ASSOCIATION OF BLACK SOCIAL WORKERS (ABSW)

Published purpose

The organization’s Project VOICE (Victim Outreach, Intervention, Counselling, and Education) will provide a comprehensive range of services that support victims and survivors of violence within African Nova Scotian (ANS) and Black communities in Nova Scotia to address the significant gaps in available programming, particularly services that are culturally specific, trauma-informed, and grounded in an Afrocentric framework. By centering the lived experiences, strengths, and healing traditions of ANS and Black communities, the program will offer holistic support that acknowledges the emotional, spiritual, relational, and mental dimensions of recovery. Services will include a Black Community Toll-Free Support Line and a dedicated Toll-Free Line Clinical Support Extension to directly connect with, or be referred to, clinicians and trained professionals who can provide immediate therapeutic support, crisis intervention, and culturally responsive guidance, in addition to programming support; Because We Matter Healing Sessions to strengthen relationships among ANS and Black employees by fostering understanding, resilience, and healing; Barbershop Talks to create culturally safe spaces to gather, engage in open dialogue, and access critical resources related to mental health, legal education, and personal development; and Clinical Grief Support Circles to offer culturally safe and trauma-informed spaces for individuals to process their grief, strengthen coping skills, and begin the journey toward restoration and resilience.