Practice Resources
Revised Standards of Practice
There is a new draft for comment by members until April 30, 2012. Please click on the link to the right.
Pan-Canadian Clinical Practice Guideline: Assessment of Psychosocial Health Care Needs of the Adult Cancer Patient
The Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology is pleased to announce the completion of the Pan-Canadian Clinical Practice Guideline: Assessment of Psychosocial Health Care Needs of the Adult Cancer Patient. This set of 12 recommendations and the accompanying technical document are the culmination of a two-year collaborative project of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) – Clinical Practice Advisory Committee and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) – Cancer Journey Action Group.
The new guideline was developed by expert interdisciplinary team members from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as the Partnership’s Cancer Journey and Guidelines Advisory Groups. The 12 recommendations are designed to explain, mobilize, and support the need for quality psychosocial health care needs assessment and screening for distress in persons living with cancer. It includes recommendation about routine, systematic and standardized assessment of psychosocial health care needs which include physical, informational, emotional, social, psychological, spiritual and practical needs.
The English language edition of the Guideline is available on the CAPO website at: http://www.capo.ca/ENGLISH_Adult_Assessment_Guideline.pdf
The French language edition of the Guideline is available on the CAPO website at: http://www.capo.ca/FRENCH_Adult_Assesment_Guideline.pdf
The development of “user-friendly” reference tools for various practice audiences is underway. Watch for updates on the CAPO website. For more information please visit http://www.capo.ca
As “custodians” of this guideline, the CAPO Board of Directors welcome your feedback on the Guideline. Comments and suggestions can be forwarded to capo@funnel.ca.
Designated Capacity Assessors
The Office of the Public Guardian has developed a 3-day training course for health professionals who wish to be designated for doing capacity assessments under the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act. The next 3-day training session on Capacity Assesssment will be December 2-4, 2009 in Calgary. Interested RSWs should download the attached information and submit the Application Form to Rod Urquijo by email at rod.urquijo@gov.ab.ca or by fax at 780-422-6051.
To view the application for capacity assessment, please click HERE
To read the Letter to the College, from the Office of the Public Guardian, please click HERE
Please be advised that that the new Capacity Assessments Forms (3, 4, & 10) have been published in the Alberta Gazette and posted on the OPG website. We encourage that all capacity assessments be done on the new forms but during the transition of the old to new forms (3, 4, & 10) we will still be accepting capacity assessments on the old forms. Please share this information with all staff and also feel free to distribute it widely.
Amendments to forms 3, 4, and 10 of the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship (Ministerial) Regulation were made in order to provide better clarity and incorporate feedback from consultation with Alberta Health Services (AHS), Capacity Assessment Advisory Group (CAAG), Physicians, Psychologists, the Courts and Designated Capacity Assessors. The CAAG, is comprised of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta; Alberta Medical Association; College of Alberta Psychologists; College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta; Alberta College of Occupational Therapists; Alberta College of Social Workers; College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta; and the Health Law Institute. The CAAG meets quarterly or as needed to develop best practices and identify issues related to capacity assessment. The Proposed amendment changes were shared at previous meetings and the group was in support of the changes.
The proposed amendments involve moving naming information closer to the top of the forms as well as creating space for diagnosis information, represented adults address, and represented adults date of birth. The amendments were necessary to provide clarity to forms 3, 4 and 10.
If you have any questions and/or concerns please fell free to Rod Urquijo at 780-638-3252.
The Alberta College of Social Workers Quality of Work-Life Survey prepared by: Urmil chugh, MA, MEDes; Shireen Surood, PhD Candidate; and Jennifer Hewson, PhD is now available.
You can download a copy of the Executive Summary here. If you want a copy of the full document please contact email: acsw@acsw.ab.ca for more information.
The Alberta Mental Health Board has provided social workers access to the Child & Adolescent Toolbox. This is an online interactive resource that provides research based intervention strategies and resources for children and adolescents with development and behavioural problems. Social workers seeking access may contact Lori Sigurdson ph: 780-421-1167 or toll free 1-800-661-3089 or email: lsigurdson@acsw.ab.ca for the confidential password. Click on the following link to access the toolbox fact sheet.
http://www.acsw.ab.ca/publications_and_resources/resources/Child_and_Adolescent_Toolbox.pdf
Child Welfare is a complex field of practice. The CASW has written a public message explaining this. Please feel free to print this document and distribute it to clients or others you feel may benefit from it. CASW welcomes feedback on this document.
http://www.acsw.ab.ca/publications_and_resources/resources/Child_Welfare.doc
