Charmaine Wight
The recipient of the Canadian Association of Social Workers Distinguished Service Award for 2016 is Charmaine Wight MSW, RSW. This award recognizes her significant commitment to the social work profession and her contribution to the field of mental health and addictions in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Charmaine graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Memorial University in 1986 and a Master’s degree in 2000. She began her career as a social worker with the Salvation Army Wiseman Centre in St. John’s which at that time was an emergency housing shelter for young men. This position was the beginning of a thirty year career focused primarily in the field of addictions and mental health. Initially working in direct practice then assuming positions such as Regional Addictions Services Coordinator with Drug Dependency Services for the Central region, Manager of the Mental Health Program for Central Health and most recently as the Regional Manager of Community Supports and Residential Services. She has been committed to the advancement of services in her areas of practice by extending her roles to include being co-chair of both the Committee Against Family Violence and the Mental Health Accreditation Team. She gives of her time to the community and to the profession. For the past twenty years she has been an active member of the Committee Against Family Violence and for the last decade an active member of the Salvation Army Advisory Committee. Charmaine has been the NL Association of Social Workers representative to the Canadian Association of Social Workers Health Interest group working to address social work and health care issues at a national level.
Throughout her career Charmaine has been dedicated to mentoring and supervising, providing field instruction for social work students and supervising many social workers. Charmaine has a solid understanding of the profession. She integrates social work theory and practice and is noted to be a skilled supervisor assisting supervisees to grow professionally with a clear focus on the needs of clients. The nomination for the CASW Distinguished Service Award was put forth by her staff which is a testament to the high regard in which she is held by those who work with her on a regular basis. Her nominators state “As our manager Charmaine inspires us to be the best that we can be through living by example. She has very high standards for her practice, striving for the best possible outcomes…she has a way of simplifying the most challenging tasks…She is an inspiration to our team, our community and represents the profession of social work with honour and pride!”
Charmaine Wight is truly a “distinguished” social worker and a credit to our profession.