Canadian Association of Social Workers

Canadian Association of Social Workers Established in 1926, CASW promotes the profession of social work in Canada and advances social justice. Follow us on Twitter
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L’Association canadienne des travailleurs sociaux (ACTS) (maintenant Association canadienne des travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux) a été fondée en 1926. En plus de répondre aux besoins de la population, elle visait à constituer un réseau de travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux permettant à ceux-ci d’aménager leurs conditions de travail. Quatre-vingts cinq ans après, l’ACTS est maintenant une

organisation fédérée représentant des travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux de tout le pays. Les orientations stratégiques de l’organisation nationale démontrent que l’ACTS reste fidèle à ses engagements. The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) was founded in 1926 to monitor employment conditions and to establish standards of practice within the profession. CASW has since evolved into a national social work voice for its Provincial and Territorial Partner Organizations and individual members. CASW's mission is to promote the profession of social work in Canada and advance issues of social justice.

06/13/2026

Listen now everywhere!
In this episode of , we speak with Francesca Serwaa as part of CASW's special series celebrating 100 years of social work in Canada. Francesca's path into the profession was shaped by community, by witnessing, and by a deep commitment to showing up for people who look like her. From placements rooted in harm reduction and criminal justice, to building training modules for workers supporting reintegration, Francesca has always been drawn to the spaces others overlook.

Throughout the conversation, Francesca speaks honestly about the stigma that silences Black communities around mental health, the disproportionate impact of the justice system on Black and racialized people, and what it truly means to advocate with and for your community. She also reflects on burnout, boundaries, and the radical act of turning guilt into strength.

This episode invites social workers to remember where they come from, to rest without shame, and to understand that being a voice for the voiceless does not always look like a rally sometimes it looks like one resource, one connection, one person who sees you. Listen on all streaming platforms https://buff.ly/8mwO34N

Sometimes social work begins long before the title of "social worker".It begins in the communities that raised us.In the...
06/12/2026

Sometimes social work begins long before the title of "social worker".

It begins in the communities that raised us.
In the questions we were not always encouraged to ask.
In the moments where someone finally sees a service provider who looks like them and feels safe enough to stay.
In the quiet work of helping someone find a form, a resource, a next step, a way forward.

In this episode of The Social Worker Podcast, we speak with Francesca Serwaa as part of CASW’s special series celebrating 100 years of social work in Canada.

Francesca brings us into a conversation about mental health, addictions, Black communities, justice, reintegration, representation, and care. She reflects on her path into social work, from her early interest in psychiatry to placements in harm reduction and justice-related spaces that shaped her commitment to supporting people navigating complex systems.

Together, we explore what it means to build trust with Black and racialized service users, especially in communities where stigma, silence, and “keeping things in the home” can make accessing support feel difficult. Francesca speaks with honesty about the power of representation, the importance of confidentiality, and the responsibility social workers carry when they are trusted with people’s stories.

She also invites us to think differently about advocacy. Not only as protest, policy, or public action, but as the everyday work of connecting someone to support, helping a person reintegrate with dignity, naming barriers, and reminding people that they are not alone.

And in a field where we are continuously talking about self-care, Francesca leaves us with a grounding reminder: boundaries are not a failure of care. They are part of how we continue. They are part of how we turn guilt into strength.

Listen now on all streaming platforms using this link: https://buff.ly/8mwO34N

New Press Release: Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard Receives the 2026 Glenn Drover National Award for Outstanding ServiceThe...
06/11/2026

New Press Release: Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard Receives the 2026 Glenn Drover National Award for Outstanding Service

The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is proud to announce that 2026 Glenn Drover National Award for Outstanding Service has been awarded to the Honourable Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard.

Read the full press release: https://buff.ly/he8uRoc

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Nouveau communiqué de presse : La sénatrice Wanda Thomas Bernard reçoit le Prix national Glenn-Drover 2026 pour service insigne

L’Association canadienne des travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux (ACTS) décerne avec fierté le Prix national Glenn-Drover 2026 pour service insigne à l’honorable sénatrice Wanda Thomas Bernard.

lire le communiqué complet ici : https://buff.ly/dN1rTZ7

AI is reshaping how social workers practice across Canada and your voice matters in shaping what comes next. CASW has pa...
06/10/2026

AI is reshaping how social workers practice across Canada and your voice matters in shaping what comes next. CASW has partnered with Polus Consult on a national initiative to develop ethical guidance, practical tools, and professional resources for AI in social work. Take 20 minutes to share your perspective through our national survey and enter for a chance to win one of 10 × $50 Tim Hortons gift cards.
https://buff.ly/wmCBpun

L'IA transforme la pratique du travail social partout au Canada et votre voix est essentielle pour bâtir l'avenir ensemb...
06/10/2026

L'IA transforme la pratique du travail social partout au Canada et votre voix est essentielle pour bâtir l'avenir ensemble. L'ACTS s'est associée à Polus Consult dans le cadre d'une initiative nationale visant à élaborer des orientations éthiques, des outils pratiques et des ressources professionnelles sur l'IA. Prenez 20 minutes pour partager votre point de vue et la chance de gagner l'une des 10 cartes-cadeaux Tim Hortons de 50 $.
🔗 : https://buff.ly/wmCBpun

06/06/2026

Upcoming Webinar Happening June 10th!

