Dr. Ken Barter
Professor Emeritus
School of Social Work
Memorial University
St. John's, NL
Canada A1C 5S7
Email: kbarter@mun.ca
Dr. Ken Barter earned a bachelor of arts degree from Memorial University, a master of social work from the University of Calgary and a PhD from Wilfred Laurier University.
Dr. Barter was the Chair in Child Protection for the School of Social Work from September 1998 until the end of funding in April 2003. He was awarded the 2013 International Association of University Presidents Award, which recognized extraordinary achievement in international curriculum development, service, and teaching, for his contribution to improving public health and social services in rural Vietnam. He was awarded Memorial’s 2015 President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching and served as the school’s acting associate dean, undergraduate programs, associate dean, graduate studies and research and chair of the school’s Accreditation Committee. He has served on numerous other school and university committees.
He prepared a significant community education contribution - an award-winning video on his research in community capacity building for the protection of children.
Dr. Barter’s considerable contributions to the School of Social Work include his exemplary teaching and supervision of numerous master of social work and doctoral-level students, his consistently high levels of leadership in program development, particularly his contributions to the specially designed Nunatsiavut Bachelor of Social Work program for Inuit students in Labrador, and his research. He retired in 2015 and was named professor emeritus during the fall 2016 convocation ceremony.
This presentation brings forward relevant and critical concerns about child protection and social work that are grounded in the literature and research. Given these concerns are not acknowledged in the Turner Report, it is important to bring them forward for clarification and information. The presentation sounds the call for action in bringing about change that will facilitate and support the important role that social workers play as the predominant profession in child protection work. Evidence is provided as to why it is time for this change to take place. The presentation also contextualizes the known realities of child protection work, realities that are often skirted when changes are introduced.