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BCASW Report to CASW, June 2013 Political Climate British Columbia recently re-elected a Liberal majority provincial government. In BC “liberal” really is a mix of the remnants of the “Social Credit Party” and very “right wing liberals” more commonly known as conservative in other Provinces. The results of the election were a surprise for not only the pollsters but for the total social sector as well. It means that we face another five years where issues such as poverty reduction, social assistance access and rates, and homelessness, to name a few, are unlikely to get the support necessary for them to be addressed in any substantive way. BCASW BCASW has focused on an organizational review for the past two years. The process is nearing completion. The soon to be completed outcomes include a new governance policy, a revamped financial management system, up-dated personnel policy, updated by-laws, and the re-birth of the Pacific Social Work foundation. These changes provide a stable foundation for our work in the next few years. A significant change in continuing Professional Development requirements for registered Social Workers in British Columbia approved by the College in April 2012 has provided BCASW with an opportunity to develop a sustainable continuing education program as well as other opportunities to earn the credits required to maintain Registration in British Columbia. We have commissioned a review of our mentoring program as it will be one of the strategies that registered social workers will use to earn credits. As well, we have just received the results of a major investigation by UBC to determine the continuing education needs of social workers in BC as well as strategies, timing, barriers and goals. BCASW is expecting to develop the three hours “ethics” course that will be required by the College. It is very exciting that the College and BCASW are working cooperatively on meeting the needs of practitioners. Promotion of the Profession BCASW is very focused on the promotion of the profession. Much of this work is carried out through our practice committees working with our ED Dianne Heath. One of the most active committees is the Health Practice Enhancement Committee. They recently sponsored the pamphlet Social Work Skills and Knowledge in Health Care essentially targeting managers from other professions as well as employers and decision makers in the provision of health services in BC. The committee is bringing Karen Nelson from Ottawa to do a workshop on the Social Determinants of Health on September 20, 2013. It will be carried out in conjunction with our AGM. A major issue being addressed with and for the Private Practitioners is being included by Worksafe BC (often known as the Compensation Board in other provinces) on service lists. A change in legislation (the Workers Compensation Act) is required in BC to have Social Work listed as a service provider. Third party billing inclusion remains an issue for our membership. Talks continue with the major unions representing Social workers. A second emphasis is supporting professional development opportunities that address the business concerns of the Private Practitioners. The Multiculturalism and Antiracism Committee (MARC) is a standing committee of BCASW and takes an ethno-racial approach to understand multiculturalism. The ethno-racial approach emphasizes anti-oppressive practice against any form of discrimination based on race, ethnicity and culture. This year they have participated in the conference sponsored by the Filipino Social Workers who have a separate organization in this province as many do not have the required equivalencies to enable them to become registered Social Workers in this province. MARC was also active in bringing forward the issues that are impacting refugees, foreign workers and illegal immigrants in Canada. The Health Advocacy Committee recently lobbying the Minister of Social Development to improve dental care to disadvantaged groups in BC. They want to see a minimizing of the disparity between the BC Dental Association private fee guide and the Ministry’s dental schedule. They also want to see more financial support to the not-for-profit dental clinics in the province. They have also written the Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour requesting amendments to the Employment Standards Act to align Compassionate Care Leave entitlement with leave allowed under the federal legislation enabling parents to obtain up to thirty-five weeks of leave to care for a seriously ill child. The ministry recently responded acknowledging the discrepancies and stating that as soon as a new Minister is appointed the issue will be brought forward. One of our most impactful Committees is the Child Welfare and Family Committee. The committee examines and addresses current child welfare and family related policies, legislation, practices and resources in the province of BC. It also examines and responds to emerging trends and potential areas of injustice in the protection of children. The Ministry of Children and Family and the Representative for Children and Youth in BC both recognize the contributions of this committee. This committee is active in reviewing government policy and making recommendations as well a supporting the work of the Representative. The Mental Health and Addictions committee is essentially a community of practice that exists to exchange information and alert practitioners to developments in the domain. Members log into a secure website to participate in dialogue. Our newest practice group is the Seniors Community of Practice. It, like the Mental Health and Addictions Committee is concerned with helping practitioners share insights, information and experience to assist each other to grow and develop rather than advocacy that is a major goal of our other committees. It major goal is to support excellence in practice. Social Justice The above committees often participate in advocating for social justice. Our ED, Dianne Heath also plays a significant role by representing BCASW on our coalitions that include First Call and the Federation of Community Social Services. Prior to the election there was much emphasis on the development of pre-election questions and materials by BCASW as well as on the part of the coalitions concerned with social justice in BC. Our Advocacy committee is working on developing the tools for advocacy. They hope to develop a library of resources that assist individuals in using appropriate tools to get their message across to decision makers and to assist individuals to develop appropriate media skills. They also hope to identify appropriate, representative “voices” to respond to specific media requests on short notice. Respectfully Submitted,