Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov #TheSWEducator #EMPRSocialWork

March is a celebration of the social work profession. March is also the beginning of spring. In March 2020 global pandemic was declared.  Social workers work every month, every day, every minute and every second of the year. Social work practice is evolving to address all concerns humanity is facing. Pandemic is no exception. Social workers assess risk and find ways how to support those who are at risk. Social workers were essential, are essential and will be essential professionals. Social workers keep responding to human needs and make services accessible, available, adequate, appropriate, affordable, acceptable, appreciative, applicable and awesome!

Social workers are essential for supporting civil society like water is essential for supporting human life. Access to water takes care of basic human needs; access to social workers takes care of basic societal needs. Social workers are everywhere. However, their work is often invisible as they connect with groups whose concerns are usually unvoiced. For people who do not have supports, having access to social workers means a world to them.

Today, when we celebrate social work month, I want to thank social work professionals across Canada and worldwide for sharing their knowledge in ever-changing moments of crisis and uncertainty with love, care, and professional commitment to service. I want to thank my students and social work students worldwide for taking social work courses and prepare yourself for a professional social work journey. You are making our communities safe, calm, and kind and helping other human service professionals ensure that everyone can receive the support they need and where dignity and worth, social justice, service to humanity, competence, confidentiality, and integrity are valued.

I know that last year public health emergency imposed additional personal and professional constraints on our lives, our ability to practice and study social work. Social workers are human beings, not superheroes, and we also need love and care to share our knowledge and skills. Thank you to all who supported social workers in Canada and worldwide to provide the best possible social work professional services in our communities. We can only work together to create meaningful change and meet human needs.

Social Work Month is an opportunity to acknowledge the essential work social workers do every day and their impact on people around the world. Social workers walk alongside their community members, sharing knowledge and learning how to address social, economic, environmental and other social policy concerns.

Thank you to all who are practicing social work and embrace social work values. Let’s keep sharing our stories and finding ways to address concerns in the anti-oppressive and anti-privilege way. Let’s stay critically hopeful and engage everyone in our collective action to celebrate social work: happy Social Work Month, Week, Day Today and Every Day.

Social Workers in Health Care are essential in providing services for communities across Canada. In Ukraine the social work profession is still evolving and Ukrainian communities need more guidance on how to practice social workers in health care.

Canadian social workers in the health field of practice are needed to participate in the research on the role of social workers in health care and help a Ph.D. student in Ukraine by being a participant in her research study about how social workers can improve the delivery of health care services.

Here is more information about research. If you can please share the information among your networks.

PS: If you already participated in the study, thank you so much as your contribution is critical for the future development of health social work in Ukraine.

Who is doing the research?

Natalia Nazar is a PhD student in Social Work at Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine. The Social Work Program at this university was developed with Canadian assistance and support.

What is involved?

One interview before end of April 2021 at a time convenient to you via skype, zoom, or teleconference and responses to follow-up questions after receiving a summary report on results from all interviews.

How much time does it take?

The estimated time is 1-2 hours each for the interview and responses to the written survey.

How do I find out more information?

Email Brad McKenzie, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba at Brad.McKenzie@umanitoba.ca who is a member of Natalia’s thesis committee, and is coordinating the recruitment of research participants from Canada.