Maintaining hope in turmoil
Dr. Mak identified three contemporary issues that she found especially challenging for her as a social worker and the entire profession.
She explored how rapid social changes and uncertainty in the context of global conflict, artificial intelligence and social injustice can be disorienting for social workers and disrupt their deeply held beliefs.
In the face of these challenges, how can social workers remain focused, inspired and hopeful?
"Maintaining hope and developing resilience are related skill sets that are so essential in the work that we do," Dr. Mak told OASW members. "And I call it a skill set, because I think it actually takes ongoing practice and intentionality."
Everyday competencies that are inherent to social work – advocacy, a focus on amplifying the voices of equity-deserving communities and people, and enacting empathy – are ways of interacting with the world around us that also lead to inner transformation.
This concept arose from ongoing work Dr. Mak is involved in at the University of Toronto, where MSW students are advancing their interviewing, civil discourse and other skills through interactions with actors portraying diverse roles.
The project, says Dr. Mak, "made me reflect on my belief that what social workers do daily makes a difference, not just to clients and communities, but that we are transformed as helpers ourselves."
Listening deeply, empathizing, noticing, and acting when we see injustice; these skills are necessary in social work and necessary in maintaining hope and purpose through periods of polarization and dehumanization.
She explored three specific "lenses" through which social workers view the world that are especially valuable when the world seems upended.
Trauma-informed: "We sometimes distinguish between small and big 'T' trauma, with big 'T' trauma being those acute incidents which occur that can lead to trauma or trauma responses. When I think of small 't' trauma, I think of the expression 'death by a thousand paper cuts.' It's the cumulative effects of everyday microaggressions or aggression, exposure to adverse events and experiences that can lead to deep impacts on our psyches."
Decolonial: "We need to think about how a colonial past has influenced how our minds and ideas are colonized in the present day. So, taking a decolonial approach means that we're respecting history and really trying to navigate new waters where we're not repeating the wrongs of the past."
Anti-oppressive practice: "It's not simply about how to push back against oppressors but really thinking about how we dismantle systems that perpetuate that kind of ongoing oppression that can occur towards individuals and communities. I think about how grounding in our values as social workers allows us to be more transformative in our practice. And to make a deeper impact."
Finding your "why"
Before she concluded, Dr. Mak encouraged OASW members to reflect on their "whys" – the reasons they maintain hope and the reasons they do this work.
Three questions helped her find her own why:
Who are my people? Who are the people that sustain, encourage and bring you professional or personal joy? Who are the people who cheer you on, who knock on your metaphorical or literal door to see how you're doing?
How is your work integrating trauma-informed, decolonial, or anti-oppressive practices? She encouraged social workers to consider how examining your own history, biases, assumptions, and practices makes you a better and more effective social worker.
Why are you a social worker, and how have you aligned the values of social work with your personal values?
"The fact is that sometimes social work does hurt. It can hurt to see others hurting. It can hurt to feel complicit in massive systems that really feel very difficult to budge. It can hurt to advocate for social justice while also recognizing grotesque inequity.
But we, here today, are answering the call to action. We chose social work, and maybe for some of you, you feel that social work chose you. What you are doing every day makes a difference."
OASW thanks Dr. Carolyn Mak for presenting our 2026 keynote presentation and our members for engaging with her impactful presentation.
To watch a full recording of this presentation, click here.