Social work & self-medication

Alec Stratford, MSW, RSW Registrar/Executive Director

This issue’s focus on self-medication reflects our understanding that the use of chemical substances and distracting behaviours cannot be understood in isolation from the larger social context. This is at the core of our advocacy efforts. We advocate because we recognize that our members, and the communities that we serve, deserve better. The research, training and experience of our professional community compels us to affirm that changes in policy are desperately needed.

We are grateful to all our members and community allies who graciously shared their perspectives with us.

Our feature piece on page 26 collects the voices of many different people who support people from equity-seeking groups; from varied experiences a strong consensus emerges that current mainstream approaches do not work for many people in their communities.

Turn to page 11 to read a call for compassion from practitioners, and to page 16 for an exploration of how to resolve the moral distress that can arise from working within flawed systems.

On page 18 learn about the ways that psychedelic therapy research might be relevant to social work practitioners.

A social work educator from nearby Newfoundland calls for the creation of a new harm reduction collective on page 20, and argues for stronger inclusion of harm reduction in social work curricula.

Finally, we introduce you on page 12 to a preview of our next advocacy campaign that will debut in 2023, More Than a Diagnosis, which seeks to advance change within Nova Scotia’s addictions and mental health systems by amplifying stories from our communities.

I am so proud of our community for their willingness to engage in deep exploration of this important issue with enthusiasm, determination, curiosity, compassion, and grace. The primary mandate of NSCSW is to protect the public, but I am also continually reminded that it is a privilege to work with and for the social workers of Nova Scotia.