The BSW online, professional degree program is intended to equip practitioners with knowledge and best practices relevant to current local, national and global needs from a contemporary social work perspective.
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Vancouver Island University provides social work education that addresses local, national and global needs in a community context. We are committed to enhancing the capacity of individuals and communities; to addressing social issues emanating from the absence of equality and opportunity; and to promoting social justice through the preparation of graduates with demonstrated capabilities in the areas of clinical practice, research and community development.
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Vancouver Island University provides social work education that addresses local, national and global needs in a community context. We are committed to enhancing the capacity of individuals and communities; to addressing social issues emanating from the absence of equality and opportunity; and to promoting social justice through the preparation of graduates with demonstrated capabilities in the areas of clinical practice, research and community development.
School of Social Work Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
The School of Social Worttk is in the process of reaccreditation with the Canadian Association of Social Work Education and are updating their websites and Program Learning Outcomes to ensure that these are addressed in consultation with their community partners where they explicitly address the TRC Calls to Action.
Other information on our commitment to The Calls to Action are available on our course outlines that will be more readily available in early 2024.
Also of note is that on application to the BSW, prospective students are required to answer the following question on the personal profile: https://www.viu.ca/sites/default/files/viu-bachelor-social-work-program-personal-profile.pdf “Choose one of the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action that relates to the social work field. Offer one concrete strategy to address this Call to Action and justify why you feel that this would be the most effective”.
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:
- Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations
- 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.
- Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools.
- 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.
- Requiring that all child-welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers.
Mandatory Course: Yes. For both BSW Program and Child Welfare Specialization
SOCW 421 (3) Social Work Practice with Indigenous Communities
An examination of the historical and contemporary relationships between Canada and Indigenous peoples to analyze the impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities, families and peoples, and to provide students with strategies for reconciliation and respectful and empowering anti-oppressive social work practice.
A Child Welfare Specialization within the program is available for students admitted to the Bachelor of Social Work degree program. Students in the Child Welfare Specialization are required to complete SOCW 362 and SOCW 403, and they must complete their fourth year field education placement in a delegated child protection office. Interested students must apply for a Child Welfare Specialization field education placement by June 1 prior to entry into their fourth year of the BSW program. Students in a Child Welfare Specialization field education placement must be prepared to complete 350 hours on a full-time basis (4-5 days/week) concurrent with SOCW 400B and any other required courses. For further information, please contact the Bachelor of Social Work Field Education Coordinator.
School 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 description | |
| 4 | Potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing (practice) |
| Yes. See mandatory course description | |
| 5 | All child welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers |
| Yes. See mandatory course description |
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 |
| The VIU community acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun and Tla’amin, on whose traditional lands we teach, learn, research, live and share knowledge.Located on Bachelor of Social Work | Vancouver Island University | Canada (viu.ca) | |
| 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 |
| No explicit mention of the TRC on their 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 Vancouver Island University School of Social Work reviewed and approved the document. Managing Editor: Douglas Sinclair: Publisher, Indigenous Watchdog Lead Researcher, Julia Dubé |