Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Social Workers Association of Alberta?
The Social Workers Association of Alberta (SWAA) is a membership-based organization that promotes the profession of social work, engages in social advocacy work, and provides meaningful support and benefits to Alberta Social Workers.
Want to see our bylaws?
Click here for a PDF version of SWAA’s bylaws.
How do I use your job board?
Our job board is available to the general public. Members can post for free from within the member portal and non-members can post for $25 per job.
What kind of benefits will you offer?
We are expanding our plan for services and benefits for our members. Some important benefits of joining SWAA include:
exclusive access to membership with the Canadian Association of Social Workers (and the International Federal of Social Workers) which includes a host of unique benefits including reduce rates for professional liability insurance;
professional development opportunities;
opportunities to engage and network with other social workers; and
participating in advocacy work
click here for more information on member benefits.
As SWAA grows, membership benefits will also grow! Click here to purchase your membership, today.
What about Liability Insurance?
Your membership with SWAA grants you a membership with CASW.
You can access the CASW Liability Insurance Program at casw.bmsgroup.com.
How do I stay connected to SWAA?
Purchase a membership, subscribe to our mailing list, or via social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Why do Alberta social workers require a professional association separate from ACSW?
The government of Alberta passed legislation (Bill 46, 2020) that requires all regulatory colleges, including ACSW, to stop providing association functions and activities.
Regulatory Colleges are designed to protect the public by setting standards, ensuring competence of its members and investigating complaints. Associations work on behalf of their members and on issues that matter to them, such as providing member benefits, professional development opportunities and advocating with government. Until now, the Alberta College of Social Workers has functioned as a regulatory college and a professional association.
Early on, ACSW committed to supporting the creation of a new social work association. They have supported by helping SWAA communicate, providing in-kind resources to support the interim board, and $225,000 in seed money. More information may be found on the ACSW website.
Looking for the clinical social work rosters from ACSW?
Will there be an Annual General Meeting for members? When?
Our first Annual General Meeting took place on September 21, 2023. The inaugural board was announced at the AGM.
We will hold our second Annual General Meeting in 2024 (details TBA).
On April 4, 2023, we began accepting members on our new portal. Social workers can join the 842 (as at Nov 22, 2023) purchase memberships and SWAA members will play an important role in the coming year(s).
How will SWAA membership impact my registration with ACSW?
Choosing to join SWAA will not have any impact on the requirement to register with the Alberta College of Social Workers. You will need to join SWAA to enjoy association benefits, which may have been provided under the previous mandate of ACSW.
Joining SWAA is voluntary.