'We want to ensure that we're not a place where people who aren't regulated come and practice at their own whims'
The Yukon government is moving to regulate clinical social workers, aiming to align with national standards and prevent unregulated practices.
"We want to make sure that we make changes to ensure that we're not a place where people who aren't regulated come and practice at their own whims,” said Richard Mostyn, Yukon's community services minister, according to a CBC report.
“That's not acceptable."
Mostyn confirmed that work is underway to update Yukon’s Health Professions Act, which governs health professionals, including mental-health practitioners. However, social workers are not currently classified as health professionals under the act, despite their ability to provide mental health diagnoses.
In the Yukon legislature, New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA Annie Blake introduced a motion urging the government to regulate and oversee social workers in line with other Canadian jurisdictions, according to CBC.
"Regulating a profession takes time. So it's not going to happen tomorrow, but we're working on it. It is something that we're aware of and we are going to take action," Mostyn said.
Social worker promotes conspiracy therories
The recent move by the Yukon government comes after a previous CBC report noted that a Yukon-based clinical social worker has been temporarily stripped of her professional registration by the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW) due to her promotion of conspiracy theories.
Debbra Greig – who operates the Hannah Clinical Social Work Service in Yukon – came under investigation after allegations that her beliefs, tied to QAnon conspiracy theories, could harm clients.
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The investigation began after a Yukon Legal Services Society lawyer flagged an alarming email Greig sent while working with a rural client. The email asserted that Canada’s court system was "null and void" and that the country was now governed by Romana Didulo, a self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada" associated with QAnon ideology.
The college’s inquiry revealed additional remarks from Greig about an impending "apocalypse of information" that would enlighten the public about global truths. The regulatory panel noted the significant harm her beliefs could inflict, particularly if clients acted on advice such as ignoring financial obligations or legal processes.
While the suspension bars Greig from practicing in British Columbia, the BCCSW's reach does not extend into the Yukon, a jurisdiction without regulatory oversight for social workers.
‘Potential harm to clients’
Currently, the Yukon government is still "trying to ascertain what work this individual does in the territory," but she doesn't appear to do any work for the territorial government, according to CBC.
"We have learned that she may be doing work for the federal government. I have written [to] the federal government to alert them to this fact," Mostyn said.
Greig "may be involved in the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, a critical initiative designed to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Mostyn in a letter addressed to Federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, reported CBC.
"The continued involvement of an individual under scrutiny and investigation raises concerns about the potential harm to clients and the erosion of trust in federally funded support systems, our justice system, and the supports and services intended to help victims of the residential school system," Mostyn wrote.
Previously, an Ontario social worker was stripped of licensing after asking out a former client.