a hospital room with a bed and a desk - phot by zoshua colahzoshua colah

Mar. 14 Biweekly Update: Social Services Key Insights

/in /by

SOCIAL SERVICES NEWS

News, updates, and stories about social care in BC

Unveiling the latest developments in social services

March 14, 2025

Subscribe HERE

Table of contents

  • Mental health
  • Opportunities brought to you by the Federation
  • Drug crisis
  • Homelessness
  • Housing
  • Health
  • Good news

Mental health

B.C improving care for people with mental-health, substance-use challenges | BC Gov News

B.C. is strengthening care for individuals facing severe mental-health and substance-use challenges, including those with brain injuries from toxic-drug poisonings, by clarifying the application of the Mental Health Act and expanding involuntary treatment options. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.’s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs, and concurrent disorders, has issued new guidance to help clinicians determine when involuntary admission is appropriate for individuals unable to seek care themselves. This aligns with the province’s broader strategy to enhance mental-health and addictions services, including opening new involuntary care beds, expanding treatment facilities, and improving access to voluntary recovery programs.

Related:

Opportunities brought to you by the Federation

The Federation is dedicated to supporting our members and strengthening the broader community social services sector. We offer a range of ways to stay informed, build connections, and grow your skills.

Stay informed about the latest in the sector by exploring our calendar of training sessions, webinars, and events designed to help you succeed.
Get connected and expand your professional network through opportunities created specifically for community social services professionals.
Looking for a new career? Explore current job postings and find your next opportunity in the community social services sector.

Visit our website today to discover all the ways we can support you!


The Federation of Community Social Services of BC, in partnership with the Community Social Services Health and Safety Association, invites you to join us for the Caring for Communities Health and Safety Conference.

From April 9 to 10, 2025
Courtyard Marriott Prince George
900 Brunswick Street
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

This two-day event will bring together professionals, advocates, and community leaders to explore key topics in workplace health and safety — mental health, decolonization and more — all through the lens of the community social services sector.

Day 1: Preconference
Your choice of full-day training workshop:
Mental Health First Aid
Introduction to Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Day 2: Conference
Plenary sessions include:
Keynote: Warren Hooley
Trauma-Informed Workplaces
and more to be announced

Your choice of breakout session:
Resilience
Boundaries and Respectful Assertiveness
Culture of Care & Selfcare/Resilience

Register here: Caring For Communities Health and Safety Conference

For youth from care, financial barriers can make post-secondary education challenging. That’s why The Federation Youth Education Bursary exists—to support students pursuing careers in human and social services. Since 2009, we’ve awarded $296,925 to 217 students, covering tuition, books, and supplies.

💰 What You Need to Know:
✅ Up to $2,000 per academic year (two semesters)
✅ Can be combined with other bursaries or tuition waivers
✅ Funds go directly to the academic institution
✅ Must be used within 18 months (for 2025 recipients, by January 2027)
✅ You can apply more than once and receive the bursary multiple years in a row

📝 Applications close May 5, 2025. Applicants will be notified in the summer. Apply here: 2025 Youth Education Bursary

Support 2 Practice Management (S2PM) – In-Person Training for Social Services Leaders

Join the next evolution of management training with Support to Practice Management (S2PM) — a hands-on workshop designed for new and mid-level managers in the social services sector. Building on the success of Support to Practice Supervision (S2PS), this in-person training will equip participants with the skills and strategies needed to navigate organizational complexities, enhance leadership capacity, and strengthen workforce effectiveness. Led by Chris Burt (Hollyburn Family Services Ltd.) and Gord Cote (NARSF Programs Ltd.), the workshop will explore key topics such as management theory, administrative supervision, organizational culture, coaching, and conflict resolution.

📅 April 1 to 3, 2025
📍 Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimo, BC
🔹 Organized by: The Federation of Community Social Services of BC

Don’t miss this opportunity to build your management expertise! Register today!

How to prepare your community organization for wildfire season 2025 in BC

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense — how can your organization be ready? Join us for a vital webinar designed to help BC’s social services organizations prepare for the 2025 wildfire season.

