Saskatchewan

Ardele Gorman
2009-2011

Born and raised in Alberta, I attended the University of Alberta where I obtained my Bachelors in Physical Education in 1971. After several years working with youth in church, school and camping settings, I attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon where I received my B. Ed. (1986) and M.Ed. (Counselling) in 1989. Since 1985 I have worked in schools in Southwest Saskatchewan as a school counsellor and Student Services administrator. I am presently a school counsellor on the Student Services team at Swift Current Comprehensive High School. I have been involved in the Saskatchewan School Counsellors’ Association as a regional representative at various times and most recently represented my region on SSCA and worked with Membership.  Like most counselling professionals I have had professional development opportunities in many areas over my career. At present I am taking the Advanced Level in Somatic Experiencing. SE is providing me with new, non-invasive ways of helping others process traumatic events. Within my region I am involved in co-ordinating our Traumatic Events Response Team which has helped improve coordination between School Emergency Response plans and the Health Region TERT supports. Interagency collaboration has been a major theme in the work I have done and am doing within schools. For recreation I love to travel, read, walk (with dog), Google/learn. I am inspired by mountains, geography in general, silence, others who have overcome challenges, visual arts and music, worship, and being part of others’ learning and breakthroughs.

Director's Report - May 2010

Abstract

This first year on the CCPA-ACCP Board has involved not only learning my provincial responsibilities but learning how we as an evolving national organization are creating the policy and organizational shifts for sustainability and relevance to the counselling profession that we envisioned last May in our strategic planning. The intensive work done by committees, the CCPA executive, and the National Office staff has been truly dynamic as vision becomes reality. 

Connections, Communications, Contributions

• Responding to questions and concerns regarding counselling within Saskatchewan; encouraging professionalism and professional development in workplace environments which can be experienced as isolating
• Initiating discussion with counsellors regarding clinical supervision and peer support as a means to addressing isolation and workload concerns
• Actively seeking ways to raise awareness of the national picture for counselling
• Initiating discussions regarding pending regulation and the support CCPA-ACCP provides and is going to be providing
• Encouraging counsellor participation in various surveys conducted online through the CCPA website
• Exploration of EAP requirements of providers and even more basically what EAP options are available in smaller rural communities
• Participated in committee work as chair of the Awards Committee, and a member of the Education & Policy Committee
• Participated as Board representative to the National School Counsellors’ Chapter
  • Considerable work has been done to ensure national representation on the executive as membership has changed notably over this year
  • National representation for the all-day strategic planning session has been quite successful so far

Celebrations

• As a rookie approaching individuals across Canada to draw together panels of counsellors to adjudicate award applications it was heart warming to have so many respond. I celebrate the professional support from the field and from our academic program staff  for colleagues who have done exceptional work
• The support of other Board members, the National Office and Ron Lehr has been a privilege to experience
• The preparations for the Strategic Planning session of the School Counsellors’ Chapter have been thorough. Exceptional leadership is being provided by Janice Graham-Miguel
• Despite a number of significant set-backs this past year the Saskatchewan School Counsellors’ Association has worked to put forward a position paper regarding qualifications and roles of school counsellors. This has included gaining the assistance and support of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. A motion supporting the importance of hiring qualified personnel for schools and the right of children and youth to qualified counselling supports was adopted at the annual meeting of the STF at Easter. The School Counsellors’ Handbook SSCA produced has been sent out to all school divisions by the Teachers’ Federation on behalf of SSCA and with STF support.

Concerns and Challenges

• The lack of provincial counselling organizations other than school and career counsellors makes communication and action a challenge. Creating a mechanism to gather counsellors and psychotherapists for discussion and possible joint action is needed in Saskatchewan. As regulation proceeds it is crucial to bring interest groups together to facilitate the regulatory process.
• Provincially the school counsellors are seeking fresh and renewed leadership. As their rep to the CCPA I will need to work together with them towards this goal. Discussions among school counsellors at the Charlottetown conference may provide useful input to provincial organizations.
• Identification of chapter membership in the provincial CCPA membership lists would assist in contacting particular members for specific purposes. I will explore this with the national office staff.

Coming Attractions

• A plan for recruitment of volunteers in fall 2010 for Awards
• Request to the CCPA Board for at least one additional member on the Awards Committee
• Development of a communication strategy to the Saskatchewan CCPA-AACP membership as a preliminary step to organizing for regulatory discussions
• Greater involvement in the Education & Policy Committee; will explore with committee members