Hi Kim,

You have sparked an interesting discussion on the profession of health
promotion. As someone who identifies herself as a helath promoter, I do not
mind entering into one of my favourite debates regarding the professional
requirements to be and do health promotion.

As a social worker, I initial found it difficult to break into the health
promotion field. May I recommend attending the Health Promotion Summer
School organized annually by the Centre for Health Promotion and other
community health groups. I attended my fist Summer School in 1997 and I have
not looked back since. I have worked at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit for
the last 3 years on a multidisciplinary team and I capitalized on my
social-feminist perspective and my knowledge of the determinants of health.

I would agree with my other colleagues regarding a Masters degree opening
doors to the field. I decided to stay in the Ottawa area to do my gradate
studies and found Carleton University School of Social Work open to me
exploring the connections of social work practice and health promotion. As
someone interested in research, I recently took on a new role with VON
Canada to manage their research project on caregiver issues.

I think you will find health promoters are a diverse group of people with
unique but common skills, values, and knowledge. Follow you passions and
good luck!

Bonnie Schroeder, MSW
Caregiver Research Project Manager
VON Canada
5 Blackburn Avenue
Ottawa, ON   K1N 8A2
phone: (613) 233-5694, ext. 252
fax: (613) 233-6987
email: [log in to unmask]
visit our web site at: www.von.ca