Hear from leading experts as they share insights on fire behaviour, health impacts, and the psychological effects of climate disasters. Learn firsthand from a social service leader who navigated wildfire response in 2024. A live Q&A session will follow pre-recorded interviews with our expert panel.

📅 Date: April 24, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
📍 Online Webinar

Featured Speakers:
Katie Hodder – Firsthand experience navigating a wildfire crisis
Bob Gray – Fire behaviour and mitigation strategies
Alexis Palmer-Fluevog – Psychological impacts of climate disasters
Linda Thyer – Health risks and medical considerations

Moderated by Arden Henley, Executive Director of Green Technology Education Centre.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your emergency preparedness. Register today!

Drug crisis

Vancouver Island First Nation declares state of emergency due to opioid crisis | Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News

The Homalco First Nation has declared a state of emergency in response to the opioid crisis after four young community members died from toxic drugs in the past six months. Chief Darren Blaney is calling on the provincial government for immediate action and long-term solutions through a government-to-government process, emphasizing the crisis as a consequence of colonial policies and generational trauma. The Homalco Nation joins the Gwa’sala Nakwaxda’xw and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council in demanding urgent resources from federal and provincial governments and the First Nations Health Authority. A community meeting will be held on March 14 to discuss strategies, though it is only open to members. The opioid crisis continues to disproportionately impact First Nations people in B.C., with significantly higher fatality rates compared to non-Indigenous residents.

Related:

Homelessness

Advocates say displacement a factor in Victoria’s rising unhoused death rate | Vancouver Island Free Daily

Advocates in Victoria attribute the rising death rate among unhoused individuals to displacement caused by bylaw sweeps and the city’s sheltering restrictions. A BC Coroners Service report revealed a sharp increase in deaths among unhoused people in 2023, with 458 deaths across the province — a 23% rise from 2022. In Greater Victoria, deaths rose by nearly 18%, while the Island Health region saw a staggering 54% increase. The vast majority (91.5%) of these deaths were due to accidental, unregulated drug toxicity. Advocates argue that forced displacement disrupts community support networks, pushing unhoused individuals into isolation where they are at greater risk of fatal overdoses. While city officials deny conducting sweeps, critics say impounding belongings and dispersing encampments contribute to increased vulnerability. Experts stress the need for stable housing and healthcare solutions to address both the toxic drug crisis and homelessness, warning that without systemic change, the death toll will continue to rise.

Related:

Housing

Kamloops council part of a growing resistance to BC Housing | iNFOnews

Kamloops City Council is among a growing number of municipalities resisting BC Housing’s expansion of shelters and supportive housing projects, citing concerns about effectiveness, tax revenue, and community impact. Vancouver has halted new supportive housing projects, Vernon is considering a shelter moratorium, and Penticton continues to struggle with BC Housing over shelter coordination. In Kamloops, recent opposition was fueled by BC Housing’s failure to consult the city before planning a new River Street shelter, violating a previous agreement. While local leaders push back, non-profit advocates argue that blocking projects worsens the homelessness crisis, emphasizing the need for collaboration over opposition.

Related:

Health

British Columbia is taking action to attract doctors, nurses from U.S. | BC Gov News

British Columbia is ramping up efforts to attract doctors and nurses from the U.S. by fast-tracking credential recognition and launching a targeted recruitment campaign. The Province is working with regulatory colleges to simplify licensing for U.S.-trained physicians and nurses, removing barriers to practice. These changes follow similar policies in other provinces and will be implemented in the coming months. To draw healthcare workers, B.C. will launch a marketing campaign in Washington, Oregon, and California in 2025, highlighting job opportunities in high-need areas. This initiative builds on past recruitment efforts in the U.K. and Ireland and complements broader strategies to strengthen primary care, including a record-breaking 250,000 people connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner in 2024. The Province has also increased the number of family doctors and nurse practitioners to meet growing healthcare demands, aiming to improve access to care across B.C.

Related:

Good News

If you have any feel-good, weird, fascinating, or amusing stories you’d like to see included in this section, send them to giovani@fcssbc.ca!

Note

The articles in Federation newsletters are for informational purposes and do not relate to the Federation’s advocacy work. We want our membership to stay informed of news relevant to our sector; the inclusion of a story is not an endorsement.

Subscribe HERE