Annual Meeting and Education Day Agenda
8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Registration
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Annual Meeting
11 a.m. – noon
Keynote Address
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Breakout Sessions A
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions B
The College will be live-tweeting AMED on its Twitter feed and encourages members to connect with us on Twitter during the event using the #AMED2018 hashtag.
Keynote Address
Culture and Risk Indicators of Human Trafficking as they Relate to Children and Youth
Casandra Diamond
In her keynote address, Casandra will draw on her own lived experience and current role to discuss indicators of human trafficking as they relate to children and youth. Casandra will share how having a better understanding of the unique subculture of the sex trade will assist social workers and social service workers in recognizing human trafficking situations and allow them to be more effective in their own practice.
Discours d’ouverture
Rapport de la présidente
Rapport de l’auditeur
Rapport de la registrateure
Période de questions
Séance éducative A-1 (en anglais)
Séance éducative B-2 (en anglais)
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Session A – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
A1 – Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Safety Planning for Children Living with Domestic Violence: A Critical Role for Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Marcie Campbell, Laura Olszowy and Mike Saxton
This presentation highlights findings from the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Vulnerable Populations (CDHPIVP), a five-year research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), that focuses on identifying more nuanced strategies to reduce risk of domestic homicide and increase safety for vulnerable populations. Specifically, this presentation will centre around domestic violence (DV) risk assessment, risk management, and safety planning with children living with DV.
The presentation will provide an overview of a systematic, large-scale literature review; responses from professionals captured in an online national survey regarding the prevalence and nature of risk assessment, risk management and safety planning that includes children; and major themes from interviews with social workers and other key stakeholders across the province. While child homicides in the context of DV are rare events, intervening and preventing these tragedies requires specific knowledge of risk assessment, safety planning and risk management strategies. This presentation will highlight the promising practices to assess risk for children, address barriers to service, and enhance partnerships with community agencies.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.
A2 – The Power of Creativity and Writing in Short-Term Interventions
Dima Dupéré, MSW, RSW
Clients involved in short-term counselling are often eager to do something to change their situation. Dima Dupéré has found writing to be especially beneficial for this population. In this presentation, Dima will explain the benefits of writing as a therapeutic tool and will offer practical suggestions and easy exercises which can be used with clients to help them process emotion, make decisions, confront negative thinking patterns, and explore their worth.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.
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A3 – Building a Bridge to Break Down the Barriers
Brenda Mason, RSSW
Drawing from twenty-seven years of personal, educational and work experience, Brenda will share what she has learned, observed, practiced and witnessed in this presentation.
In order to have the knowledge and tools to provide services that will work for all, we need to build a bridge to meet in the middle and explore each other’s perspectives. To explore our beliefs, values, ceremonies, teachings, traditions, practices, and healing ways which may provide a way to bring us together to improve and meet the needs of all people in all areas of life. While it will take time to make it work, there should be hope this will open the dialogue that needs to continue to take place.
A4 – Trauma Recovery: Processing Shame
Natalie Zlodre, MSW, RSW
For decades, the therapeutic work of PTSD was to process fear, helplessness and horror. Recently the DSM has expanded the definition of PTSD to include shame. Evidence-based research indicates that unprocessed/unresolved shame is a risk factor for developing and maintaining PTSD symptoms as well as compromising the healing process for clients with Complex PTSD and Developmental Trauma.
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Session B – 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
B1 – The Role and Scope of Social Workers regarding Transition Related Surgeries (TRS) and Support
Daniel Pugh, MSW, RSW and Ashley Edwardson, MSW, RSW
Expanded access to assessment for transition related surgery (TRS) was granted in March 2016, as a result of legislative changes by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). These changes directly impact our profession, as social workers who hold an MSW can now complete secondary assessments for trans and gender non-conforming/non-binary clients seeking TRS. As social workers, we are in a position to support our clients in their transitions and assist in the navigation of surgical assessment and referral processes.
During this presentation we intend to clarify the role of social workers in TRS assessment, review the W-PATH (World Professional Association of Transgender Health) guidelines for surgical readiness, MOHLTC requirements to approve funding for surgery, the elements required to complete a secondary assessment and step-by-step process of assessment to referral for surgery.
While only social workers who hold an MSW can complete secondary assessments for clients seeking TRS, this presentation may also be of interest to social service workers regarding TRS and support.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.
B2 – Breaking Down Barriers: The Role of Social Work and Social Service Work in the Context of Complex Illness, Uncertainty and Grief
C. Elizabeth Dougherty, MSW, RSW
Serious illness, dying and grief remain taboo in society, yet the diagnosis of a serious illness has a profound impact on an individual and their loved ones, and often results in feelings of uncertainty, isolation and grief.
This presentation will explore the role of social work and social service work in providing compassionate care for individuals and families of all ages following the diagnosis of a complex illness, at end of life and into bereavement. Elizabeth will speak to the roles of social work and social service work in providing education to demystify these issues and further advocate to break down barriers while promoting greater access to support, within our own practice and within our communities.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.
B3 – Upholding Professional Integrity: Needs for Collaboration
Dora M.Y. Tam, PhD, Jenna Rensink-Dexter, MSW, RSW and Sui Ming Kwok, PhD
Being a registered social worker and registered social service worker is a privilege because we enjoy a protected title, high regards and decent monetary rewards; however, this also comes with the responsibility to fulfill societal and professional expectations. Moreover, we have an obligation to uphold our professional accountability and integrity.
This paper presentation will share the findings from two research studies in Ontario with diverse social work and social service work stakeholders to help us understand how well we are to uphold standards of practice. How well are Schools of Social Work doing in preparing students for entry level of practice? How well is the existing assessing and screening mechanism working? What could collaboration among the three pillars of social work and social service work, namely educational, practice, and regulatory sectors, do to provide greater assurance that only professionally-suited individuals are allowed to practice? A revisit of provincial registration requirements and national accreditation standards will be presented.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.
B4 – Being In and Of the System: Managing the Tension as a Peer Worker in the Mental Health System
Allan Strong, RSSW
As a social service worker with a strong interest in the intentional use of self and the impact of the one’s own lived experience, Allan Strong will focus his presentation on supervising peer workers within the professional versus peer support system. He will emphasize the key role of supervision that addresses, among other things, the importance of boundaries. Allan argues that supervision should also highlight the unique value of the lived experience perspective in the client/peer worker relationship. As part of his presentation, Allan will share aspects of the research he is currently undertaking, as part of his master’s in leadership at the University of Guelph.
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation in PDF format.