加拿大

I truly treasure having had the non-local placement at Community Family Services of Ontario (CFSO) during this summer. Over these three months, through both my placement at CFSO and my life experiences in Toronto, I have managed to achieve significant personal growth not just from a social work perspective but also as a human being. This transformative experience has deeply influenced my personal and professional development in several ways.

Firstly, I gained a deeper understanding of myself during this period. My colleagues at CFSO were incredibly supportive and provided extensive training, sharing their personal experiences as social workers and the various challenges they faced. One remarkable moment stands out in my memory: I shared my own difficulties with a colleague, who then guided me through a process of self-reflection, helping me to uncover the underlying reasons behind my feelings. As humans, we experience a wide range of emotions, but we often do not fully understand them. As social workers who encounter our clients' emotions daily, it is crucial that we also listen to and understand our own feelings first in order to effectively handle clients' emotions and help them understand themselves better. This self-reflection has been invaluable, allowing me to empathize more deeply with my clients and reinforcing the importance of emotional awareness in our work.

Secondly, the placement provided me with invaluable opportunities to connect with clients. Applying my counselling skills in real-world settings was both a challenging and rewarding experience. My supervisor allowed me to exercise flexibility within my role, enabling me to strengthen my skills and try various approaches I had learned. These real-life practices not only enhanced my professional capabilities but also instilled a sense of confidence in my ability to assist clients effectively. I witnessed first-hand impact of different counselling techniques and adapted them based on the unique needs of each client, reinforcing the dynamic nature of social work. Every client interaction helped me build a nuanced understanding of how to tailor my approach to meet their individual needs.

Lastly, the experience facilitated a profound connection with the broader community. Living and working in Toronto allowed me to gain an understanding of the social welfare system of another country. We visited different agencies focusing on mental health, elderly care, and child protection, which enabled me to appreciate their varied approaches and services. By communicating with professionals in these settings, I gained insights from their working environments, challenges, and methodologies. For instance, the policies in Ontario related to child protection are more fully developed compared to those in Hong Kong. Although my immediate actions may be limited, the knowledge and perspectives I gained from Toronto provide me with a new outlook on the social welfare system. In the future, we will be better equipped to observe service gaps and tackle them as social workers. Moreover, this exposure broadened my perspective and underscored the importance of building collaboration and networks within the community, which is vital for providing holistic support to those in need.

In conclusion, the insights I gained through this placement were not just theoretical but practical and tangible. By participating in different community activities and programmes, I saw how interconnected our work is with the everyday lives of people in these communities. I observed how small, consistent efforts by social workers can significantly impact the wellbeing of clients over time.

Agency visit_HongFok

Agency visit_TCCSA (多華會)

Community booth

Last day at CFSO 

在今個暑假，我在加拿大溫哥華的MOSAIC實習，該機構主要為新移民充權。我參與在當中的Moving Ahead Program，提供安置服務給高需要的新移民的難民。 

能在溫哥華實習是非常珍貴和特別的經驗。我們經歷了很多無法預計和獨特的事件，啟發了我對香港和溫哥華的社會服務和政策的反思。在實習督導的指導下和與實習同伴的討論過程中，我們認識到很多關於兩座城市之間的差異。 

機構和同事都十分靈活和願意提供支援。當你有興趣的時候，機構和督導總會鼓勵你嘗試。當我對MOSAIC下的其他服務單位的服務感興趣時，機構都可以提供機會讓我更深入地了解。例如，我作為助手和觀察員參加了另一個團隊舉辦的LGBTQ +支援小組。機構的同事和督導經常邀請我們參加各種活動來曠闊視野，從中學習和嘗試不同的角色。員工培訓、實地考察、工作坊、個案會議，團隊會議和大學研討會都只是其中的一部分活動。在溫哥華，實習學生可以作為工作影子，跟隨個案經理參加個案面談，觀察個案經理使用的技巧。 但在香港，礙於保密原則和政策，學生只能與同事討論，所以能跟隨個案經理實在是一個特別的經歷。通過參加由其他同事負責的計劃和個案面談，我可了解到不同的工作方式，啟發我探索提供服務的不同可能性。 

在實習過程其中寶貴的一課是認識到作為一個公民的意識和義務。MOSAIC有來自不同國家的同事，我們都說這裡很像一個迷你的聯合過，而這是對的！在這裡，我們都來自世界上不同的地方，讓我能遇上我從未想過會遇見的人。透過與他們一起工作，我對世界的看法和眼界都曠闊了。現在，我了解到更多有關中東和非洲國家的知識，而我以前對那些地方只有模糊的概念。此外，受香港今年暑假的社會運動影響，我更加意識到國際的關注和行動對不同議題的重要性。因此，我意識到自己作為國際公民，有義務關注不同的國際議題，例如戰爭、爭取自由與民主、女權主義興起等等。如果我沒有機會接觸難民和來自不同文化背景的同事，我絕對不會有這樣的啟發，所以我非常珍惜這個經驗。 

總括而言，海外實習在促進我的作為社工的專業發展和國際公民的個人成長方面都是非常獨特的經驗。加拿大社會的氛圍是共融、尊重、開放、和值得體驗的，使我能重新認識香港——我的家鄉。無容置疑，這對我們的學習和反思都是十分有益的。我衷心推介同學參與海外實習，從中得到一個特別的學習經驗！

組員的藝術作品

本拿比的同志嘉年華

參加MOSAIC的同工退修

維多利亞的日落

在溫哥華觀賞煙花比賽