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United by Diversity Strengthened by Inclusion CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS UNITED BY DIVERSITY STRENGTHENED BY INCLUSION 2020 ANNUAL REPORT THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (CASW) is a federation of provincial and territorial social work organizations with its national office located in Ottawa. By joining the appropriate provincial/territorial organi- zation, social workers automatically become affiliated with CASW. CASW was founded in 1926 and has completed over 90 years of service to social workers and to the Canadian public. The Board consists of a President and one representative from each member organization. For one year immediately following her/his term of office, the Past President will also be a member of the Board of Directors. 2019-2020 Board of Directors CASW Federation Committee Officers Code of Ethics and Scope of President Jan Christianson-Wood Practice Committee Vice-President Joan Davis-Whelan Jan Christianson-Wood (President) Treasurer Vicki Coy Leya Eguchi (BC) Rachel Hollingshead Maxine Salopree (AB) Karen Wasylenka (SK) Board Members Miguel Leblanc (NB) British Columbia Glen Schmidt Rachel Hollingshead (NU) Alberta Maxine Salopree Debbie Reimer (NS) Ajay Pandhi Barbara Temmerman (MB) Saskatchewan Hazel Berg Fred Phelps (Ex-officio) Manitoba Darlene MacDonald Ce document est disponible en français New Brunswick Vicki Coy Barbara Whitenect Contractors Prince Edward Island Kelly MacWilliams Code of Ethics Noela Crowe-Salazar, Nova Scotia Debbie Reimer Pimatisiwin Consulting and Counselling Newfoundland & Labrador Joan Davis-Whelan Scope of Practice Rhoda Hallberg, Barnes Management Group Northern Canada Rachel Hollingshead CASW Staff CASW Board Committees Executive Director Fred Phelps Ends Committee Membership Coordinator Kate Hudson Ajay Pandhi (AB) Administrative Coordinator Heather Hallett Ray Hildebrand (MB) Director of Policy and Strategy Sally Guy Rachel Hollingshead (NU) Social Policy and Communications Joan Davis-Whelan (NLD) Coordinator Alexandra Zannis Fred Phelps (Ex-officio) Policy-Governance Jan Christianson-Wood (President) Ray Hildebrand (MB) 383 Parkdale Avenue, Suite 402 Kelly MacWilliams (PEI) Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4R4 Debbie Reimer (NS) 613.729.6668 Sally Guy (Ex-officio) [email protected] 2 | CASW Annual Report | 2020 casw-acts.ca PROVINCIAL / TERRITORIAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada British Columbia Association of Social Workers CASW Federation poses in Saskatoon, SK in June 2019 President Jim Watkin President Michael Crawford Executive Director Lesley Carberry Executive Director Dianne Heath www.socialworknorth.com www.bcasw.org New Brunswick Association of Social Workers Nova Scotia College of Social Workers President Geraldine Poirier Baiani President Ezra Wexler Manitoba College of Social Workers Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers Executive Director Miguel Leblanc Executive Director Lynn Brogan (Interim), President Vicki (Verge) Burgess President Wanda Miller Registrar Martine Paquet Alec Stratford Executive Director Executive Director www.nbasw-antsnb.ca www.nscsw.org and Registrar Barbara Temmerman and Registrar Karen Wasylenka www.mcsw.ca www.sasw.ca Alberta College of Social Workers President Ajay Hartenfeld Pandhi Newfoundland & Labrador Prince Edward Island Executive Director Association of Social Workers Association of Social Workers and Registrar Lynn Labrecque King President Henry Kielley President Bruce Davison Associate Registrar Suzanne MacKinnon Executive Director www.peiasw.ca Associate Director, Professional Practice and Registrar Lisa Crockwell and Advocacy Jody-Lee Farrah www.nlasw.ca www.acsw.ab.ca 4 | CASW Annual Report | 2020 2020 | CASW Annual Report | 5 treatment for vulnerable groups in society. CASW was able to conduct a “Hill Day” in early March 2020 to visit PRESIDENT’S members of the federal political parties. We shared our vision for a more just Canada and heard of efforts being MESSAGE 2020 made by the parties and proposals for the future. This visit culminated in a reception hosted by members of the Senate who are or were social workers; this is cov- ered elsewhere in the Annual Report. The event was well “United by Diversity; Strengthened by Inclusion” is the Following the World Social Work Conference in Dublin attended by social workers and social work students National Social Work Month theme chosen for this (July 2018), the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social from the area and by our colleagues from CASWE and year. At this point in our history, it delivers a message Work ramped up the planning the IFSW Social Work Social CCSWR. Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard invited one of that is timely and a guide into the future; it has a fit that Development World Conference 2020 (SWSD2020 her former students, Dr. Marion Brown to read a moving was intended and yet unexpected. In the past twelve Calgary). CASW participated in the planning process, poem written from the view of a social worker. It was an months we have prepared for events that could not take beginning in 2018, both as a member of the international evening of friendship, meeting old friends and making place and worked through unexpected challenges and Steering Committee and the local Program Committee. new ones. The emergence of a new virus named COVID- changes to how we communicate, practice and work as We were supporters of the conference and contributors, 19 was discussed, with handshakes and hugs replaced a national association of social workers. with Federation members volunteering to read abstracts by ‘elbow bumps’ as a potentially safer form of greeting. submitted for the conference. Regular meetings were held The 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Federation online and in-person in Calgary. We met monthly online was hosted by the Saskatchewan Association of Social in 2019 and 2020 as a larger group and in committee. Dr. Workers in June at the historic Delta Bessborough Hotel Linda Kreitzer of the Edmonton social work campus and in Saskatoon. The Board gathered again in October, I shared the chairing of the Program Committee, working this time in Ottawa, and welcomed three new Board with the Conference Planner and University staff to plan members, Glen Schmidt (BCASW), Maxine Salopree a Canadian conference with a strong theme of honouring (ACSW and the IFSW Indigenous Committee) and and acknowledging indigenous social workers in Canada Days after our visit to Ottawa, Canada was dealing During these difficult times, CASW has made concerted Darlene MacDonald (MCSW). The days were full as and around the world. with the emergence of COVID-19 and it was evident efforts to remain connected and be conscious that we we reviewed reports, had an operational update from that our ability to meet face to face or to travel across all can do with support at times. CASW Vice President, Executive Director Fred Phelps and a Financial Update The IFSW Indigenous Committee (with 3 CASW mem- Canada had been impacted by a ‘new normal’. CASW’s Joan Davis-Whelan, is the Moderator of the Peer Support from Treasurer, Joan Davis-Whelan (NLCSW). The bers) met during the planning process and was to plans to hold a July 2020 AGM in Calgary or to meet Facebook page for CASW. This confidential meeting information and action package reviewed by the Board be a critical contributor at the Conference itself. The at another location were cancelled. We moved into vir- place has grown to over 700 members since being set was extensive. Program Committee continued planning, accepting tual meetings, ‘sharing’ our home spaces, patios, and up by CASW Ottawa in response to the pandemic. abstracts, scheduling speakers, and working to ensure office spaces with other Board members in the process, CASW received a welcome invitation in September to that those attending would have a memorable experi- meeting family members and occasionally family pets. It is my hope that the experiences of this past year lay celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Association of ence in Canada and especially in Alberta. As you know, Social media became critical in staying connected with the foundation of a stronger and more equitable society Black Social Workers in Halifax with three of the found- the emergence of the COVID-19 virus made it impos- others and keeping in contact with Federation members. for everyone in Canada as CASW continues in our pro- ing members present and former CASW President sible for presenters and speakers to travel to Canada During this change in daily operations, CASW benefited fessional role to advocate for a just society for all people Veronica Marsman as a member of the organizing once international restrictions became necessary. The from the skill of our staff in reaching out to members in Canada. Taking care of ourselves and one another will committee. I was very happy to accept the invitation to prospect that this would take months to resolve led to and keeping the Board connected with the governance support our profession in the days ahead. attend. The theme of the 40th Anniversary Event was IFSW and the University, with great regret on both sides, side of the Association. “Still fighting for Justice.” The history of Black Canadians decide to cancel the World Conference. IFSW is plan- I hope that you will enjoy following the 2019-2020 in Nova Scotia documents over 150 years of struggle ning a virtual AGM to be held over a period of 57 hours The COVID-19 crisis has shown us that a society with- activities in this CASW Annual Report. for equality and for promised land rights to be fulfilled. in July of this year in addition to a virtual presentation out social justice can leave people in dire straits when a The over-representation of Black children in provin- of the abstracts and presentations that could have been pandemic or other wide-ranging event shuts down the cial care continues to be a concern for the community. part of the Calgary conference. economy, denies access to a living income and to nec- Speakers provided insight into the contributions of Black essary services such as health care. Achieving our social Nova Scotians both provincially and nationally.
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