What We Do

Communication

Social Workers in Health (SWHSBC) publishes a newsletter, BC Connections, twice yearly, highlighting social work practice innovations, research projects, upcoming events, and general membership information. Articles have included:

• "Community Social Work in Palliative Care" by Janet Coghlan, MSW (BC Connections, Fall 2000)
• "Orientation of Social Workers" by Janet Coghlan, MSW
• "Suffering and Transcendence: Exploring a Clinical Question" by Janice Sork, MSW, RSW
• "Dimensions of Power - Older Women's Experiences With Depression and Electroconvulsive Therapy" by Alison Orr, MSW
• "Attitudes, Knowledge and Roll Perceptions Regarding Chronic Pain: A Survey of Social Workers in Health Care" by Andrea Moore
• "Handling Non-Stop Changes - A Personal Experience" - by Angie Kwok, MSW
• "Bridging the Gap for Stroke Survivors and Their Families" - by Bev Arsenault and Esther Krahn
• "Evidence Based Practice - Perspective from a Group of Social Workers in Health" by Maria Robichaud (BC Connections, Fall 2003)
• Role of Renal Social Worker in Introducing the Advanced Directives... by Zhila Schofield
• A Social Work Perspective on Spirituality with Palliative Clients by Bobbi Preston, BSW, MSW Candidate
• Widening the Lens/Deepening the Practice by Mary Leslie, MSW RSW
• Becoming Anti Oppressive in Hospital Social Work by Andrea Johnson
• Social Workers Leading the Way to a Major Paradigm Shift in Health Care by Marilyn Gough, MSW RSW

Book Reviews

• "Finishing Well - Aging & Reparation in the Intergenerational Family" by Terry Hargrave
• "Families and Forgiveness - Healing Wounds in the Intergenerational Family" by Terry Hargrave
• "Understanding the Long-Term Care System" by Ken Levitt (BC Connections, Spring 2002)
• "What Dying People Want" by David Kuhl
• "Transitions in Dying and Bereavement"
• "Soul Work - Diverse Perspectives on Healing"

Research

We have sponsored two MSW research projects:

• Orientation to Social Work in Health Care: 2001 Janet Coghlan, developed an orientation package for introducing social workers to health care. This was a way to provide social workers with basic orientation information to facilitate the site orientation, and to give a flavour for health care work to facilitate career planning. Read Janet's article.
• Social Workers Response to Working with Chronic Pain: 2002 Andrea Moore, looked at the experience social workers have in working with chronic pain and their comfort level with the field. Read Andrea's article.
  

Past Workshops/Conferences

We have offered workshops on subjects that support social work practice in health care.

• Distress Management Guidelines: April 2002 with Jim Zabora (Boston), Linda Diaz (Detroit). These guidelines can indicate the client's perception of their distress. They articulate through algorithms the potential social work interventions based on the distress level identified by the patient. This model is used in cancer care, but can be adapted to work with clients in a variety of areas.
• Outcome Measurement: February 2002 with Judith Globerman on Evidenced Based Social Work Practice.
• Orientation to Social Work in Health Care: November 2001. A day long workshop for those social workers considering work in the Health Care field. This is a follow up to the MSW research project.
• Networking Day: November 2000. Workshops on groups, case management in the ER, etc.
• Recording: June 2000. A workshop on social work recording with Anthony Pare of McGill University.
• National Conference: October 1999. Social Work in Health in the New Millennium co-sponsored by SWHSBC and Canadian Association of Social Workers in Health Administration (CASWH)

Video and Pizza Nights

• Viewed Jane Parker’s Educational Video Series

Note: The Social Workers in Health Society of BC encourages new members! Please visit our membership page to find out about the benefits of joining.