SOCIAL WORK WEEK 2010

March 8 - 14, 2010

BCASW's theme:
Social Work: Enriching Lives

Here's how you can
promote and celebrate
Social Work

BCASW Committees


Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Committee (MARC)

The Multiculturalism and Antiracism Committee (MARC) is a standing committee of BCASW and takes an ethno-racial approach to understand multiculturalism. The ethno-racial approach emphasizes anti-oppressive practice against any form of discrimination based on race, ethnicity and culture.

The functions of MARC are: a) to raise critical awareness by engaging Social Workers and related professionals through ongoing dialogue about issues of and beyond multiculturalism including ethno-racial relations, racism, human rights; and, b) to promote delivery of service appropriate to a multiracial and multi-ethnic society. The committee develops and recommends positions to the BCASW Board for action on specific issues of concern related to these areas. Carol Ross, MSW

Chairs: Sri Pendakur and Augusta Lokhorst

Read the Terms of Reference 

  Child Welfare and Family Committee

The committee addresses child welfare and family policy, practice and trends in the province of British Columbia. The committee does this in discussion with Social Workers active in this field, in dialogue with the various government ministries, in consultation with the Schools of Social Work and in cooperation with other community partners. The committee provides an assessment of current policy and practice to the appropriate governmental bodies as well as to the public via regular exchanges of information, meetings and an active involvement in the larger public discourse.

Chair: Carol Ross, MSW

"My social work began in Sudbury Ontario Children’s Aid Society and later with Alberta Social Services and Community Health. I ran The Advocacy Centre in Nelson BC for 18 years and was highly involved in the anti poverty, anti violence movements there. I developed an approach to child protection advocacy that was innovative and parent based and I continue to be passionate about advocacy (on every level) as a key to social justice. Currently I am the Executive Director of Parent Support Services Society of BC, highly involved in promoting the rights of parents plus grandparents raising grandchildren, and immersed in a research project on child protection advocacy. I look forward to working together with many of you across the province to build on the momentum of the past and to make the issues clear, visible and open for progressive change".

Read the Terms of Reference

Read the BCASW Submission to the Hughes Children and Youth Review 

 For a list of Child and Mental Health and Addiction Resources click here 

Health Practice Committee

The BCASW Health Practice Committee is comprised of social workers who have an interest in advancing the practice of healthcare Social Work. Its dual focus is advocacy for the role of Social Work in healthcare and advocacy for clients in the healthcare system.

Chairs: Megan Saul and Fiona Lewis

Read the Advisory Committee Update May 2009

Read the Terms of Reference  

Read the Advisory Committee Update February 2007

Advocacy Committee

The Advocacy Committee meets by teleconference. It has developed a number of advocacy actions which are featured regularly in our newsletter, Perspectives. The committee speaks out against bad social policy as well as for good policy and the programs that flow from them both. To do this, we encourage members to write individually or as groups. We provide model letters and background information. We issue press releases to the provincial media and copy the Premier, cabinet ministers, MLA’s. We encourage branches to follow up with their MLAs and copy their local press in turn. The Committee has a representative from each branch. 

For information, please contact the Chair, Robert Hart 

Advocacy Action on Poverty - read here

Resources: This will link you to a list of websites containing access to research studies, policy papers, political opinion and social action.

Advocacy Tools: Link to some useful government email addresses and letter writing tips

"The End of Poverty"  – read the article by Robert Hart

"A National Plan to End Poverty" – read about the plan, along with a model letter to governmen

 Future Committees

BCASW is interested in developing practice committees in the areas of Poverty, Community Living Services, Aging, and Corrections. If you are interested in working with us to develop such committees, contact us by email