Summary

There may be various reasons for substance use and misuse in society, but the component of race makes the problem of addiction more endemic for Black and other racialized individuals and families. Using the emancipatory approaches of Critical Race and Critical Whiteness Theories as well as the Intersectionality framework, this presentation aims to examine the oppression of addiction in Black families, touching on precipitating factors such as the lived experience of racism and systemic violence as well as the over-representation of Black Canadians in the provincial and federal correctional systems.\ The objectives are to: a) assess the contributing, risk, and vulnerability factors for substance use and abuse for Black service users; b) examine barriers to help-seeking in the Black family/community; c) identify social work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels; and d) highlight culturally relevant resources (including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments) for Black individuals and families. The outcomes would be for participants to recognize the layers of oppression under which Black individuals function in society, and for health and addiction professionals to gain insight into intervention strategies regarding working with Black individuals, families, and communities.For Black Canadians, addiction is often beyond individual pathology, therefore, treatment and interventional models must incorporate the family and community (who aid their treatment, relapse, and/or recovery), and the disabling external environment of marginalization, criminalization, and social exclusion. This presentation will, therefore, spotlight critical social work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and the need for social workers to be sensitive to provide services in culturally meaningful ways. Given the increasing diversity of Canada’s sociocultural landscape, this presentation has implications for social work practice in addictions for Black service users and social policies and legislations by policy-makers at the national and international stages.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Emancipatory approaches, addictions, Black service users, Black families and communities, Canada, inclusive social policies, social work practice

Summary

Students who live in Northern and rural communities and cohort-oriented students often face barriers in traditional social work education. In presentation author will introduces an innovative solution – the On/Off-the-Ground Cohort Model – redefining the landscape of social work education in Canada for greater inclusivity and flexibility.This presentation explores how implementing flexible on/off-the-ground cohort models in social work education can increase respect for diversity.First, it examines how reserving learning for physical classrooms limits participation for groups including rural students, working professionals, and those with disabilities or caregiving responsibilities. Second, it outlines an on/off-the-ground approach that synchronizes online and in-person learning within a cohort. This provides multiple pathways to a social work degree. Third, the presentation details multiple benefits of the model in areas like cost savings, customized learning, inclusive access, collaboration, and community impact. Finally, it invites discussion on challenges in shifting from conventional delivery models that have marginalized non-traditional groups.The presenter argues that respecting diversity requires moving beyond rhetoric to challenge systems that inhibit equity in access. Social work education claiming to value diversity must mirror this commitment in teaching practices that embrace varied learning needs. By making education more available, accessible and applicable to non-traditional learners on/off-the-ground cohort models demonstrate respect for diversity.\ Participant Takeaways:Technological Empowerment: Discover the potential of technology to transcend physical limitations, promoting inclusivity and global engagement.Balancing Act: Understand the delicate balance between flexibility and structure, enabling personalized learning experiences without compromising curriculum quality.Responsive Education: Participants will gain insights into tailoring education to individual circumstances, effectively reaching students who face obstacles in traditional learning settings.In this presentation, the author presents not just a model, but a transformative shift that respects diversity, promotes accessibility, and equips educators to shape the future of social work education.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social work education, on/off the ground cohort model, Canada

Summary

Context: As a result of colonial policies and traumatic experiences (CRPA, 1995; CVRC, 2015; ENFFADA, 2019), First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals experience more psychological, spiritual and social distress than non-Indigenous people (Bombay et al., 2014 ; INSPQ, 2021 ; Kirmayer et al., 2009 ; Maté, 2022). In response to the exponential growth of requests for distress assistance amongst the general population (80 % of all calls to police), and the limitations of police intervention methods with Indigenous people (CERP, 2019), four pilot EMIPIC (hybrid teams composed of police and community responders) were deployed in Quebec (Canada) as of March 2022. Objectives: The study aims to elucidate what are the foundations and memorandum of understanding of hybrid teams and their implications for culturally safe intervention with Indigenous people in distress? Four main objectives are pursued: (1) understanding the reality and needs (mental wellness) of the Indigenous members interviewed; (2) identifying the extent to which their conception of balance and mental wellness is recognized and valued by the EMIPIC; (3) apprehending how the Indigenous participants felt during the intervention; and (4) describing how they perceived the nature of the services promulgated by the EMIPIC. Method and results: The authors conducted a scoping review on hybrid practices with Indigenous people, based on a scientific and media corpus. In addition, preliminary analysis of qualitative data collected to shed light on the experiences of twenty (n = 20) Indigenous members (essentially anishinabeg – algonquins) from the Maniwaki, Kitigan Zibi and Lac Barrière regions, who were in contact with an EMIPIC in the event of psychological, spiritual, or social distress, are exposed. Discussion: Implications for research and intervention, and recommendations are identified for the renewal of promising practices in the field.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Hybrid Intervention Teams, Holistic Wellness, Indigenous People, Urban Environment, Cultural Safety, Renewal of Practices

Summary

The circle tool has been used for orally transmitting knowledge, fact gathering, conflict resolution, restorative justice and healing in many communities for centuries. The circle represents an unbroken inclusive intimate egalitarian space where everyone sits face to face, knowing and being known because the face is the window to the soul. Using the circle for teaching, research or practice with groups, families and individuals is innovative but not novel. The (ASC) for instance builds on long standing cultural traditions, honouring the epistemology of African ancestors to illuminate contemporary African lived experiences.The Afrocentric Sharing Circle promotes transparency, trustworthiness and authenticity, valuing\ African socio-cultural capital, promoting trust and building intercultural and intergenerational community. The ASC aligns with the subtheme of anticolonial/Indigenous/ /Emancipatory approaches by centering Africans as knowledge producers and thereby disrupting hegemony and white supremacy. Framed by Afrocentric, critical race and anti-colonial theories, ASC enables asking hitherto unasked research questions, facilitates access to nuanced but often supressed/ repressed feelings and produces deep meaning making and empowering insights.The ASC has been used in funded research studies with Black youth, social workers, Black families, and older Black adults. In this workshop we discuss the features of ASC including African ambience, food, research as ceremony, cultural acknowledgement, mutual healing from the wounds of colonialism and power balancing in the circle. Participants report that engaging in ASC is as empowering and illuminating as the research outcomes. In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to enact an Afrocentric Sharing Circle and collectively debrief its applications to their own research, \ teaching and practice.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Afrocentric Sharing Circle, Emancipatory/ \ Qualitative research, Anti-colonial, Cultural appreciation, Afrocentric theory, mutual healing