As a passionate advocate for mental health and social justice, Bailey Reid pursued a master of social work degree to deepen her clinical skills while continuing to serve her community.
For the new spring graduate, Memorial’s Master of Social Work Program offered the perfect combination of academic rigor and flexibility for working professionals
And as a practising social worker, the program’s focus on issues like health equity and community-based care mattered deeply to her.
Ms. Reid’s program’s primary focus was art-based group therapy for individuals experiencing mental distress.
She tailored her course projects and research assignments in this area, culminating in her final project, Arts on Prescription: A Clinician’s Manual.
A comprehensive guide to designing and facilitating a nine-week, art-based group therapy program, Arts on Prescription includes session-by-session outlines, materials, facilitation strategies and ethical considerations.
Created to equip frontline clinicians with accessible tools to incorporate creative, client-centred approaches into their therapeutic work, Ms. Reid also made the manual available to practitioners in the province.
Excellent mentors
She points to a research methods course, taught by recently retired School of Social Work faculty member Dr. Gail Wideman, as a significant influence on her studies.
“As a mentor, their insight and support were transformative.”
Designed to allow students to sharpen their skills in research design, critical analysis and evaluation, the course played a crucial role in her final project.
“I developed a robust evaluation strategy for creative therapeutic interventions, which became foundational to Arts on Prescription,” said Ms. Reid, who is from Upper Island Cove, N.L. “Although I entered the program with prior research experience, this course deepened my critical thinking and strategic approach, and helped me see how rigorous, evidence-informed practice can support clinical excellence and effective policy development.”
She also highlights the impact of working with Dr. Bren LeFrancois, a professor and University Research Professor in the School of Social Work.
“Dr. LeFrançois’ critical lens, grounded in mad studies and anti-oppressive practice, pushed me to engage more deeply with the politics of mental health care and the power of alternative, non-pathologizing approaches to healing. As a mentor, their insight and support were transformative in helping me situate my work at the intersection of clinical practice, community care and social justice.”
Personal, political and policy
Ms. Reid will cross the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre stage to collect her master’s degree during Memorial’s spring convocation ceremonies on Friday, May 30.
With her graduate degree in hand, she plans to continue building a career that bridges frontline clinical work and policy development.
“I hope to step into leadership roles . . . where I can champion mental health reform, gender equity and the voices of those most impacted by systemic barriers.”
She will also open a private practice offering counselling and therapy with a focus on inclusive, trauma-informed care for individuals experiencing mental distress.
And, she will continue to pursue opportunities in mental health policy and system performance to improve the accessibility, equity and effectiveness of services on a broader scale.
“My master of social work degree has deepened both my clinical and analytical capacities, preparing me to work across the spectrum of care and policy,” said Ms. Reid. “Ultimately, I hope to step into leadership roles, perhaps even at the provincial policy or political level, where I can champion mental health reform, gender equity and the voices of those most impacted by systemic barriers.”
