Contributions & Connection

Contributions & Connection: Harold’s history with the NSCSW

By Collette Deschenes, NSCSW Promotions Coordinator

Part of his profession

From an Association to a College, the NSCSW has undoubtedly evolved significantly over the years. One social worker has seen and supported it all. Harold Beals wanted to connect with his profession from the beginning.

After graduating in 1968 with a Master of Social Work from the then Maritime School of Social Work, he immediately sought out a way to contribute to the province’s social work community.

The Association was the answer. Harold became a Registered Social Worker (RSW) through the Association right away just five years after the organization was established in 1963.

There was nothing else that brought social workers together at the time my involvement with the Association. It made me feel connected to the social work community.

He began his longstanding contributions as a volunteer. His urge for involvement lead him to serve many roles as the chair of various committees and eventually as president of the Association’s Council from 1979-1981.

Throughout his early volunteer years with the organization, Harold worked full-time for the Department of Community Services as a social work supervisor for Child Protection Services.

He recalls some of the challenges he and his colleagues faced after their work in the field. “We [social workers] remember things from our cases. Some situations can linger with you.”

Committed through the challenges

Harold’s passion for developing social policies and programs for families and children kept him with the Department of Community Services until 1994.

In 1994 he became the Nova Scotia Association of Social Worker’s first Executive Director. This started as a part-time position but eventually became the first full-time position in the organization’s history.

He had his work cut out for him. The new Social Workers Act came into effect the previous year in 1993 which introduced mandatory licensure for all Nova Scotia social workers.

“If we were behind without regulations…you can see how behind the public would be. Finally, the public catches up and sees that yes social work is a regulated profession and it should be. But there was still that confusion in their mind about what we did…and there still is today. Social work is not as neatly defined as other professions. These things take time,” he explains.

Coming in as Executive Director during a difficult, albeit exciting, time is one of Harold’s greatest professional accomplishments.

“No policies, no procedures, just myself and a secretary and a volunteer group working to bring things together.” It was a challenge he committed to as he drove the implementation of the new Social Workers Act.

Harold also worked tirelessly to develop a profile of competencies for social work in NS, helped plan the 2006 National Social Work Conference, co-authored a book on the organization’s history and spearheaded previous social justice committee work on child and youth mental health.

Communicating social work's voice

Along with all the changes, policy creation and procedures, Harold also faced the task of communicating with members across the province.

Connection newsletter was one of Harold’s main communication tools. The first issue was published in 1966 just three years after proclamation of the first Social Workers Act of 1963.

The newsletter evolved over 52 years into the full-colour magazine you’re reading today.

Harold witnessed Connection’s evolution as he contributed many articles over the years – many relating to his passions of social justice and child welfare. He also took on the task of creating the newsletter in-house in 2003. Although he retired as a paid employee in 2005, Harold continued to produce the quarterly newsletter version of Connection until April 2017.

It’s easy to see the impact of Harold’s dedication to the profession. With his help, Connection always kept its promise to inform the public and to give members an outlet to communicate ideas on ways to help resolve issues.

Harold Beals, author of History of the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers

Hopes for the future

After decades working and volunteering for the organization Harold still dedicates his time to the College and contributing to the profession.

His passion for social justice and sharing social work voices keeps him connected to the College on the social justice and editorial committee. It’s his hope that social justice and advocacy continue to be vital components of the organization.

The organization must continue to be active and dynamic. We need to share the social work perspective and we need to respond to a changing society. My main hope going into the future would be to keep up the advocacy.

Dive deeper into the College’s rich history by reading History of the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers (1963 – 2010) at nscsw.org. This history read, which outlines the organization’s path to licensure, was written by Harold in collaboration with co-author Bessie Harris. The information they gathered helps to show the evolution and accomplishments of the organization over the course of forty years.