The School of Social Work is preparing a new generation of practitioners, researchers, and change agents through theory and practice opportunities to facilitate the collective welfare and wellbeing of all people and promote human rights and social justice.

We have distinguished ourselves through strong academics as well as a skills-oriented approach to social work practice. A cornerstone of our program is our approach to teaching and learning through interactive and stimulating environments on campus and online.

Our Bachelor of Social Work program and our Master of Social Work program are accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education.

School of Social Work Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

No explicit commitment to Truth and Reconciliation on the Faculty of Social Work website

General Comment about BSW Program

The School of Social Work recognizes that your passion for social work may be influenced by life experiences that are shaped by racism, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, anti-Indigenous racism and colonization, sexism and cissexism, homophobia and transphobia, classism, and ableism, among other forms of discrimination. We seek to support a teaching and learning community that values diverse experiences, knowledges, and perspectives.

University of Waterloo Office of Indigenous Relations

The Office of Indigenous Relations works collaboratively on and off campus to advance the goals of the TRC Calls to Action, creating a long-term vision for the University, grounded in decolonization. The Office of Indigenous Relations had an extremely successful start and has built strong relationships across campuses. In the spirit of collaboration, the Office continues to advance transformational change in University structures and community.

See aso “Indigenous Strategic Plan” for details.

TRC Call to Action # 1

We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care by: 

1. Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations
2. Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.
3. Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools.
4. Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing.
5. Requiring that all child-welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers.

Mandatory Course: Yes (2)

Our BSW students take seven core SWREN academic courses, including:

SWREN 411R LEC 0.50: Indigenous Knowledges and Decolonizing Social Work Practice with Indigenous Peoples

This integrative practice course examines colonial impacts on social work policies and service delivery that adversely affect Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Indigenous knowledges and the importance of cultural practices for healing central to shifting colonial notions of ‘best interest’ are examined. Engagement in a reflexive stance encourages an inward gaze and analysis of the structural powers that work to sustain political, economic, environmental, and social injustices, as well as the identification of and actions towards decolonizing social work practices, relationships, and allyship with Indigenous Peoples.

SWREN 470R LEC 0.50: Mental Health Landscapes, Concepts, and Practice Approaches

This course uses an intersectional lens to critically explore social work practice and distress, mental health, and substance use. Students explore, understand, and apply different knowledges, worldviews, and intervention frameworks related to distress, mental health, and substance use, including national policy frameworks and Indigenous approaches to wellness and healing. Key topics in mental health and substance use are considered including trauma and trauma-informed services, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented principles and services as they are relevant to social work practice. Students are introduced to community- and peer-based approaches to distress and recovery.

Faculty of Social Work Commitment to Call to Action 1 3, 4 and 5: 3 out of 3 = 100%

3	History and impact of residential schools (theory)
	Yes. See mandatory course descriptions above
4	Potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing (practice)
	Yes. See mandatory course descriptions above
5	All child welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers
	Yes. See mandatory course descriptions above

Compliance with CASWE/ACFTS Statement of Complicity and Commitment to Change

At the May 27th, 2017 Board meeting, the Board of Directors of CASWE-ACFTS committed to ensuring that social work education in Canada contributes to transforming Canada’s colonial reality and approved a “Statement of Complicity and Commitment to Change”. “This is an important step in engaging social work education in the reconciliation process and supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action” affirms CASWE-ACFTS President, Dr. Susan Cadel. Of the 12 actions articulated in the “Statement of Complicity and Commitment to Change, the following two are directed at Schools of Social Work

7	Will encourage institutional members to post a territorial acknowledgement on their School’s website and post a link to the CAUT guide to territorial acknowledgement on the CASWE-ACFTS website to assist Schools with this task
	With gratitude, we acknowledge that Renison University College is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Hodinohsyó:ni, and Attawandaran (Neutral) Peoples, which is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River from mouth to source.Located on the Faculty of Social Work – Home Page and the University of Waterloo – Home Page
8	Will encourage and support Canadian schools of social work in revising mission statements, governance processes, curriculum, and pedagogy in ways that both advance the TRC recommendations and the overall indigenization of social work education
	Nothing specific on School of Social Work website

NOTE: All content has been submitted to the respective faculty for validation to ensure accuracy and currency as of the time of posting. The University of Waterloo School of Social Work DID NOT RESPOND to multiple Indigenous Watchdog inquiries. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Lead Researcher, Julia Dubé