A model for mentorship, a model for change

A message from NSCSW Council President

Ezra Wexler, RSW, MSW

It is my great honour to serve as the President of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. I do so knowing that the role of the College is to both protect the public and enhance the credibility, skills, and political engagement of social workers in the province. This is no small task; it is in fact many interconnected tasks that take many forms, as can be seen from our strategic plan.

I am proud of the progress we have made this past year on several fronts. I point towards the work of our many volunteers sitting on committees of council, the council itself, the board of examiners, and particularly the complaints committee for the great amounts of commitment and energy they put into each of those tasks. And of course, our Executive Director Registrar and his team of dedicated staff are at the forefront of the successes and challenges our college has had these past twelve months.

I recently participated in the Supported Housing Summit where over two hundred individuals gathered for a full day of discussions and planning around the struggles faced by those with disabilities in this province. The attendees were comprised of a mix of politicians, professionals, government employees, family members, and those who struggle to live independently in their communities.

I was there as a service provider, but my role as president was identified by several of those in the room. They knew of the college from some of the articles that have appeared in the news and on social media. They identified social workers as key allies in forging a path forward for their loved ones and clients. Social workers were acknowledged as skilled professionals, and I was implored to establish a role for the college in this provinces journey to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities. That social workers and the college would be viewed in such light was a clear sign to me that we have been doing something right this past year, and that we must continue moving forward.

A few months ago I was in conversation with a young social worker who had moved here from British Columbia. They were telling me about the differences in social services between the provinces, and soon our conversation moved to the differences between the NS hybrid college model and the separated bodies of registrar and association in BC. I mentioned my interest in the poster campaigns the BC association has each year to raise awareness of the role of social work and promote social justice through colourful and artistic posters that are then sold as a revenue stream. Their reaction surprised me. Not only had they not heard of these campaigns, but in fact they were impressed with the candidacy model our college uses to help get social workers transitioned from social work education to social work application. All I could say was, “Great!”

I believe our mentorship (candidacy) modelis very helpful, and this interaction solidifiedit. I hope to work harder to demonstrate the benefits of this model to the other provinces’ regulatory bodies in the coming year so we can move from being unique to being leaders in how we prepare social workers for practice. This is a clear example of protecting the public and supporting social workers that we are doing well.

Our Executive Director Registrar has been publicly advocating for better services and enhanced protection of rights for children in our province, and the effect on how Nova Scotians are thinking about social workers and the college can already be felt. We are seeing engagement on social media, via emails, and in the papers. I’ve had several social workers reach out and comment on their pride in the profession because of these actions. As we simultaneously work to protect the public and further the role of social work in the province there are more eyes looking our way.

Fortunately our logo, website, newsletter, conference, professional development, social media and Connection magazine are all great to consume, and behind it all are the clear goals of our strategic plan as we strive for meaningful outcomes.

It is my great honour to serve as president of The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. I hope you also take great pride in being a member, and being part of our growing role in the lives of Nova Scotians.

Ezra Wexler, RSW, MSW; NSCSW Council President