College Updates

Professional Development Fund for Social Work and Social Service Work Members The Minister of Community and Social Services, Dr. Helena Jaczek, announced at the College’s Annual Meeting and Education Day the creation of a $1 million Professional Development Fund Pilot (PDF), established to fund training for registered social workers and registered social service workers in Ontario over the next two years. This pilot project was established largely due to the effective advocacy by the Ontario…

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This year, the 2015 Educational Forums will be held in St. Catharines on September 25, 2015 and Barrie on October 15, 2015. Don’t miss this opportunity to: Touch base with the CollegeLearn valuable tools to help you in your practiceConnect with your peers For more information and to register, please click here or visit the following link: http://www.ocswssw.org/2015-educational-forums/

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Visit the updated Complaints Section of the website for information about recent changes to the Complaints process. If you have any questions, please contact the Complaints and Discipline Department at 416-972-9882 ext. 210 or 223 or investigations@ocswssw.org.

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In February 2014, following a Coroner's Inquest into the 2002 death of a young child who had involvement with the child protection system in Ontario, the Inquest jury provided its verdict and recommendations to the Ontario government. Of the 103 recommendations, four focus on the duty to report child abuse and neglect as set out in the Child and Family Services Act (the “CFSA”). The Inquest jury also recommended that the Ministry of Children and…

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The following are the results of the election of members of the College to the Council, which took place on May 28, 2015 in electoral district number 4. The results of this election process are now final as the College did not receive a request for a recount prior to June 12, 2015. The following candidates are declared elected by the Election Committee. Social Service Workers: As the number of candidates nominated for the following…

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The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) is expanding and enhancing its presence on Twitter and LinkedIn. The world is changing and more and more people are connecting and sharing their experiences on social media. In fact, more than 80% of College members who participated in the College’s comprehensive Member Communications Survey indicated they would like to receive social media alerts from the College regarding new learning tools, materials and content.…

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07/05/2015 At its May 6, 2015 meeting, Council approved amendments to Principle IV: The Social Work and Social Service Work Record in The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice Handbook, Second Edition, 2008 related to client record retention and transfer in the event of a member’s death or retirement from practice. The changes are most relevant for members in private practice. They are intended to allow for more flexibility, while ensuring that client records…

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As members of the College, you will soon receive your hardcopy spring issue of Perspective in the mail. However you can download the latest issue, as well as all previous issues of Perspective, from the College website. In the spring issue of Perspective, you will find articles on the new College website, celebrating 15 years of social work and social service work regulation, Practice Notes on third-party billing, as well as information regarding this year’s…

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The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers is pleased to announce that registration for the 2015 Annual Meeting & Education Day (AMED) is now open to all College members. This year’s AMED will take place on Tuesday, June 9th, 2015 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The theme of AMED 2015 is Building Capacity across the Spectrum. The event is free for members.…

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On April 1, 2015, the Ontario Government proclaimed into force most of the balance of the provisions of the Psychotherapy Act. This recent development will affect members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) who practise psychotherapy and/or use the title “psychotherapist”, as well as those who wish to do so in the future. Effective April 1, 2015, only members of the newly created College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered…

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The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers is happy to announce the launch of its new website, www.ocswssw.org. The new College website retains all of the content from the previous site. The new website was designed to be: More accessible – The new website features more intuitive navigation as well as larger text options and more white space for improved viewing.More mobile – The new College website is mobile-friendly, enabling an optimal…

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May 26, 2014 and September 29, 2014Pamela Bickerton (Henry), Former Social Work Member The Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers found that Pamela Bickerton (Henry), a former social work member, is guilty of professional misconduct in that she violated sections 2.31 and 2.36 of O. Reg. 384/00 (Professional Misconduct). Download the College's Discipline Committee Decision Summary.

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