BC Association of Social Workers
402-1755 W Broadway V6J 4S5 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Leaders from across Canada recently gathered to talk about Indigenous child and family wellbeing, and the implementation of the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, also known as Bill C-92.

The study, which was was done by UBCO School of Social Work researchers Shelley Cook and Rachelle Hole, looked at the relationship between people who live on the streets and the services they depend on for survival.

B.C.'s social work association issued a statement in support of Charlesworth's recommendations on Monday, saying the province needs to "strengthen safeguards in the involuntary detention and treatment of youth within the mental health system [and] enhance opportunities for young people to have a say in their treatment."

Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, has released the following statement regarding the report by the representative for children and youth titled Detained: Rights of Children and Youth under the Mental Health Act: Thank you to the representative and the young people and youth advocates who added their voices to this report. It is never easy to tell your story and I thank you for sharing your experiences. We welcome this important input and accept the recommendations in principle. We will be working with our partner ministries to review and develop a plan with Indigenous partners to address the recommendations and reflect them in ongoing work as we continue building a co-ordinated mental health and addictions system from the ground up.

Our members, staff, and board extend to you our very best wishes for a happy and relaxing holiday season and all the very best in 2021.

Cindy Blackstock serves as executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, whose litigation against Canada has secured hundreds of thousands of services for First Nations youth Cindy Blackstock is No. 27 on the 2021 Maclean’s Power List, a ranking of 50 influential Canadians.

Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength. This quote, from American feminist Betty Freidan, summarizes the focus of researchers in UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Health and Social Development who have an unwavering goal to support successful aging.

Strengthening professional social work in BC is one of our Association's priorities for 2021. We will continue to push for protection of title and mandatory registration of all BC social workers with the BC College of Social Workers.

BCASW's CPD Committee is starting off the New Year with a DBT live online webinar. Great discount available for BCASW members.

A universal, national system for early learning and child care would easily pay for itself, delivering precious economic, social and fiscal benefits.

"Never has the need for MHFA been greater," said Louise Bradley, the Mental Health Commission of Canada's (MHCC's) president and CEO. "If we're going to get ahead of a COVID-19 mental illness echo pandemic, the time to learn how to support one another is now."

With associations and organizations working hard at reconciliation, how does this sort of thing happen and what needs to be done?

The BC Association of Social Workers provides continuing professional development webinars to BC social workers. If you have a proposal for a webinar, please let us know?

Have social workerds in BC returned to our roots?

Jacky Liu wins Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada essay competition based on his thesis showing the benefits newcomers receive from volunteering.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on Canadians suffering from mental illness, opioid addiction and other substance abuse problems, says a new study released today by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) which confirms anecdotal reports warning that the pandemic's health consequences extend well beyond the novel coronavirus itself.

Advocates for vulnerable people in Vancouver have filed a complaint to the city's police board asking that a new unit aimed at responding to low-level crime and street disorder be halted. The Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society, Pivot Legal Society, and Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) say the Vancouver Police Department's Neighbourhood Response Team will discriminate against people struggling to survive on the streets in the city's downtown.

We are proud to support this call for more services for youth in foster care transitioning into adulthood.

How Social Workers Use Instagram? Find out at #EMPRSocialWork Virtual Chat on November 21st at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov Link for registration: https://us02web.zoom.us//tZIudOqvpzMoGdTXe5pOgOv4bsUv1AS4F

Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement to mark Louis Riel Day: Each year on Nov. 16, we observe Louis Riel Day and acknowledge the importance of Louis Riel (1844-85) as a political leader and advocate of justice for the Métis people. Riel was a champion of Métis rights who paid the ultimate price in his crusade to have Métis people accepted as equals in Canada. Today, he is recognized as a founder of the province of Manitoba and a key contributor to Canadian confederation.

"Since it was discovered that Saunders held fraudulent degrees in both social work and psychology, the BC Association of Social Workers has been calling for better independent oversight of provincial MCFD employees." The BCASW continues to fight for mandatory registration of social workers with the BC College of Social Workers and full protection of title. Join the fight today at https://www.bcasw.org/

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says "Personal possession and use of drugs is not a criminal justice issue; it is a health issue. It is time to end the stigma around substance use, help connect more of our neighbours to health care, and save lives."

He won his community award, presented by Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl, for going above and beyond to make our community a better place during the COVID-19 pandemic. It thanks Neufeld for making a difference in the lives of people who live in the community.

