Dorothy Bakos, MSW, RSW, serves as the Area Manager for Family Services Durham (FSD), a division of The Regional Municipality of Durham. A registered social worker, Dorothy has more than 20 years of combined leadership and management experience working in the not-for-profit sector.
The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) was pleased to interview Dorothy about her roles and responsibilities, the importance of hiring OCSWSSW members, and the opportunities and challenges in the social services field.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I provide leadership and managerial support to a team of registered social workers and registered psychotherapists. Within my portfolio area, my role also involves clinical supervision, human resources and recruitment, financial oversight, training, and quality assurance.
Can you tell us a little bit about your professional journey?
My journey started with my parents, who taught me from a very young age the importance of volunteering and public service. I started working for a social service agency in Toronto while also volunteering for 10 years with the Toronto East General Hospital (currently Michael Garron Hospital) in the Crisis Unit of the Emergency Department. I then worked with a family services agency in Toronto for well over a decade, initially in a frontline role and later as a manager. Following that, I worked in the children’s mental health sector, where I held various senior management roles, including a director role with a Scarborough-based children’s mental health organization.
What is the value in hiring OCSWSSW members?
Social work and social service work are noble professions that value the needs of clients, many of whom are in need of support. Our clients need to feel and be safe. Registration with the OCSWSSW can give the public and employers a greater peace of mind in knowing that the social workers and social service workers that they are working with are guided by a code of ethics and standards of practice, and are competent to perform the job.
What services do OCSWSSW members provide at your organization?
Family Services Durham provides confidential individual, couple and family counselling and psychotherapy to people who live or work in Durham Region. These services are provided by social workers, psychotherapists, and couple and family therapists with masters-level training and membership with the OCSWSSW and/or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
What are the challenges and opportunities you see in your field?
There continues to be a demand for registered social workers to help those seeking mental health support and other services. This demand has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As service demands continue for high quality and timely mental health and community-based services, registered social workers will be in demand to fill various roles across sectors.
We are also seeing a more vigorous focus on social justice issues in support of equity-seeking communities. OCSWSSW members have an opportunity for continued contribution to this important work by influencing social policy and, as regulated professionals, amplifying their collective voice at a systems level.
The OCSWSSW thanks Dorothy Bakos for granting us this interview.