Preface
| Author | Marilyn J. Samuels/Elayne M. Tanner |
| Pages | 19-21 |
Preface
This book
is a
practical handbook
for
social workers
and
social service work-
ers, Ontario's newest regulated professions.
It
outlines
in
layman's terms
the
application
of
Ontario's
Act, 1998
to
the
lives
of the
province's social workers
and
social service workers.
In
this
book
we
explain
in
simple, non-legal language
the
rights
and
obligations
of
social workers
and
social service workers under
the
legislation.
We
also
point
out
some
of the
potential
minefields that
social
workers
and
social
ser-
vice workers
may
find
themselves
in and
ways
to
avoid these
risky
aspects
of
practice.
Social workers
in
other provinces,
as
well
as
Ontario health professionals,
will also
find
this book
useful
since
the
social work statutes
of
other
provinces
and
Ontario's Regulated Health
Professions
Act, 1991,
are
similar
to
Ontario's Social
Act, 1998. Furthermore,
this
book will serve
as a
helpful
reference tool
for
members
of the
Ontario
legal community
who
advise social workers
on the
application
of the
Act.
As
noted
in
Ontario Regulation
383/00,
entitled Registration (reprinted
as
appendix III), social workers
must
have
a
minimum
of a
Bachelor
of
Social
Work
degree
obtained
through
a
university
education,
while
social
service
workers must have
a
Social Service Worker's diploma obtained through
a
college
education.
As a
result
of
these educational
differences,
the
major
dis-
tinction between social workers
and
social service workers lies
in the
scope
of
practice.
The
only difference
in the
scope
of
practice
noted
in the
Stan-
dards
of
Practice Handbook (reprinted
as
appendix
II) is
that
the
social
worker
is
able
to
provide diagnostic services, while
the
social service worker
is
denied this
right.
With this
in
mind, references
to
social workers
in
this
book
are
meant
to
include social service workers
as
well.
We
caution
that
the
legislation
is
still evolving. Although every
effort
was
made
to
make this book
as
accurate
as
possible,
it is
conceivable that some
changes
in the law may
have occurred
by the
time this book
is
published
or
used. Laws change, legislation
can be
amended,
and
courts
can
alter
or
rein-
xix
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