"The intention of showcasing these wise practices is to honour and give credit to what is already happening to promote life and vitality in First Nations communities across Canada by drawing links and connections among them for mutual benefit."

Between the 1950s and early 1990s, over 22,500 Indigenous children in Canada were apprehended by child welfare agencies and placed with non-Indigenous foster or adoptive parents and lost their cultural identities as a result.

Members and non-members welcome.

Individuals in the UK with an undergraduate degree are eligible to enroll in a course that leads to a social work degree.

This live online webinar identifies practice-based and systemic issues and explores creative examples that can make a difference in the lives of people with dementia, their families, and communities.

Downtown Eastside sex workers with nowhere to go in the middle of the night often try to sleep in the hard, upright chairs at the WISH Drop-In Centre, preferring that grim option to shelters where they can face judgment and intimidation.

Discussion on social work ethics in the context of COVID-19 health policies and their impacts on long-term care residents. This online, live webinar is open to BC Association of Social Workers members and students ($10) and non-members ($25).

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on conditions in long-term care facilities and led to calls to remove the profit motive from the sector calls the party leaders responded to during the first week of the provincial election campaign.

In this workshop, the presenters examine the social work ethical framework from a cross cultural and indigenous lens. This online, live webinar is open to BC Association of Social Workers members ($10) and non-members($25).

This online live webinar is open to members and non-members.

Join us for our Annual General Meeting this Friday to hear BC Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender. Members & non-members welcome. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bc-association-of-social-worke

Social work and human services students at Thompson Rivers University will be holding an all-candidates forum on October 6 ahead of next month’s provincial election.

Immigration officials are beginning gradually to resume in-person services after the pandemic forced many programs to shut down, frustrating immigrants whose lives were put on hold. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shut down immigration tests and citizenship ceremonies in March to protect the health and safety of staff and clients. The department started offering some virtual services over the last few months. Starting this week, it is opening in-person services by appointment only.

Join BCASW Board member Kimberly Azyan and President Michael Crawford on Zoom to discuss the provincial election. 630pm, Wednesday, October 7th, 2020

Very important court case underway to enshrine First Nation Law as a fundamental part of Canada’s legal system alongside civil and common law.

Sound familiar?

After weeks of speculation, B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan has made official the worst-kept secret in the province: British Columbians are heading to the polls. Horgan said Monday he had called an election for Oct. 24 after meeting with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin and asking her to dissolve the legislature. "I've struggled mightily with this decision, and it did not come easily to me," said Horgan, acknowledging the controversy of calling an early election during a pandemic.

BCASW members and non-members are invited to join us October 2nd, 2020 for this continuing professional development event and our Annual General Meeting.

British Columbians who use illicit drugs on even an intermittent basis could soon be eligible for pharmaceutical alternatives as the province significantly expands access to a safer supply to combat record overdose deaths caused by toxic street drugs.

Representative for Children & Youth in BC highlights gaps in services for youth who self-injure. Youth who engage in non-suicidal self-injuries (NSSI) need specialized and nuanced supports to address their complex needs and trauma. Despite the efforts of families, caregivers and professionals, too often these young people’s needs are not being met.

The team of health-care providers will include family physicians, nurse practitioners and health-care professionals, ranging from registered nurses, traditional wellness co-ordinators and cultural safety facilitators to allied health-care professionals, social workers and clinical pharmacists.

To learn more, contact the Fraser Health Regional Advance Care Planning team: 1-877-825-5034 [email protected] www.fraserhealth.ca/acp

Great to see our Fraser River branch hosting an online ethics workshop. Register today.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) welcomes today’s release of a study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) that outlines an effective and fair bottom-up approach to funding First Nations child and family services.

Are people in remote communities faring worse because of limited access to mental-health supports? Those are some of the questions University of Victoria researchers will try to answer as they partner with a global team of scientists trying to better understand the physical- and mental-health impact of COVID-19.

BC Association of Social Workers Board of Directors (photo circa 1993).

The B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed a years-long court challenge of public health-care rules in B.C. that claimed the province's health-care system denies patients the right to timely care.

Post-secondary students beginning or returning to school this fall are reminded they can get access to free 24-hour mental-health counselling and referral services when needed.

The BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) has partnered with the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) and others to develop and roll out a free psychological support toolkit for workers and their families who may be struggling with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.