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Mar. 21 Biweekly Update: Social Services Key Insights

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SOCIAL SERVICES NEWS

News, updates, and stories about social care in BC

Unveiling the latest developments in social services

March 21, 2025

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Table of contents

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

Health

B.C. has recruited hundreds of family doctors. It’s still not enough | CBC News

Despite B.C.’s recruitment of 1,001 new family doctors and connecting 250,000 residents with primary care, the province still faces a severe shortage, leaving about 400,000 people without a family doctor. Many struggle to access timely care, resorting to urgent and primary care centres, which vary in effectiveness. Experts like Dr. Tahmeena Ali warn that simply hiring more doctors isn’t enough and advocate for team-based care models involving nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other professionals. While government initiatives have improved access in some areas, disparities remain, and significant systemic changes are needed to provide consistent, equitable healthcare across the province. That’s why the Federation has partnered with Generation Squeeze for the Get Well Canada initiative — a movement to improve social supports that keep people well and ease the burden on doctors, nurses, and hospitals. By reversing a decades-long retreat from social investment, Get Well Canada aims to reduce pressure on the medical system. Read more about Get Well Canada here: Get Well Canada – Alliance for Investing Where Health Begins

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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
Keynote: Warren Hooley
Boundaries & Respectful Assertiveness
Women’s Health and Safety
and more!

Click here for the complete agenda: Caring For Communities Health and Safety Conference: Agenda
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!

Mental health

BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) publishes AI guidelines for mental health professionals | Indigenous Health Today!

The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors has released AI guidelines for mental health professionals — the first of their kind in Canadian clinical counselling and psychotherapy. Titled “AI and Clinical Practice – Ethical Considerations and Implications for Mental Health Professionals,” the document provides an ethics-focused framework for integrating AI into clinical practice while upholding professional integrity. Authored by Candice Alder, a registered clinical counsellor and AI ethicist, the guidelines address ethical considerations, legislative compliance, data storage and responsible AI use. BCACC CEO Michael Radano emphasized the importance of regulatory compliance, transparency and accountability in AI adoption. This initiative adds to BCACC’s ongoing efforts to support practitioners and public mental health, including free educational sessions, crisis support for municipal workers and partnerships with organizations such as the BC Dental Hygienists Association to promote trauma-informed care.

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Housing

Nearly 100 rental homes, withdrawal centre coming to East Vancouver | Vancouver Coastal Health

Construction has begun on a multi-use development in East Vancouver that will provide 97 non-market rental homes and a new health-care treatment centre. Located at 1636 Clark Dr. and 1321–1395 East 1st Ave., the project will offer housing at below-market rates, operated by S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Affordable Housing Society, and will feature a withdrawal management centre with 51 medically supervised detox beds, 20 sobering beds and 20 short-term transitional beds. The centre, replacing the existing Vancouver Detox Centre, will be operated by Vancouver Coastal Health and include on-site and out-patient services. The development will also include space for Indigenous-led programs supporting healing, wellness and employment. The project, a partnership between the Province, BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the City of Vancouver, is expected to be completed by 2028. It is part of B.C.’s $19-billion housing investment, which has delivered or started nearly 92,000 homes since 2017.

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Drug crisis

B.C. coroner reports 152 drug toxicity deaths in January | Trail Times

A total of 152 people in British Columbia died from unregulated drug toxicity in January, averaging five deaths per day, according to a BC Coroners Service report released March 14. Half of the deaths occurred among individuals aged 40 to 59, while three deaths were reported among those under 18. Fatalities among men increased to 79 per cent, with 120 deaths, while female deaths dropped to 32. Fraser Health recorded the highest number of deaths at 57, followed by Interior Health with 21. Fentanyl and its analogues were found in 77 per cent of cases, while methamphetamine and bromazolam were present in 52 per cent and 46 per cent, respectively. Vancouver, Surrey, and Greater Victoria saw the highest number of deaths, with Vancouver Coastal Health recording the highest death rate at 40 per 100,000 people. Nearly half of the deaths occurred in private residences, and smoking was the most common method of consumption. The data is preliminary and subject to change.

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Homelessness

Alliance to End Homelessness unveils strategic plan to achieve ‘functional zero’ by 2030 | Capital Daily

The Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region (AEHCR) has unveiled its Strategic Community Plan 2025–2030, aiming to achieve “functional zero” homelessness by 2030, where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. Inspired by the national Built for Zero initiative, the plan is anchored in prevention, data, and housing, aligning with the provincial Belonging in BC strategy. It outlines five key outcome areas: support services, housing, advocacy and awareness, prevention support, and collaboration and leadership. A bi-annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count will track progress, while data management systems will monitor homelessness trends. The plan prioritizes person-centred housing, emphasizing choice and the inclusion of voices with lived experience. Funding remains a concern, with AEHCR seeking grants to offset potential municipal cuts. Saanich contributes to regional housing efforts but has yet to decide to join the Alliance formally. Officials expressed optimism, emphasizing the need for regional collaboration and sustained funding to meet the 2030 goal.

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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.

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