WEBVTT

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<v ->Today's walk &amp; talk is at
CFB Edmonton's Health Services</v>

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Centre with Captain Dakota Levesque,

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a Social Work Officer in the Canadian

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Armed Forces. Hey, Dakota.

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<v ->Hey.</v>
<v ->You ready for your walk &amp; talk?</v>

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<v ->Let's do it.</v>
<v ->All right. Tell me,</v>

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what does a Social Work
Officer in the CAF do exactly?

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<v ->Well, we're here for the health</v>

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and overall well-being of our members.

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We do individual counselling, some group

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and family work, as well as
just meeting with members

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and seeing where we go
and meeting those needs.

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<v ->Okay. And what do you
have on the agenda today?</v>

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<v ->I've got a few things today. So two</v>

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or three patient interactions,
an interdisciplinary meeting,

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and then I have to meet
with the chain of command.

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<v ->Oh, so it's not all about
being behind a desk?</v>

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<v ->No, no. I'm here, there and everywhere.</v>

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Anywhere there's people,
you'll find a Social Work

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Officer, so I'm there.

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<v ->Love it. Okay, we'll follow
you. So Dakota, what kind</v>

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of concerns would typically
be brought up to you?

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<v ->We get a pretty broad range:</v>

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everything from relationship
breakdown, depression, anxiety,

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to some more severe
mental health diagnosed

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conditions or crisis.

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<v ->Okay. And what would
you say is the biggest</v>

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misconception about your role?

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<v ->It's that I'm only a social worker,</v>

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but I'm a Social Work Officer.

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So I have a voice at
the leadership table.

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I get to advocate for the members

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of my team and also my clients.

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That voice is probably my single
favourite thing about being

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a social worker in the military.

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<v ->That is so cool. Okay.
Where are you taking me?</v>

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<v ->So we're just gonna head
into the conference room now.</v>

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This is where we hold our team meetings.

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<v ->Oh, fun. So is it a
big medical team?</v>

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<v ->Oh, it's, it's huge.</v>

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There's doctors,
psychologists, psychiatrists,

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nurses, chaplains, you name it.

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<v ->Okay. And what's the collaboration like?</v>

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<v ->Anytime I need someone,
I can get on the phone</v>

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with them within the hour.

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So if I need a doctor in Esquimalt,

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I can get ahold of them.

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If I need a psychologist in Valcartier,

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we're on the phone. It's that easy.

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<v ->Wow, that's incredible. And
you can get posted anywhere?</v>

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<v ->All over Canada. Most bases
have a Social Work Officer.</v>

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We also have some OUTCAN positions

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and a few deployed positions as well.

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<v ->That's amazing. What drew you</v>

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to social work in the military
and not the civilian world?

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<v ->It was the CAF's willingness</v>

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to invest in me as a social worker.

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There's so many experiences

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and training opportunities
that I've had here

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that I would have never
got on the civilian side.

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<v ->And what's the most
rewarding part of the job?</v>

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<v ->For me, it's when I'm
meeting with members in crisis,</v>

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oftentimes having the
worst day of their life,

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and they leave those sessions

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better off than when they walked in.

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The impact we have with members is huge,

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and I always hold that
near and dear to my heart.

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<v ->One quality that every Social Work Officer</v>

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must have, in your opinion. Go.

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<v ->Easily, it's compassion. We
are meeting with members</v>

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going through some tough things,

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and being able to sit there with them

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and be around those intense emotions and,

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and share that with a person.

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Having that compassion
is definitely noticed

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and it makes a huge
difference in our sessions.

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<v ->And Dakota, do you have a proud</v>

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career moment that you could share?

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<v ->Yep. So when I was a
young LT, fresh off of OJT,</v>

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on Christmas break
actually, I got a call saying

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that there were some members

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of ours struggling in Ukraine.

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So within a week, I
was on a plane in Lviv

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and I like to think I made

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a big difference for those members.

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<v ->Finish this sentence for me.</v>

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"This job makes me feel ...

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<v ->That's a full sentence.</v>

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"This job makes me feel."

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<v ->Okay.</v>

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And talking about feelings,

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how does it feel being asked
the questions for a change?

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<v ->It's weird for me being on my back foot,</v>

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but it's a refreshing change of pace.

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<v ->Well, good news. I'm at my
last question. Are you ready?</v>

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<v ->Yep.</v>
<v ->Why should someone consider becoming a</v>

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Social Work Officer in the CAF?

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<v ->It's an investment in yourself.</v>

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You'll get to do things
you've never done before,

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and it's a great opportunity.

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<v ->Well, I'll let you get right back</v>

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to it. Thank you so much.

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<v ->Thank you.</v>