International migration of professional social workers: an exploration of their adaptation in practice abroad Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Associate Professor, Université de Montréal Marion Brown, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University John Graham, Murray Fraser Professor, University of Calgary Social Work Social Development 2012: Action and Impact 11 th July 2012, Stockholm

Introduction Globalisation – increase of movement of people, including social work professionals Research on such movement and its implications in social work is limited – Some studies are focussed on the challenges and benefits of employing international social care workers and other trained human service workers (Evans, Huxley & Munroe 2006; Hussein, Manthorpe & Stevens, 2010; Manthorpe, Hussein, Charles, Rapaport Stevens & Nagendran, 2010) – processes behind foreign social work credential assessment in Canada (Department of Employment and Immigration 2012). – Some research focus on the experiences of qualified social workers who migrate for professional reasons Even though a number of studies in other fields such as nursing and education already investigated the experience of professional immigration, they are not easily transferable to social work because of the specificity of the profession Gap of knowledge about the experience of professionally qualified social workers working outside the country of their education, their acculturation and adaptation process, and the possible impact of their migration on social work interventions.

professional adaptation, acculturation and social work migration Professional adaptation can be understood through theories of acculturation Acculturation refers to the process of cultural changes (as a result of groups contact) whereas adaptation is the result of acculturation (Berry 1997). This definition provides a good foundation, but acculturation models such as that proposed by Berry (1997) often draw from quantitative designs. Those, when used to understand the experiences of the migrant professional, are criticised (Chirkov 2009; Tardiff-William & Fisher 2009) Thus a change of perspective is needed to allow a broader understanding of the phenomenon (Nguyen, Messé & Stollack 1999; Cheung-Blunden and Juang 2008) Thus we suggest a qualitative paradigm that frames the acculturation of migrant social workers as an interactional process among one’s notions of identity, including professional identity, which involves one’s experiences in various social work roles and interventions and the sociocultural and professional environments

Methodology Grounded theory Data from the 1 st stage of the research 3 urban sites (Calgary, Montreal and Halifax) with great local variations – This helps discovering varied social realities (Stebbins, 2006). Sample: 15 professionally educated social workers who have completed an undergraduate degree in social work outside Canada and are registered to practice. Recruitment: advertisement and snowball sampling. Semi structured interviews looking at how experience, education, values and understanding of the profession in their country of origin shaped social work interventions abroad, as well as their experience of professional adaptation to their new social work practice context. Results presented here come from interviews with 15 participants from 11 different countries, including Lebanon, France, Romania, United States of America (USA), Germany, United Kingdom (UK), Ukraine, the Netherlands, India, South Africa and Nigeria. Lived in Canada for an average of 3.8 years at the time of interview.

Results (1) Elements mitigating the process of professional adaptation – Recognition of credentials – Difficulty in finding employment: “lack of Canadian experience” – Discrimination (job search, and in employment) – use language, especially among social workers in Quebec – lack of understanding of the welfare system, or the structure and work within an organization

Results (2) Elements facilitating the process of professional adaptation – capacity to transfer experiences and draw from similarities observed between countries in terms of culture and languages – relevance to the Canadian context of previous education – Possibility of gaining new skills and knowledge through undertaking additional training, or getting frequent supervision – positive relationship with colleague – Personal dispositions

Result (3) Impacts on practice Participants spoke of their experiences of immigration as itself having an impact on their practice. – New perspective on practice: “My experience of immigrating here has brought me to developed many aspects [of professional practice]. For example, when I work with someone who has cancer and is dying [...], it is like if what I had learned in my courses, or in my field practicum about adaptation... it has now reached a new meaning because I myself had to adapt to something extremely difficult... because when I started working [in Canada] there has been a long period of adaptation. In my life I had different adaptations. But this one [adaption in Canada] has been a really big one and I think that this experience has help me understand better the adaptation a person dying of cancer has to go through” (French Social Worker B).

Conclusions Data are congruent with theoretical framework to understand professional adaptation of the social worker: occurs within various social work roles and interventions as well as within the personal, sociocultural and professional environments. Research into professional adaptation processes must also fully take into account personal adaptation processes While their journey to adapt to their new lives and to social work practice in Canada was marked by many personal variations, their professional adaptation was mediated through dimensions such as their process of personal adaptation into the Canadian society, and the elements that facilitated or mitigated their professional adaptation.