S05 E05 Social Workers and Mental Health Counsellors - So much more than forms

In this episode Morgan and Sarah talk ‘bridges’ and ‘anchors’ (or Social Workers and Counsellors) in the context of primary care teams. Weaving together the stories and experiences of a number of primary care providers, social workers, counsellors and other team members, Morgan and Sarah discuss the scope and added value these roles can bring to primary care teams. Key take aways (that are of course generalizable to other roles in primary care as well) include:

Figuring out how you are going to communicate and creating opportunities to get to know the counsellors and social workers on your teamThinking about small changes that can help to create therapeutic spaces in clinic settings and,Creating opportunities for providers to work together (in group appointments or case conferences)

Thanks to our Guests:

Cayce LaViolette: Caycee is a Social Worker who supports patients across the Sunshine Coast Primary Care Network.Danielle Parent: Danielle is a social worker at two Urgent and Primary Care Centres in Interior Health.Kaila McGann: Kaila is a social worker with the STEPS Community Health CentreTess Bantock: Tess is a registered clinical counsellor with the STEPS Community Health Centre.Amie Hough: Amie was a Primary Care Network Transformation Lead for Interior Health at the time this episode was recorded. She has a background in Social Work and has recently transition to Health Quality BC where she will be working closely with us on the next seasons of the Team Up webinar series!Eliza Henshaw: Eliza has practiced for 14 years as a primary care Nurse Practitioner across a populations ranging from refugees to complex populations in urban environments in Vancouver. She has been part of a number of interdisciplinary teams, and is currently joining a new clinic within the North Shore Primary Care Network, which is a partnership between Midwives and Nurse Practitioners.Shania Sholtz: Shania is a Medical Office Assistant in a maternity and pediatric-focussed primary care clinic in Victoria.Terri Aldred: Terri is Dakelh (Carrier) from the Tl'azt'en Nation. She is an outreach primary care physician with Carrier Sekani Family Services and a site director for UBC’s Indigenous Family Practice Program.Sydney Richardson-Carrr: Sydney is a Family Nurse Practitioner who works at the Kelowna and Vernon Urgent and Primary Care Centres. She is also a council member with NNPBC.Wendy Boyer: Wendy is a Team Based Care Coach with the Practice Support Program (Doctors of BC).

Resources

To hear more about the work that Caycee does in the Sunshine coast take a listen to the Team Up Webinar episode from last season SW Team Up episode: Social Work and Team Based Care in the CommunityKaila McGann was also a featured get on the Team Based Care in practice episode from last season: Reflections from the Field: STEPS CHCPCN Toolkit SW scope of practice: Social Worker Scope of Practice