Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Social Workers Association of Alberta?
The Social Workers Association of Alberta (SWAA) is a membership-based organization that will promote the profession of social work, engage in social advocacy work, and provide meaningful support and benefits to Alberta Social Workers.
Want to see our bylaws?
Click here for a PDF version of SWAA’s bylaws.
What kind of benefits will you offer?
Based on feedback from our members, we are developing a plan for services and benefits for our members. Some important benefit of joining SWAA will 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
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 are we building a new social work association?
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.
Why is there an ‘interim’ board? I hear they have been meeting since the beginning of 2022. What have they been doing?
ACSW established a process to cease association activities, while providing resources that would establish a social work association in Alberta. This process included setting up a steering committee of social workers to appoint an interim board for a two-year term.
The interim board has been focused on setting up the organizational infrastructure of SWAA, which has included incorporating under the Societies Act, establishing bylaws, governance policies, hiring a part-time Executive Director, creating myswaa.ca and setting up a social media presence.
Will there be an Annual General Meeting for members? When?
We will hold our first Annual General Meeting in September 2023 (details TBA) and an inaugural board will be elected by SWAA members to replace the interim board. On April 4, 2023, we began accepting members on our new portal. Social workers can now purchase memberships and SWAA members will play an important role in selecting the new board at our first Annual General Meeting this September.
Why did you hire an Executive Director?
We are so excited to introduce you to our Executive Director, Harold Pliszka.
The Interim Board is a volunteer board and setting up SWAA was (and is) a huge task. As a board, we have done what we could do to develop an organizational structure. As we become a functioning professional association, the Executive Director will be able to engage with members, work with the inaugural board, and fulfill SWAA’s mandate.
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.