Defining Moments in Social Work: Kathleen Potter’s Story

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Kathleen Potter’s journey in social work has been a path defined by compassion, advocacy, and a commitment to supporting people through their most vulnerable moments. As one of many Health Sciences Association (HSA) members who provide vital services in BC’s health care system, her career has taken her from Eastern Canada to Asia to the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

“The thing I love about social work is that there are so many different options and opportunities,” Kathleen shares. “I’ve worked in community health care, the ER, the ICU, and I’m now working in addictions. Anywhere on the health and social care spectrum, you’ll find social workers.”

In Kathleen’s role on the Addiction Medicine team at St. Paul's Hospital, she builds lasting relationships with clients, supporting them over an extended period and allowing her to track patients’ progress over time. Her work enables her to build lasting relationships with clients, supporting them over an extended period and allowing her to track patients’ progress over time.

“You get to see people over the course of months, sometimes years, and regardless of where folks are at in their recovery you get to see their wins,” Kathleen says. “You get to be a part of that and celebrate that.”

Yet, like many health science professionals across the province, Kathleen faces significant challenges in delivering key health care services due to limited resources and staffing shortages. “We work in a system where there is not enough,” she explains. “We have so many members of our community who are unsafe, unhoused, hungry, cold, and lonely and there is nothing I can do about it. And that’s really hard.”

Despite these challenges, Kathleen feels immense fulfillment in being a part of people’s stories, witnessing the growth and progress of those she supports. Supporting someone’s recovery journey is something that she feels privileged to do. For her, each step forward—whether it’s finding stable housing, reconnecting with family, or maintaining sobriety—is a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength that’s in each person. It is this perseverance that drives her to move forward even when the work feels daunting.

One of the most impactful moments of her career happened in the ER during her early years as a social worker. A child had been brought in unresponsive and tragically passed away, with Kathleen responsible for working closely with the family through their loss. A year later, the child’s mother approached Kathleen at the clinic and told her: “You allowed me to survive that night.” For Kathleen, that moment captured the essence of why she does this work, and she reflects that “if I do nothing else for the rest of my career, that’s enough.”

You allowed me to survive that night. 

- A heartfelt acknowledgment from a grieving mother to Kathleen. 

While Kathleen acknowledges the ongoing struggled related to limited resources and staffing, she remains hopeful that increased advocacy and public awareness will lead to tangible improvements, like better access to housing, harm reduction services, and mental health support. Further opportunities for professional development also open the doors for health science professionals to maximize the impact of their work.

She also acknowledges that many social workers feel that there’s been a mixed impact of recent classification changes on their profession.  “For some, their skills and experience have not been fully recognized in the classification structure.”

Still, Kathleen appreciates some positive aspects of the new system. “Something I do appreciate is the clearer differentiation between frontline, leadership, and education roles,” she notes. “I think there’s more clarity now, which I hope will be helpful moving forward, especially for social work educators to have more defined roles within the hospital system.” It’s a development that Kathleen hopes will eventually benefit all health science professionals, paving the way for more growth and recognition in their fields.

Last year, Kathleen was the HSA-funded social work fellow at the BC Centre on Substance Use. This fellowship allowed her to deepen her understanding of addiction care and develop new strategies for supporting clients, something she considers invaluable to her practice. “I would say it was equally if not more valuable than my Masters degree,” Kathleen says. “It really shaped my practice."

Kathleen’s commitment to her work, despite the challenges, is what makes health science professionals like her the backbone of modern health care. With the union’s ongoing support, Kathleen and her colleagues continue to fight for the resources and recognition needed to make a meaningful impact on the lives of British Columbians.