Lynn's letter: the scope of practice

The scope of practice

During my term as Acting Executive Director/Registrar, I’m delighted to have the chance to introduce an issue of Connection magazine to our members, and to our broader community. In this issue, we’re taking a look at the social work scope of practice, and the unique perspectives social workers bring to their work.

In this fall issue of Connection, we celebrate stories of excellence and leadership in our community. Turn to page 17 to read about the 40th anniversary conference of the Association of Black Social Workers, “40 Years: Still Fighting for Justice,” which was held in Halifax last month. We also shine a spotlight on the award recipients from our own annual conference in May (page 25).

Some of the articles in this issue are about different types of clinical practice. On page 10 you’ll hear from a social worker who strives to prevent future harm by working directly with perpetrators of violence. We’re also sharing an article about the ethical challenges posed by Community Treatment Orders (page 14) and a proposal from experienced private practitioners to use Bowen Family Systems Theory to apply a social work lens in medical settings (page 20).

Our research article on page 18 is an executive summary of a longer paper about child welfare challenges in Nova Scotia, many of which are echoed on a national scale, and pathways to possible solutions. The authors’ full-length article can be found on our website.

On page 30, we close this issue with a reflection from a relatively new social worker who completed candidacy this year. She writes about the differences in how social work can be perceived by the public, and the actual challenges she faces in her role.

The broad scope of the social work profession offers diverse opportunities to co-create meaningful change at micro, mezzo and macro levels. I’m grateful to our contributors who’ve generously agreed to share some of these with our College, and with you. We are fortunate to be part of a vibrant and vocal community of social workers.

Lynn Brogan, MSW, RSW; Acting Registrar/Executive Director