Rising from the Past: A Guide to Riches for the Future- An invitation to a conversation with Mary Jo McVeigh social worker of the year!

Member price: $282.00 including GST (member price will display once logged in)

Non-member price: $564.00 including GST

Employer Partner Program price: $423.00 including GST

What now forgotten ideas lie in the rubble of the past that might merit re-examination. (Shorter, 2005,p. 23)

Entering my fortieth year as a social worker coincided with receiving the 2022 AASW social worker of the year award. This heralded many questions from my colleagues about what sustained me in the work that required I look through the rubble of my past to honour everyone who brought me to the present social worker that I am.

Over the years I have witnessed theories and frameworks come in and out of fashion and have come to see that the most important assets that social work has to offer is its people.

This workshop will provide the opportunity for participants to explore the epistemic, ethical, and emotional treasures of their lives rubble to continue to grow and deepen their commitment to the profession and living a meaningful life.

Within the tradition of my Irish Celtic heritage, I will start the workshop as a seanchaí (storyteller) and invite people to listen to the epistemic, ethical, and emotional celebrations and vulnerabilities of my working life. Participants will then engage in a creative reflective exercise to start to trace their own professional story. This creative exercise will flow into a group discussion. The workshop will then finish with another creative exercise that invites participants into cherishing the treasures lying within the ecology of their lives.

Who should attend?

This workshop is open to all social workers who have practiced for several years and wish to enjoy the time to discover or reinvigorate their professional identity.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Feel the delight in the treasures of their working life.
• Articulate the core elements of the epistemic story of their practice.
• Articulate the core elements of the ethical story of their practice.
• Develop an ongoing professional development plan.

AASW Credential: All credentials

Please bring along:

• A3 x 2 pieces of paper
• Coloured pens/pencils or crayons

Presenter

Mary Jo McVeigh is the founder and director of Cara House, “a place for healing, discovery and growth” and CaraCare charity; both which support vulnerable children, young people, and their families through trauma- specific counselling, group work and human rights practices. As a trauma therapist and an accredited mental health social worker with 35 years- experience, Mary Jo has worked with children and families who have experienced child abuse, violence, and trauma by assisting them to tap into their own resilience and strengths, to look at how they have survived in the face of adversity.

Mary Jo has presented training seminars and conferences at a state, national and international level. She is a published author and has written and co-authored many journal articles in the field of child protection, trauma, and healing. She is currently enrolled in a PhD at the University of Sydney. Mary Jo is teaching at an undergraduate and post-graduate level for the social work department and is also involved in national research projects