Becoming a Better Social Worker

Hi, my name is Jovan. I am a community social worker in Winnipeg, MB. Canada. In the above video, you can see a little bit of the work I do.

I am entering a two-year Masters program at the University of Calgary to further my career and refine my social work skills to better assist those in need in our community.

I paid for my Bachelor's degree on my own by a working full-time job and studying courses full-time as well. It was exhausting and took a terrible toll on my grades and on several of my relationships. This time around, I would like to not have to stress & worry so much about making the rent and getting an A on the exam.

I have saved up $4000 on my own so far. I am not just relying on donations from kind people and strangers. I will also be applying for bursaries, grants, and awards. If I cannot make the full $15,000+ I need for tuition, fees, and books; I will end up getting a student loan- not ideal, but it is a backup plan.

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Below, you will find an excerpt from my Statement of Intent submitted to the University of Calgary's Faculty of Graduate Studies.
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It’s my belief that a strong society ensures its most vulnerable members are supported to succeed and that barriers to their success are removed by effective social and collective efforts. Too often, these barriers are the very systems meant to assist those who need them. Through my work, I have become thoroughly aware of the importance of building a durable social fabric, helping vulnerable and at-risk community members feel supported and included. Social workers play a critical role in the development of our social fabric, providing guidance and support, navigating systems, and empowering those who have been historically marginalized.

After graduation, I would like to gain experience working in a medical and mental healthcare setting in order to learn about and challenge systems to provide more comprehensive care to vulnerable clients. In my current position, I have witnessed how inaccessible the healthcare system is for those who are homeless or marginalized for reasons that seem very surmountable: lack of proper identification, poor past experiences, lack of telephone to make or keep appointments, etcetera. By working in a social work capacity within the mental healthcare field, I would work to advocate for appropriate care, ensuring patients are aware of their rights, and assisting in efforts to destigmatize and accept those with mental illnesses. I look forward to developing the skills necessary to analyze and write policy that will assist in making systems more effective, reducing the barriers encountered by those most in need of adequate healthcare.

My long-term goal is to become familiar with the healthcare system and build strong partnerships in order to implement a palliative care program for homeless and precariously housed individuals. This type of work is currently being spearheaded in Toronto with the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless program. Unlike the average Canadian, life expectancy for the homeless is estimated at 34 to 47, their deaths are often a consequence of addiction and mental health, and the likelihood of living to age 75 in a shelter is a dismal 25 per cent (Ubelacker, 2014). My interest in this type of program comes from an experience I had with a long-term client. We worked together on several goals such as locating a doctor and acquiring stable social housing. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and ultimately entered palliative care where we continued to work on end of life plans and locating his children. This experience opened my eyes to the need for compassionate care for homeless individuals that addresses their unique needs, assists them with aging in place, and preserves their dignity.

My passion is to prevent individuals falling through the cracks and being overlooked by the rest of society. Each time this occurs in our communities, our social fabric unravels and society becomes distressed. I have confidence in my abilities to assist in constructing this fabric as I’m an action-oriented individual and have valuable experience finding creative solutions to complex problems. The philosophy I have adopted for my professional life entails working alongside clients, walking with them so they can produce their own successes rather than having it done for them. I have found this to be the most effective practice, as well as the method that produces the highest degree of dignity for those who have been historically marginalized by society and systems alike. I look forward to having the opportunity to study in Calgary; a city often lauded for its economic strength and cultural diversity in spite of the fact that opportunity has not been distributed evenly and is not inclusive of people living with low-incomes, mental health issues, physical disabilities, addictions, trauma or other barriers.