The Voice of Social Work
When Nova Scotians see stories like this that paint a picture of a system that isn’t working in the interests of children, it strengthens the narrative that public services cannot meet our needs and it continues to erode trust in crucial government services.
As part of our work towards the strategic goals of our College, we continue to be active in public discourse about issues that matter. We advocate for policy changes that improve social conditions, challenge injustice, and value diversity in Nova Scotia. Here’s a small sample of what we were up to in 2022:
For social workers, emotions run in many directions: anger that their actions are portrayed as uncaring, frustration that there is not a broader understanding by Nova Scotians of their role, and moral distress as they are consistently asked to take on tasks that are counter to their core values and training and that they know will cause harm. As for me, there is despair for a system that has been far too neglected, and hurt for all the social workers who bear the brunt of public scrutiny when such stories emerge. But I am currently feeling a moment of hope, however fleeting it may be. Hope that this story will highlight for you, the premier, your cabinet colleagues, and all Nova Scotians why transformative change is urgently needed in the provision of child welfare.
Torn between hope, despair on child welfare Op-ed by Alec Stratford, Chronicle Herald June 4, 2022
As Halifax’s government and police seek to evict residents of Meagher Park, also known as People’s Park, we want to remind our elected leaders once again that there is another way. It is possible to create public policy that can solve the underlying causes of poverty and homelessness, rather than criminalize the symptoms of a policy that has failed to actualize its stated electoral goals.
A challenging summer Blog post by N Siritsky July 12, 2022
8 Connection | Spring 2023