Child, Youth and Family Services
September 14, 2015
Strengthening the Social Work Practice Through Collaboration
Provincial Government and Memorial University Launch New Partnership
The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) and Memorial University’s School of Social Work officially launched a new partnership today to promote the professional development of social workers employed in the area of child protection. Advancing the Practice Together (APT) will highlight the continued collaboration between both organizations and, on an ongoing basis, help advance the social work practice through training and development opportunities. The partnership also provides a forum to help better understand current best practices and practical approaches in the area of child welfare.
“Our government is very pleased to partner with Memorial University’s School of Social Work in an effort to foster knowledge, research, learning and best practices within the social work community. A significant number of social workers in our province work in the area of child protection, and my department has a close working relationship with the School of Social Work. It is important that we find innovative means of bringing academia and the practice together to help advance the field of social work.”
- The Honourable Sandy Collins, Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services
Through the APT partnership, the department and the School of Social Work will collaborate on professional growth and development opportunities for CYFS staff including zone managers, clinical program supervisors, frontline social workers and student interns involved in the field of child welfare.
“We at Memorial University's School of Social Work are extremely pleased to officially launch our ongoing collaboration with the provincial Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. Partnering with the Provincial Government on the Advancing the Practice Together initiative enables us to further explore and offer professional development opportunities to social workers in the field of child welfare. This collaboration will advance the social work practice and ultimately, further assist the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.”
- Dr. Donna Hardy Cox, Dean, Memorial University School of Social Work
Several areas of professional development have been identified through the partnership, including the enhancement of individual and group supervision skills, along with training on a number of practice issues to enhance knowledge and skills of frontline social workers, supervisors and all those providing frontline services. The first development opportunity was offered today during the launch on the topic of interviewing skills and was presented by Lynn Barry, a Founding Director with the Canadian Society for the Investigation of Child Abuse.
A steering committee has been established to identify priority areas for development through the APT initiative. The committee is comprised of representatives from both the Provincial Government and Memorial University.
QUICK FACTS
- The Provincial Government and Memorial University School of Social Work have launched the Advancing the Practice Together (APT) partnership to promote the professional development of social workers employed in the area of child protection.
- The partnership will focus on professional growth and development opportunities for CYFS staff including zone managers, clinical program supervisors, frontline social workers and student interns involved in the field of child welfare.
- A number of areas of development have been identified through the partnership such as the enhancement of individual and group supervision skills, as well as practice issues to enhance knowledge and skills of frontline social workers, supervisors and all those providing frontline services.
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Media contacts:
| Melony O’Neill Director of Communications Department of Child, Youth and Family Services 709-729-5148, 689-0928 melonyoneill@gov.nl.ca |
Laura Woodford Communications Coordinator School of Social Work Memorial University of Newfoundland 709- 864-8162 lwoodford@mun.ca |
2015 09 14 1:55 p.m.