Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov and Ani Dingamtar https://www.instagram.com/emprsocialwork/

Here are the Social Work Instagram pages that highlight the work of virtual chat presenters. We hope you can follow them to stay empowered:

The page is designed to empower new and aspiring clinical Social Workers through relationships and knowledge to make a massive impact on the world. Catherine Moore, LCSW. Socialworkerrise creator is born and raised in Southern California and has been a social worker since she obtained her BSW in 2009. She now has her MSW and LCSW and provides clinical therapy in a Palliative care clinic. This year she has launched her organization, Social Workers, Rise! Catherine also has a podcast that you can listen https://anchor.fm/SocialWork

#reiliencyllc https://www.instagram.com/resiliencyllc/

 On Instagram Resiliencyllc page you can learn that Tiffany L. Green,MSW,LCSW offers Individual Therapy/Family Therapy/Group Therapy/Trauma Informed Yoga/Wellness Workshops/ Clinical Supervision/Consulting. Born and raised in Chicago Tiffany is currently residing in Indiana. Tiffany has over 15 years of experience in social service and therapeutic work. Tiffany loves incorporating wellness and holistic intervention in practice and has her practice and provides individual and group supervision. Tiffany lectures part-time at Purdue University and works as a clinical home-based therapist with youth and families court ordered to have individual therapy, family therapy, or have to complete parenting or substance use assessments.

#groundedcounseling https://www.instagram.com/groundedcounseling/

Rebecca Ogle, the creator of Groundedcounseling Instagram page is an LCSW practicing therapy in Chicago, IL. Rebecca specializes in helping people with anxiety, codependency, and people-pleasing tendencies using mindfulness-based CBT and DBT interventions through a trauma-informed lens. Her Instagram page includes mental health information and tips and anti-oppressive content, and linkage to community resources. Rebecca believes that authenticity and appropriate self-disclosure about her own lived experiences is key to reducing stigma. She has been inspired by @thelivedexperiencecounsellor and @mswjake as well as many others.

#socialworkbub https://www.instagram.com/socialworkbub/

Laura Swanson, MSW is a NYC based Social Worker & Therapist. In addition to Instagram page #socialworkbob Laura created the The Social Work Bubble Blog, Podcast, & Etsy Shop. Laura is a 2020 MSW graduate from Columbia University, and also hold my Bachelor of Social Work from SUNY at Fredonia. Luara has completed work in child welfare, disaster relief, foster care, forensic social work, supporting those with developmental disabilities, community outreach, and practicing as a psychotherapist in outpatient mental health. You can listen to Laura’s podcast on  https://thesocialworkbubble.com/podcast

Trisha and Joyce from @nswalliance #UnionizeSocialWorkNOW is a group working to organize the Social Work labour movement across the United States. We’re Social Workers building collective power w/our community allies to mobilize & reach for social justice together. Stay empowered and follow amazing social workers who shared their passion during the #EMPRSocialWork virtual chat. Thank you to all the speakers and Schools of Social Work in universities in Canada (Thompson Rivers University) and Ukraine (Lviv National Polytechnic University, Lviv Catholic University and Cherkasy National University) and CASWE-ACFTS Social Policy Advocacy Committee and Social Work Educators in the US for support in promoting the event.

Sasha Kondrashov Ani Dingamtar and 2^nd year anniversary virtual chat participants

#EMPRSocialWork idea was born in Dublin at the International Social Work Conference in 2018, where Thompson Rivers University was one of the few Schools of Social Work represented by both a social work student and a faculty member. Two years later, and TRU BSW Program alumni Ani Dingamtar and TRU Assistant Professor Sasha Kondrashov, with more than 1000 Instagram followers, organized a virtual chat. Seventy-five global social workers registered for the virtual chat to share the power of Instagram. More than 30 live chat attendees from around the world shared their passion for Instagram and listened to the inspiring and motivating speakers and creators of Social Work Instagram pages:

Trisha and Joyce #unionizesocialworknow https://www.instagram.com/nswalliance/

Tiffany L. Green #reiliencyllc https://www.instagram.com/resiliencyllc/

Rebecca Ogle #groundedcounseling https://www.instagram.com/groundedcounseling/

Laura Swanson #socialworkbub https://www.instagram.com/socialworkbub/

Catherine Moore #socialworkersrise https://www.instagram.com/socialworkersrise/

The chat started with acknowledging Indigenous lands where participants connected on Zoom. The registrants represented more than 40 geographic locations around the world that included: Athens, Atlanta, Beit shemesh, Bossier City, Boston, Bucharest, Buffalo,  Calgary, Cherkasy, Chicago, Chilliwack, Columbus, Denver, Doylestown, Fredericton, Halifax, Hoboken, Ibadan, Kamloops, Kansas City, Kenora, Kilifi, Los Angeles, Lviv, Mombasa, Morristown, New York, Opole, Orillia, Philadelphia, Phoenixville, Pocatello, Portage, Rochester, Saskatoon, Superior, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

As each presenter shared their story, the dialogue started to occur. The chat included many questions ranging from how to use social media ethically to create a social work podcast. Many resources were shared in the chat that will be sent to all registrants, and many new ideas and action plans were created to promote social work practice using social media. There will be more virtual chats in the future. We want to thank all Participants: Your presence keeps us @EMPRSocialWork!

What Does Empowerment Mean to You? Responses from Virtual Chat Registrants:

• A dynamic designed by the powerful to increase the power of the powerless
• Action and motivation
• As more people become engaged and take effective tools of social work, the more people get help
• basic dignity
• be free to choose behavior
• Being able to advocate for yourself and others
• Being able to exercise agency in making changes in my life
• client self-determination
• Collaboration & connectedness
• Empowerment means giving strength and voice to an individual or group
• Empowerment means providing the tools,  knowledge,  information,  and motivation to others to guide them towards living their best
• Everyone treated with the utmost respect
• Feeling embolden to be your best self and make your best efforts in any and everything you do.
• Fighting for equality and equity
• Growth individually,  as a profession,  and as a community. Empowerment also means finding our voice in the Labor Movement.
• Having the knowledge and skills to self-actualize
• Having the resources and information needed to succeed
• Helping people feel more confident in themselves and their ability to access the resources around them
• It is the process of developing abilities and capabilities to make informed choices that impact one’s life and the community gen
• It means feeling courageous to take action and fulfill your purpose.
• It means helping people to see the tools and strengths that they have and then getting out of the way.
• Knowing how & being able to choose for yourself.
• Knowing what to do first,  and how to do it
• Lifting up and getting out of the way
• Love
• Making an informed decision
• Means been able to stand on your own
• Power to do the impossible
• Process of Social Change
• Resilience
• Self-belief and action with community uplifting
• Self-determination and choice
• Strength
• Strength,  agency & choice
• Strength,  Voice,  Visibility,  Power
• Supporting and building others up to create a strong foundation for achievement.
• The ability to choose for myself
• To have freedom to do….
• To make people feel that there is a reason and importance to keep doing what they do or going to do.