For my “Community Connections” project I chose to interview a Social Worker through Instagram DM’s. Paige Lachance is a social worker at the “Eagle Ridge Hospital” here in Canada and is the boss of her unit there as well. She has worked for over 5 years to create a safe and welcoming environment for her coworkers and patients. I chose her for my “Community Connections” project because I have always been interested in being a social worker/councilor and have considered it as a job title on multiple occasions. I’ve messaged and met with her numerous times as well. I look to her for any help/questions I have about this and think of her as a mentor for me.
1. Can you explain your roles and responsibilities with your current position?
She answered with…”. I am currently the social work practice leader in an acute care hospital, my role includes supervising the social workers providing clinical direction and managing the day to day supervising tasks and responsibilities. I am also responsible for providing social work coverage for one of the units which focuses on discharge planning for patients with chronic health care issues and complex issues, including family stress, financial stress and issues etc.”
2. What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?
“My job requires me to have various degrees (including my masters in social work). Starting out working in entry level jobs working with high-risk crisis and difficult population including women shelters, for low pay and with different cliental. You are very undervalued in these jobs as well.”
3. What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?
“The best advice I would give is to get involved, by volunteering in different shelters or at hospitals. Volunteering is the most important thing because there are many different areas someone can work in when going into social work and It’s the only way to make sure the job is for you.”
4. Why are you passionate about your job or role?
” I love my job because I’m very passionate about social justice, advocating marginalized populations. It’s also a job that is never dull, you’re always challenging yourself and you learn from those you work with, you’ll never have a boring day. It involves meeting new people and it’s such an interesting job. In my current role there is also the added benefit of mentoring others and advocating for change a higher level within the managing circles.”
5. What struggles do you face daily in your current day to day job?
“Staffing shortage, lack of resources, lack of time, increasing demands.”
6. What type of experience have you gained from working in this position?
” I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people with diverse and complex issues, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor others including other social workers, to gain leadership skills, to teach social work courses to social work trainings.”
What I have Learned from this interview-Paige Lachance: 
I have learned throughout this interview and project that there are many up and down sides to being a social worker. There were aspects of being a Social Worker that I hadn’t even thought of before I had had a conversation with Paige Lachance. I learned that there would never be a dull moment when there and that you learn something new about someone else all the time. I found it extremely interesting how she had learned different things about different communities, all different types of people and others struggling with all types of things. In addition to that, it was so cool that she as able to shed light to me on the good and bad of that job just through sending DM’s. All in all, she was so helpful throughout this all and has helped me confirm that I will be looking towards this as a possible job option for my future, and I am very thankful for her.
