical Specialty Registry applicant who com-

pleted the clinical MSW and convocated prior to fall 2005

and applied to join the registry no later than June 30th,

2008, you may follow the Clinical Specialty Registry poli-

cies in effect prior to 2006. Applicants who completed a

Clinical MSW and convocated in 2006 or later must have

an approved supervisor and supervision plan. The application

process should begin before you start your supervised practice.

Submit the application form along with the detailed supervi-

sion plan for the committee to review. The committee may

approve the plan or ask for modifications if there is a prob-

lem. Once the supervised practice period has been completed,

the rest of the application package must be submitted. Passing

the exam is the final step in the process to join the registry.

The ACSW website details the application process for new

applicants. It provides easy access to required forms, frequently

asked questions, and general registry information. Members

accessing application information describe finding the site

helpful and user friendly.

Clinical CommitteeSharon Lindstrom, MSW, RSW

Sharon Lindstrom

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Standards of Practice and the Code of EthicsHow often have we read or heard the profession of social

work is founded on the principles of equality and humani-

tarian efforts? Above all, social work values the individual

worth, rights, and dignity of each and every human being. We

believe all people have an obligation, both individually and

collectively, to stand up for these values—whether it is for the

benefit of the individual or the collective.

As social workers, we are called “to promote excellence

in the social work profession.” We further state we will be

“competent in the performance of the services and functions

we undertake on behalf of the persons we serve” (ACSW,

Standards of Practice, 2007). Competence goes beyond formal

qualifications. “Social workers strive to maintain and increase

their professional knowledge and skill” (CASW, Code of

Ethics 2005) throughout their careers. The clinical registry is

an excellent opportunity for social workers to demonstrate

their commitment to the highest level of accountable and

ethical practice. n

Sharon Lindstrom is the chair of the Clinical Committee and is the Regional Adult

Clinical Supervisor at the East Central Health Region.

New RSWsMembership as of

May 23, 2008: 5,877

Clinical RegistryContinued from page 22

Caleb Koranteng AduSteve AllenShelly-Lynn AlmCaryl Anne AppletonCrystal Lynne BallArdath Beth BartlettLoretta Mavis BeaulieuDeena R. BensonJanice Lee BiblowFiona Rose BloodAttrina BlytheJodi Lynn BooneTeri BoyceRyan Kristian BriggsLee Dannielle BrocklebankSuzanne BurtonKaren CalverleyKeltie Cameron

Michelle CanalesChristina CanavanJoan Elaine Elisabeth

ChambersMarlene Veronica ChampagneVanessa ChevrierRyan Jeffrey ChopinAngela ChristoffelKenneth D. CollierMelissa CostainPatricia Jean CrookLaurie A. CrosbiePamela May CunninghamBrandy Lynn DesmaraisDwight Rommel S. DionidaJanessa Lynn DuenkPamela Lee EatonConstance Marie Edwards

Aimee Rae EllenorSalish Dawne McKinley

Fenwick-WilsonJennifer FergusonNaomi Nadine FoxallKaren Marie Gallagher-BurtBenby GervacisJulia Dawn GoldsworthyDeanna GreyDiana Elizabeth GutoskieTina Hackett-MylesDanielle Rae HartleyKimberly Vera HartmanHeather HayesPatricia Ann HaynesJulie Gloria Jean HeideJoleen Rae HeptonstallAmanda HollowayErin B. HunterLesley R. HuygenSabrina IqbalKelly JavedYvonne J. JohnsonJacqueline Johnson-DeanDelma Linda KiplingKathryn Lee KirkhamMary Elizabeth KnowltonLaura Jane KoesterRobyn Mary KuncJason James LesmeisterIngrid LetendreFlorence Yuk Ping LeungMarina LevonianJanet Ida LintonPamela Grace MacBethJennifer Marie-Robin MacQueenDonna Many Grey HorsesConnie MarGeorge MariadossDerek MasonTanya Ann McClainGavin William McCluskeyAndrew McFadenNiamh McGuinnSarah McMasterMaureen M McNameeCorinna Catherine MeyersLindsay Miller

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Mount Royal Students join group of women global leadersIt is not often Jane Fonda, Sarah Ferguson—the Duchess of York, and Mount Royal social work students present at

the same conference, but that is exactly what happened at the third annual 2008 Women as Global Leaders (WAGL)

conference in Dubai, March 10-12, 2008.

The conference focuses on women as global leaders and is

used to unite female students from across the world. Fonda,

Ferguson, and a number of other female leaders delivered key

note speeches at the three-day event.

Mount Royal social work students co-presented with Zayed

University students in Dubai, on an online women’s leader-

ship program which exposes students to perspectives from

different cultures.

Social work instructors Yasmin Dean and Carolyn Anderson

developed the idea in accordance with Mount Royal’s com-

mitment to experiential learning. It was Dean’s previous

employment at Zayed University that inspired the interna-

tional partnership project to seek answers to a persistent ques-

tion—“What do you get when you combine international

students, faculty, and a keen interest in diverse world views?”

Access to technology enhanced opportunities for students

to share ideas via discussion boards, email, and video

conferencing.

Consequently, five ambitious, energetic social work stu-

dents—Amanda Reid, Jennifer Scott-Munoz, Krista Andrews,

Irene Thompson, and Sheena Taylor, joined forces with their

instructors to forge relationships with six students and three

faculty members from Zayed University in the United Arab

Emirates. Based on this project, the Mount Royal students

and their instructors received a certificate for nomination at

the Pulse of Social Work Awards held on March 26, 2008.

Their nomination has been rolled over for consideration at

next year’s awards.

“In social work, we talk a lot about cultural competence

but it is a difficult concept to understand,” says Dr. Carolyn

Anderson, Instructor. “This project and travel opportunity put

students in a position where they were submersed in a com-

pletely different culture and challenged to be open to differ-

ence. One of the most challenging moments occurred when

the Zayed University students commented they thought that

women in Canada were more oppressed than women in the

Emirates.”

These experiences helped students begin to critically

analyze belief systems and traditions, and underlined

Diploma DialogueJay Decore, Social Work Student

Mount Royal students Krista Andrews, Amanda Reid, Sheena Taylor (top row),

Jennifer Scott - Munoz and Irene Thompson (bottom row) pose with the Zayed

University students in Dubai.

Documents

A L B E R T A C O L L E G E O F S O C I A L W O R K E R S 100 · A L B E R T A C O L L E G E O F S O C I A L W O R K E R S THE Volume 33 ... Lethbridge and Area social workers and