Congratulations!
You made it through your social work degree. So where do we go from here???
How To - Become a Registered SOcial Worker
We learn a lot throughout our social work education.
But one thing we’ve only heard hinted at here and there is Registration. Which can feel like a future problem, until suddenly, the future is now. We are going to walk through this together, to help make sense of a system that can feel a little tricky and overwhelming to jump into. All of this information has been gathered with the best intentions of supporting fellow social workers. We recommend always double-checking information you find on the internet and consulting experts when needed. The hyperlinks throughout this page will take you to official websites where you can find out more.
BSW, MSW, RSW, RCSW
All of these letters are protected. This means that you must have the appropriate education and then register in order to use these letters to describe yourself. Also considered protected are the actual terms “social worker”, “registered social worker”, and “soc. wkr". Registration is required if you have a social work education (diploma, degree, masters, phD) and are working or volunteering under the scope of social work practice. This is regulated in Alberta under the Health Professionals Act.
So you Have Graduated with a Social Work Degree.
Now what?
Get familiar with the
ACSW website
To become a registered social worker you will may benefit from getting to know the organization you need to register with. In Alberta this is the Alberta College of Social Workers or ACSW. There is a ton of information on their website, including the registration page which is a great first stop on the road to registration.
You’re not alone if you find this overwhelming, confusing, and maybe even a little unexpected. Read on for a break down of the steps and some tips for getting yourself registered.
To begin your registration process, you need to gather some documentation and complete an application form.
Education Qualifications:
You will need to have your transcripts sent to ACSW. Directions for how to do this are here. If you do not have transcripts yet (which won’t happen right away), you can request a letter from your University to confirm that you have completed all of the required components of your program. University of Calgary students can use the new program MyCreds to access a letter for $10
Current Resume:
Create an updated resume that includes your education, work experience, social work activities, and include the locations and dates for this.
Criminal Record Check:
Yes another one. This needs to be completed within the past 3 months of applying for registration. If you don’t complete all of the application process within the 3 months from your record check, you may need to do it again.
Application Fee:
You can find the fee schedule for ACSW here. At the time of writing, the application fee for recently graduated social workers** is $200.
Character Reference:
A reference from someone who knows you - doesn’t have to be an RSW; can not be a family member/partner; can not be the same person you will use for supervision reference in the next phase. The form can be found here.
Mandatory Training:
The Sexual Abuse & Misconduct Education for Health Professionals is required for all regulated members - it is a 1.5 hour online course. Details can be found here.
Trauma-Informed Training for Regulatory Organizations, may be required - this is a 4 hour course and will be sent to those who require it (council & hearing tribunal members).
Be sure to save and upload all completion certificates to your ACSW profile!
You can find the application form for ACSW here. The requirements for applying to ACSW are all found here. Be sure to regularly consult the ACSW website for updates and changes to these requirements. Once you have completed the application and submitted all of your documentation, the ACSW will review and let you know when you’ve been approved to be a provisional social worker!
**There is a note on the ACSW site about students receiving a discounted rate for registration; as of the time of writing they have not responded to inquiries about this reduced rate.
Provisional social workers are required to complete 1000 hours of supervised practice. These hours begin after you become a provisional social worker, no hours of work or volunteering prior to being registered count. If you were an RSW prior to this education (if you had a diploma for example), your hours may be countable. We recommend checking directly with ACSW about this if it might apply to you.
The 1000 hours must be supervised by one RSW. Your supervisor will provide a reference for you at the end of your provisionary hours - make sure this supervisor is a different individual than your character reference.
You can find a supervisor through your workplace if you prefer internal supervision, or explore the benefits of having an external supervisor.
Your supervisor must be on the general registry throughout your provisional phase, and can not be a provisional social worker, or a family member. For more on supervision, check out the ACSW FAQ page.
Once you have submitted your application and been approved/registered as a provisionary social worker, there are some more steps you must take to get to the official, registered social worker title.
Your professional dues, or registration fee, of $400 will need to be paid at this time. The ACSW fee schedule can be found here.
Professional Liability Insurance is required - sometimes your employer will provide this, ACSW recommends social workers also secure their own insurance independently. More info on insurance can be found here.
Internal Supervision
An RSW who is part of the organization you are working or volunteering for agrees to supervise your provisional hours
*Be aware that if your supervisor or you leave or change roles you still need the same supervisor for all 1000 hours or you start over
External Supervision
You can find an RSW who is not a part of the organization you are working or volunteering with who agrees to supervise your provisional hours.
You can explore your options by connecting with previous practicum supervisors, University faculty members, asking around, using social media groups, or even looking at the general registry for an RSW in your area.
Once you have completed your 1000 provisional hours, and provided your supervisor reference, you can finally get approval to call yourself a registered social worker! There are some ongoing requirements for social workers that help maintain our professional competencies and keep us up to date on all things best practice.
That $400 registration fee is due every year. This is the current fee schedule, always subject to change. If you are not currently working or if you are volunteering only, there are different fees for that.
Depending on your hours of work, you will be required to complete ongoing learning activities. Full-time RSW (1000 + hours / year) do 40 hours of competency credits per year with a minimum of 10 in category A (for more on competency credits and the categories, visit this page). Part-time RSW (0-999 hours / year) do a minimum of 20 competency credits per year with a minimum of 5 in category A.
There are some designations that are more specific than your typical BSW or MSW. A clinical social worker (RCSW) has completed an MSW with specific coursework, clinical supervision, and has passed a clinical exam. They pay a bit more to be on the clinical registry and are recognized as advanced practitioners who can perform diagnoses using the DSM. A social worker who has been authorized to perform certain restricted psychosocial interventions has either a BSW or MSW and has extensive training, education, and supervision beyond academic learning. Once you are an RSW you have the potential to finetune your practice and focus on these areas.
Always keep your ACSW profile up to date! Your portfolio should contain 5 years of your documented learning activities and supervision. This can be audited and if you do not have the documentation you run the risk of losing your registration.
Please note:
All of this information is current as of the time of writing. Details may change at anytime, please always go right to the source to confirm important information.
There were some fee changes as of January 2024, you can find these details here.
ACSW provides online webinars with information on how to register. The next one is April 29, 2024. Click here to register.