Message from the Registrar and CEO: Ontario’s Second COVID-19 Emergency Order Announcement

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is providing an update in light of the province’s most recent announcement, as part of our ongoing commitment to providing College members and other stakeholders with updates related to the impact of COVID-19. The Ontario government announced that it had declared a second provincial emergency order in response to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases and the alarming risks posed to the province’s…

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OCSWSSW Seeking Your Feedback on Draft Appendix: Administration of Naloxone

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is seeking feedback from stakeholders on its draft appendix to the Practice Guidelines on Medication Practices regarding the administration of Naloxone. These guidelines were developed to assist members and employers in interpreting and applying the College’s Standards of Practice with respect to medication practices. About the draft appendix In response to the opioid crisis, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (now the…

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Social Work and Social Service Work Regulator Expands Public Awareness Campaign to be Featured on CP24

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) is expanding its highly successful  “What’s in a name?” public awareness campaign in 2021 to include advertising on CP24. The “What’s in a name?” campaign promotes awareness of the OCSWSSW and the Online Register of social workers and social service workers in Ontario. It also reinforces the OCSWSSW’s ongoing mandate to protect the public interest through the campaign’s full tagline, “What’s in a name?…

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Message from the Registrar and CEO: COVID-19 Update – Province-wide Lockdown

The Ontario government recently announced a province-wide shutdown which will take effect on December 26, 2020, in response to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases across the province and to ensure the health and safety of all Ontarians. The province-wide lockdown takes effect as follows: Two weeks (14 days) for the entire province until Saturday, January 9, 2021Four weeks (28 days) for Southern Ontario until Saturday, January 23, 2021 As we have done on numerous…

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Important Reminder: Renew Your College Membership for 2021

As a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, your membership fee must be paid annually by December 31. Keeping your membership current is important. It demonstrates your commitment to professional, ethical, qualified and accountable practice. It says something important about the professions of social work and social service work as a whole, and also about you as an individual practitioner. Members can now renew their membership and pay their…

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College Response to the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Report – December 2020

The Office of the Chief Coroner has notified the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) of the results of a review by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) and sought the College’s support in implementing one of its recommendations. The College intends to address the DVDRC’s recommendation by: Sharing the findings of the DVDRC with members.Reminding members of their professional obligations with respect to competence, currency and scope of…

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Important Reminder: Renew Your College Membership for 2021

As a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, your membership fee must be paid annually by December 31. Keeping your membership current is important. It demonstrates your commitment to professional, ethical, qualified and accountable practice. It says something important about the professions of social work and social service work as a whole, and also about you as an individual practitioner. Members can now renew their membership and pay their…

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NEW! “Committed to Competence” Webinar Available on the College Website

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers invites members to watch footage from the “Committed to Competence” webinar on its website and YouTube channel! The webinar, which was originally hosted by the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) on November 25, 2020, features the College’s Christina Van Sickle, MSW, RSW, Director, Professional Practice, and Sue Kowalski, MSW, RSW, Professional Practice Associate. “Committed to Competence” reviews the history and requirements of the College’s…

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Revisit the 2020 Educational Forums on the College Website!

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) invites you to watch recently added videos of the 2020 Educational Forums on our website and YouTube channel! The videos have been edited for optimal viewing and include closed captioning. The Educational Forums are part of the College’s Glenda McDonald Educational Series. These half-day events help members stay connected with the College while gaining valuable knowledge on issues that impact social work and…

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Council Meeting Highlights for December 2, 2020

The Council is the 21-member governing body and board of directors that manages and administers College affairs. The policies developed by Council provide direction to the College and to staff. December 2, 2020 Toula Kourgiantakis, RSW, President, provided her report to Council.Lise Betteridge, RSW, Registrar and CEO, and Laura Sheehan, Deputy Registrar, presented their report to Council. The report provided updates under each strategic priority in the College’s 2020-2023 Strategic Plan and included information about…

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Important Reminder: Renew Your College Membership for 2021

As a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, your membership fee must be paid annually by December 31. Keeping your membership current is important. It demonstrates your commitment to professional, ethical, qualified and accountable practice. It says something important about the professions of social work and social service work as a whole, and also about you as an individual practitioner. Members can now renew their membership and pay their…

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Statistics Canada Questionnaire: Impacts of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers

The following message, which includes an invitation to complete a questionnaire on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers, is being sent on behalf of Statistics Canada. This initiative is a collaboration between Statistics Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Statistics Canada encourages anyone working in a health care setting to participate. Message from Statistics Canada: Your participation is important: Your voice…

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