Mary Bishop, BSW, RSW
Mary Bishop is a Social Worker in Fort Smith and currently works for the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority as the Social Work Supervisor. Mary first came to Fort Smith from her home province of Newfoundland in 2006 to work at Trailcross Treatment Centre. Although living in the North was a new and exciting experience for her it was also a familiar experience having grown up in a small rural community.
In 2009 Mary took a position as a Community Social Services Worker with the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority. Not wanting to leave Fort Smith Mary completed her Bachelor of Social Worker Degree via distance education through the University of Manitoba and graduated in 2012.
In 2014 after five years of working in the front line of social work Mary took the position of Social Work Supervisor. While this position provides the opportunity for growth and new challenges in her career because the role is with such a small team it still allows her to work directly with clients which something she considers a privilege.
Mary has often said that the experience in being a generalist social worker in the North is truly unique and allows for workers to gain invaluable experience in many different areas. While some may see practicing in a small community as limiting, Mary actually has the opposite view and believes that her skills and experience have benefited greatly from living in a small community.
The small town way of living and strong sense of community in Fort Smith is one of the main reasons that Mary has decided to call Fort Smith home. Mary strives to promote the role of social workers in the North at a territorial level through her involvement with the ASWNC and also at a community level through working in partnerships with other community agencies.
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