Professional Practice Update: Navigating 2024’s Required Readings and Other Announcements

In this update:

  • Required Readings for 2024 Continuing Competence Program
  • Research Opportunities Webpage
  • Regulation of Applied Behaviour Analysis – FAQs

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is pleased to share the following updates to support your practice.

Required Readings for 2024 CCP

The Continuing Competence Program (CCP) is a mandatory requirement of College registration, ensuring that registrants stay current in their practice. Annual participation in the CCP is mandatory for all College registrants, except those holding a retired class of certificate of registration. This includes registrants who are not currently practising, those in the inactive class, and registrants on maternity, parental or sick leave.

To complete the CCP, you are required to:

  • Review the Standards of Practice every year.
  • Complete a self-assessment.
  • Set goals and carry out learning activities based on their self-assessment.

As part of the 2024 CCP, you are also required to review the following practice resources:

Research Opportunities Webpage

From time to time, the College posts links to research projects which may be of interest to registrants. These opportunities – whether as a participant or as a researcher – can be used towards the completion of the CCP.

Visit the College website to access current research opportunities. 

If you are a researcher and would like to post your project on this webpage, contact the College’s Director of Professional Practice, Christina Van Sickle, MSW, RSW, at cvansickle@ocswssw.org.

Regulation of Applied Behaviour Analysis – Frequently Asked Questions

The College would like to remind registrants of the establishment of the new regulatory framework for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in Ontario. The College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) has been working with the government of Ontario toward finalizing the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021 which will come into force in July 2024.

Social workers and social service workers, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, educators, psychotherapists, and nurses may use behavioural techniques in their practice. These techniques remain within the public domain.

Once the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021 comes into force in July 2024, any professional who wants to refer to themselves as a “Behaviour Analyst” must register with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario, regardless of any other concurrent registrations they hold with another regulatory body. This includes registered social workers and social service workers.

For more information on the regulation of ABA, view the latest FAQs from the CPO.