‘Social Work Journeys: Reflections on Caring & Professional Identity’

The Social Work program at Women’s College Hospital ran a multi-year digital storytelling project for field educators and interns using the ‘One Day / One Photo / One Story’ process. The purpose of the project was to carve out space in the clinical setting for reflection on ‘caring’ in professional practice using personal narrative and a creative process in a supportive group setting.

We went through the steps of an abridged digital storytelling process: an oral storytelling circle, writing (and recording) a story, finding a photo or image as background and using video editing software to put the whole thing together!

We started the project with the social workers who provide training and supervision to students on clinical placement, followed by workshops with different groups of students for three years. Prior to meeting, participants were asked to consider an experience that had inspired them to choose social work as a career, or something that might influence their professional values.

The content of the videos was extremely varied. Personal or family experiences of loss, dislocation, violence, illness (including positive and negative interactions with the health care system), were reflected upon as we gained new awareness into how these experiences have shaped us – and may inform our work.

At the end of each year we screened the videos with the students, facilitators, field supervisors and the project coordinators. Response to the presentations was overwhelmingly positive.  Each story was uniquely powerful and the diversity of the subject matter made for a very rich and inspiring experience. The process of creating the videos had provided an opportunity to reflect on issues closely connected to professional practice: dynamics around telling/disclosing, being vulnerable, reactions of others to our stories, how framing shapes experience, etc.

The educators and students reported that they had gained new insights from this process, had gained confidence as a storyteller/artist and had solidified as a group as a result of going through the project together.

As social workers we spend considerable time listening to stories. This project was a unique opportunity to reflect on critical moments in our own lives – to tell and listen to our own stories and those of our colleagues. We hope the insights gained are carried forward and enhance our ability to respond to stories in empathic and useful ways.

Karen Gold and Karen Burrell (Project Co-Leads)

Here are some of our stories:

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Emmy and Jennifer for facilitation and guidance, Women’s College Hospital (Education) for organizational support and the Bertha Rosenstadt Fund (Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) for financial support.