History of the Native Human Services Honours Bachelor of Social Work
In 1985, a proposal to investigate the feasibility of a Native Social Work Programme at Laurentian University was submitted to Health and Welfare, with the endorsement of Robinson-Huron Chief's Council and support of Native human services providers. A Regional Working Group consisting of representatives from the Native communities and organizations, Department of Native Studies and the School of Social Work provided direction for the project.
A community consultation process was considered the most fundamental process in creating the curriculum for a Native Social Work Programme with the objective of integrating core social work preparation with the Native perspective on helping. A programme proposal and curriculum was submitted to Laurentian Senate and approved on December 10, 1987 for implementation in September 1988.
Upon implementation of the Native Human Services Program, the Regional Working Group became the Native Human Services Programme Committee with the same responsibility to provide direction and guidance for the Programme. The Laurentian University Native Education Council currently oversees all aboriginal programs with the mandate of facilitating Native Self-Determination by ensuring the accessibility to Native Students of any program of study that Laurentian and the Federated Universities offers, and by maximizing their chances of success in any program in which the student enrol.
In September of 2004 curriculum changes were implemented to increase accessibility and community need. For example, in the first year an elective was implemented to allow program doors to open wider for transfer students to enter professional years of the program. In addition to the first year elective, four electives have been added to the fourth year of the program. They are; Conflict Resolution and Peace-Making in Native Social Work Practice; Colonizing/Decolonizing Issues of Violence in Native Communities; Addressing Grief and Loss in Native Social Work Practice; Mental Health Policy and Services – the Native Context. In addition to the electives in the fourth year, a new course entitled Management and Administration in Native Social Work will replace an overlap.These changes will apply to all new applicants effective September 2004.