A new life for candidacy

BY ALPHONSINE SAULNIER

CANDIDACY COMMITTEE CHAIR

It has been over two years since the Candidacy Committee’s first meeting. Now at the end of our mandate, I can only repeat Rose Scott-Lincourt’s assessment of our committee in last year’s report:

As a committee, we laughed, we re-wrote, we threw out, we wordsmithed, we teleconferenced, and we met for many Saturdays, as we built a new incarnation of a program that we are proud to present.

A major milestone came at last year’s AGM when the new Candidacy Mentorship program (CMP) was approved. This was followed by hours and weeks of work by NSCSW staff and experts/consultants to transform the new content into a user-friendly website which was launched in October 2018.

This new website is designed to support candidates and mentors throughout the program, and includes activities, resources and learning objective examples.

Both candidates and mentors will receive support and structure as well as non-prescriptive resources (11 appendices containing activities, videos, readings, discussion questions, etc.) aimed at enhancing discussion at the same time as highlighting the link between the Social Work Act, the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Practice. Candidates and mentors will also find practical information relating to such issues as: the regulatory requirements of the CMP, how to register, how to choose a mentor, how to write learning objectives, etc. And as of April 2019, members can now use a completely online reporting system for candidacy application and reporting.

Having ‘reincarnated’ most of the candidacy program and received its approval, one more major section remained to be addressed. As a committee, we fully agreed that we needed to provide support to mentors. We were also hoping to encourage more social workers to engage in the mentoring process.

The role of the mentor is highly valued. Candidacy mentors are an important link in the model for professional development within the membership of the NSCSW. It is distinct from the roles of administrative supervisors/ managers which are oriented toward agency policy and organizational demands. The mentorship process is designed to decrease professional stress and provide the candidate with nurturing conditions that complement their success and encourage self-efficacy. Mentorship is underscored by a climate of safety and trust, where candidates can develop their sense of professional identity.

Again, based on adult education and life-long learning principles, we undertook the development of a mentor training program. The goal was that this program would be easily accessible to all, and practical. The program has taken the form of an online webinar (4 individual modules), that are scheduled to become available during summer 2019, and will be free for all registered social workers in Nova Scotia.

And still we brainstormed, discussed, read other mountains of articles, and consulted. Some of the content will include:

• What is mentoring? What are the responsibilities of a mentor? What are the rewards of mentoring (for example, mentors can count 20 hours of annual professional development), what are its challenges?

• Overview of the candidacy process: goals and objectives, available resources, reporting structure, etc.

• Overview of the NSCSW website and documents such as the Social Work Act, the Code of Ethics, and the Standards of Practice

• How to facilitate reflective discussions for exploring ethical dilemmas/challenging views/attitudes, etc.

• Communication skills: listening and assertive communication, how to create a safe space for learning

• Constructive engagement and feedback: having difficult conversations, providing effective feedback/conflict resolution and problem-solving

• Conducting assessments, evaluation of candidate’s progress, engagement

The mandate of the Candidacy Committee has now come to an end. However, in this changing world the social work profession is continually evolving and adapting to the needs of our communities and individuals. So also, must the CMP evolve to remain relevant to new candidates and their integration into the profession. It is therefore crucial that going forward a monitoring and evaluation process be put in place to insure the CMP remains current and responds adequately to the needs of both candidates and mentors. Watch out for the upcoming call for members for the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee for the new CMP.

I truly believe we now have the tools to greatly enhance the candidacy process for both candidates and mentors. To the wonderful, dedicated, funny, brilliant members of the Candidacy Committee, to the NSCSW support staff, to all the members who responded to consultations: thank you!

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Alphonsine Saulnier (Chair), Rose Scott-Lincourt, Brenda Boutlier, Carolyn Campbell, Daniel Clairmount, Marie Meagher, Sarah Oulton, Kate Matheson, Sherry Battiste (staff liaison).