The theme of the 2019 conference was: Keys to resilience, healing, and trauma-informed social work practice. Download our conference agenda PDF, or browse our sessions below.
Jackie Thornhill offers a first voice perspective of living with PTSD while practicing social work, and the impact of utilizing a service dog in her recovery process.
Daniel Redmond will share information about current practices and policies that affect services for LGBT2IQ+ children and youth in Nova Scotia, and outline areas of concern and opportunities for change.
Mental health is in trouble. Social work has been silent for too long. To change that, the social justice committee is shaping our voice and working on a plan for using it.
In this presentation, Fyre Jean Graveline will share an evolving LIFE (Lived Indigenous Feminist Ecological) model of practice and its applications to individuals, communities, and practitioners traumatized by oppressive systems. Fyre Jean will also inspire practitioners to engage in spirit-infused and expressive arts-based strategies for more compassionate care of self and others.
Kathy Bourgeois and Christina Shaffer will discuss SeaStar Child and Youth Advocacy Centre as a model for trauma-informed practice, and present practical strategies that social workers can use to grow safety and capacity for their clients, themselves, and their profession as a whole.
Accredited facility dog Dorado will be present for this presentation, accompanied by his handler Kathy
Dr. Nancy Ross and Kevin Dugas will provide a followup to their presentation at the 2018 conference. Last year they presented preliminary results from a pilot study being conducted at the Lunenburg Family Health Clinic exploring adverse childhood experiences, health outcomes, and resilience factors among clinic patients. The study is now complete.
Craig Besaw’s session is about photovoice, which can be used to assist clients in identifying and labelling/naming their trauma through an artistic lens. This session ties it to its use as a culturally appropriate tool in exploring trauma with Indigenous persons.
Ken Osbourne offers insights gleaned from 40 years of social work practice. A debriefing framework will be shared for social workers to use as a tool in their practice, as well as within their team.
Catrina Brown illustrates a narrative approach shaped by a feminist lens and feminist practice principles centered on collaboration. Emphasis will be on clients’ safety, power, and control in a strong therapeutic alliance.