This webinar is designed for service providers working with youth who may be at risk of encountering harmful content in digital spaces, including gaming and gaming-adjacent spaces. Participants will build awareness of trends within the online ecosystem, how youth interact with it, and how it shapes offline behaviour, as well as the vulnerability factors that increase a young person's risk of exploitation and recruitment into harmful groups.

Register at casw-acts.ca/webinars

Le mois de juin célèbre l'histoire autochtone. Il invite les allochtones à réfléchir, à apprendre et à découvrir l'histo...
06/05/2026

Le mois de juin célèbre l'histoire autochtone. Il invite les allochtones à réfléchir, à apprendre et à découvrir l'histoire des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis. À se familiariser avec leur culture et leurs contributions. Cette période honore les peuples de l'île de la Tortue.

Travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux, nous devons à la vérité et à la réconciliation d’approfondir sans cesse nos connaissances, de remettre en question les systèmes coloniaux et de militer pour un changement porteur de sens.

Vous souhaitez entreprendre ou poursuivre votre parcours d’apprentissage ?

Consultez le Centre de la réconciliation de l’ACTS. Vous y trouverez des ressources précieuses : webinaires, déclarations et publications. Toutes amplifient les voix autochtones et font avancer la réconciliation.

June is National Indigenous History Month. This month invites all settlers to reflect, learn, and engage with the histor...
06/05/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month. This month invites all settlers to reflect, learn, and engage with the histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island.

As social workers, our responsibility to truth and reconciliation calls us to continually deepen our knowledge, challenge colonial systems, and advocate for meaningful change.

Looking to start or continue your learning journey?

Visit CASW's Reconciliation Hub for resources including webinars, statements, and publications that center Indigenous voices and advance reconciliation

On June 2, CASW was on Parliament Hill — bringing the voice of social workers directly to the people making decisions th...
06/03/2026

On June 2, CASW was on Parliament Hill — bringing the voice of social workers directly to the people making decisions that shape the lives of the most vulnerable Canadians. Hill Day is CASW's opportunity to make sure that experience is heard where it matters most.

CASW is advocating for:

- The repeal of harmful changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) — cuts that are placing lives at risk and forcing health professionals into conflict with their ethical obligations
- The inclusion of social workers on the expanded list of practitioners who can verify disability for the Disability Tax Credit application — a gap that continues to limit access for the people who need it most
- Recognition of social workers as public safety personnel — because the work social workers do in crisis response, trauma support, and community safety deserves the same acknowledgment and protections afforded to other public safety workers

CASW is proud to stand alongside social workers and the communities they serve in pushing for a more just and equitable Canada.

Read more about CASW's advocacy work: https://buff.ly/cFxwY1s

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Le 2 juin, l’ACTS s’est rendue sur la Colline du Parlement afin de faire entendre la voix des travailleurs sociaux directement auprès des décideurs qui façonnent la vie des Canadiens les plus vulnérables.

Les travailleurs sociaux sont en première ligne jour après jour. Présents dans les hôpitaux, les refuges, les écoles et les communautés, ils sont les témoins directs des répercussions des politiques débattues dans ces salles. La Journée de la Colline est l’occasion pour l’ACTS de s’assurer que cette expérience soit entendue là où cela compte le plus.

L'ACTS milite pour :

- L'abrogation des modifications néfastes apportées au Programme fédéral de santé intérimaire (PFSI) — des coupes budgétaires qui mettent des vies en danger et obligent les professionnels de la santé à enfreindre leurs obligations éthiques
- L’inclusion des travailleurs sociaux dans la liste élargie des praticiens habilités à attester d’un handicap pour la demande de crédit d’impôt pour personnes handicapées — une lacune qui continue de limitier l’accès aux personnes qui en ont le plus besoin
- La reconnaissance des travailleurs sociaux en tant que personnel de sécurité publique — car le travail qu’ils accomplissent en matière d’intervention en situation de crise, de soutien aux victimes de traumatismes et de sécurité communautaire mérite la même reconnaissance et les mêmes protections que celles accordées aux autres travailleurs de la sécurité publique
L'ACTS est fière de se tenir aux côtés des travailleurs sociaux et des communautés qu'ils servent pour promouvoir un Canada plus juste et plus équitable.

Pour en savoir plus sur le travail de défense des intérêts de l'ACTS : https://buff.ly/cFxwY1s

Happy Pride Month! June is a time for celebration and reflection as social workers across Canada honour the strength, jo...
06/03/2026

Happy Pride Month! June is a time for celebration and reflection as social workers across Canada honour the strength, joy, and resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Social workers have a responsibility to protect q***r and trans lives and to advocate for inclusive, affirming care. As we celebrate the right to live and love openly, CASW encourages social workers to:

- Learn more about 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences
- Advocate for safety and equitable policies
- Build meaningful relationships with q***r and trans communities
- Commit to providing care that is inclusive, empowering, and affirming

Address

M229/1554 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, ON
K1Z7M4

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+16137296668

Website

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