Recipient of the 2017 HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

Rebecca Blidner

Nominated For: HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

Rebecca graduated with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto and shortly after was employed as a social worker in the St. Michael’s Hospital Neurosurgery and Trauma Program. Working in one of two adult trauma hospitals in Toronto, Rebecca delivers critical social work care to individuals in the acute care stage of life altering trauma, which oftentimes results in brain injuries and other serious physical and emotional challenges.

Within the team, Rebecca is known as a silent leader, who has the trust and confidence of her colleagues to manage clinical challenges and provide a safe space to debrief and process. She collaborates closely with her extraordinary team to ensure patients’ psychosocial needs are highlighted as a top priority. Rebecca has co-developed a protocol to standardize interdisciplinary bedside family meetings for medically complex patients transferring from the intensive care unit to the ward. She chose to lead this initiative to advocate for patients so that they have the opportunity to participate in and drive their own care.

Rebecca also helped launch the creation and development of the My BeST (Beyond Surviving, to Thriving) Peer support Program for survivors of traumatic injury. This group is the first of its kind in Toronto and the program has enabled survivors of traumatic injury to expand their support network and to process emotional challenges in daily life.

Rebecca is the Vice Chair of Social Work Practice council, acting as representative at the Health Disciplines Advisory Committee for social work case consultations as well as discipline specific development and education initiatives at St. Michael’s Hospital. In addition to her clinical practice, Rebecca has co-authored a number of published manuscripts, the most recent of which examined a mindfulness based cognitive therapy designedto promote emotional well being for adults living with chronic health challenges. She looks forward to exploring other research opportunities in the near future. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys spending time perfecting her photography skills. Her dog, Sadie, is frequently her subject.