Continuous professional education and development √
The association supports the profession of social service work, by enhancing and delivering a comprehensive continuous professional education and development library. Social service workers are required by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) to maintain their competency by way of the continuing competence program, also known as simply (CCP). The association appreciates that this mandate is directly the responsibility of the regulator, the OCSWSSW. However, the association recognizes its capacity to support the profession with a variety of resources, education, and development opportunities for member social service workers, students, faculty and graduates to support them in their CCP learning journey.
Professional liability insurance and member discounts √
The association supports the profession of social service work by providing members the ability to attain professional liability insurance, tailored to their unique and specific practice as social service workers. In Ontario, social service workers currently can access their professional liability insurance program by being a member with the association. The association also supports the profession in establishing relationships with a variety of companies, merchants and services in which discounts are available exclusively for association members. The association is currently working to develop a comprehensive member benefits page accessible internally for members.
Articulation agreements ×
The association supports the profession of social service work, by appreciating a social service worker throughout their career, may desire to undertake further formal education. Typically, articulation agreements are the responsibility of the Colleges and Universities in which these agreements are formalized. The association recognizes there is a wide variety of these agreements, with no universal model being shared between Colleges and Universities, in respect to graduates of social service work programs. The association is working to develop a best practice articulation agreement as a model to support the profession in having more accessible articulation agreements in Ontario and across Canada. The associations model will be encouraged to all articulation stakeholders.
Private insurance and benefits ×
The association supports the profession of social service work, by appreciating that only some private insurers recognize social service workers in their private insurance benefits package, while other insurance providers do not. The association knows social service workers in private practice, want to be accessible, affordable and supportive for their clients. When clients of social service workers, cannot access their personal benefits plan, due to a lack of recognition of the profession of social service work, clients are burdened with paying for professional service costs out of pocket. The association is working to address this issue with insurers and will be developing a recognized insurer list for the profession of social service work.
