What’s the Difference Between a Social Worker and Social Service Worker?

The difference between a social worker and social service worker? This is one of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers’ (the College) most frequently asked questions. Social workers work with their clients to address challenges through a process of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation. Social service workers assist clients in dealing with personal and social problems by delivering counselling, community services and social support programs. Both social workers and social service workers assist…

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Celebrating Ethics, Insight and Innovation at AMED 2019

On June 13, the College hosted members at its 2019 Annual Meeting and Education Day (AMED) at Toronto’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The theme of AMED 2019 was Ethics. Insight. Innovation. More than 500 social workers and social service workers – and hundreds more online – participated in AMED this year. As an employer, you may be interested in telling your staff about AMED and the resources we have posted online. AMED is one way…

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Employer Roundtable

Since 2017, the College has hosted Employer Roundtables in Thunder Bay, Windsor, Sudbury and Kitchener. These interactive events provide an opportunity for employers to learn about the College and its public protection mandate and to share their ideas about how the College can better support employers. The date of this fall’s roundtable has been set for October 10, 2019. The College will announce the location in the next issue of the Employer Communiqué.

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Q&A: Mandatory Professional Development

Does the College require members to engage in ongoing professional development each year? Yes. As part of its public protection mandate, the College requires members to engage in ongoing learning through its Continuing Competence Program (CCP). Based on an adult education model, the CCP requires members to: Review the Standards of Practice every year.Complete a self-assessment based on those principles.Set goals and carry out learning activities based on their self-assessment. The College’s CCP was launched…

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The Benefits of Field Education for Employers

Have you considered providing field education opportunities to social work/social service work students? Field education is a mandatory practicum requirement for those aspiring to careers as social workers and social service workers. An experiential learning tool, field education helps students develop their professional competency by providing them with an opportunity to apply their knowledge to the practice setting. Field education can also be beneficial to participating employers and their social worker/ social service worker staff…

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