Resilient, determined, passionate about supporting others. Vanessa Butler, a former recipient of the Jack Howard Scholarship at Eldercare Foundation, is all this and more.
In addition to working full-time as a Medical Social Worker in two primary care clinics in Langford, Vanessa runs her own small private practice as a therapist and sits on the board of Thrive Social Services, the nonprofit organization responsible for bringing The Foundry to the Westshore.
Her healthcare career began more than two decades ago working in home and community care as a Community Support Worker. In 2014, she became a Registered Social Worker and held several positions in long-term care. In 2019, she was ready to further her education. But there were several obstacles in her way. For starters, as she puts bluntly: “Going back to school is not cheap.”
Vanessa was encouraged to apply to the Jack Howard Scholarship in Gerontology by a fellow social worker at Aberdeen long-term care home. She didn’t know much about Eldercare and hadn’t realized that financial support was available for qualified students and staff working with older populations. Receiving the Jack Howard Scholarship in Gerontology enabled her to pursue an online Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at Dalhousie University.
In addition to financial barriers, there were challenges in Vanessa’s personal life. “Part of the reason why the scholarship was so helpful was that I was raising young children at the time,” says Vanessa. “I was also in a very tumultuous relationship. My partner at the time was not supportive of me pursuing higher education. So, I left him and did it anyway.”
During her degree, she was determined to continue advocating for herself. When Dalhousie University officials asked to complete a four-month unpaid practicum, she convinced them that working an unpaid position as single mom would be impossible. Instead, she did a project at her workplace in primary care, where about 75% of her clients are seniors.
Working in primary care has been a great fit for Vanessa. “I’m so happy about the niche I’ve carved out for myself as an allied health professional enmeshed in a primary care clinic with 8+ physicians. This is a newer model of care and it’s a unique, wonderful, and much-needed. When I see a patient’s medical chart after they have been referred to me, it’s incredibly rewarding to read about the impact my role has had on their life.”
Vanessa says going back to school was the best decision ever, and the funding support gave her peace of mind. Receiving an MSW also gave her an opportunity to open her own private practice as a therapist supporting clients with three very distinct areas of focus: clients receiving end of life/ palliative care, adjusting to terminal illnesses; healthcare staff – such as first responders and doctors – managing acute stress; and women in abusive relationships and transitional life stages.
As one of the founders of Eldercare, Jack Howard believed that supporting the professional development of healthcare workers was vital to improving the care available to local seniors. While he is no longer with us – he passed away in 2011 – we’d like to think that he would applaud Vanessa’s grit and hard work to further her healthcare career. “Receiving the Jack Howard Scholarship from Eldercare saved me,” she says. “Thank you for supporting my educational path.”
Learn more about awards and scholarships offered at Eldercare.