Competence Program
Congratulations to the winners of our incentive program! Check out the list of winners under 'Current News' on our website!
Stay tuned for more chances to win by submitting your Professional Development Credits Form online!
Online PDCF
Tired of storing your competency forms? You can now enter your Professional Development Credits Form (PDCF) directly on to the ACSW website. Entering it this way will allow you to view, edit, and send your annual submission with the click of a button from any computer.
See the new widget in the right-hand side bar and start entering your credits today (available only to RSW's. Please login first). Did you know that you can now also store your category A supporting documents on the website? Paper documents can be scanned and attached or you can attach MS Word documents.
* PDCF submission is now available for clinical RSWs!
Important Update
The competence program has now been in place for eight years and during this time the majority of social workers in Alberta have demonstrated that they are meeting or exceeding the program requirements each year. Therefore, rather than requiring all social workers to submit a full portfolio every five years, social workers will now be randomly selected to submit a portfolio with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years of information, or just the Professional Development Credit Form. All social workers are still required to complete the full portfolio, including a self-assessment and learning plan for each year, which may be requested at a future date if any concerns arise. You will receive a letter approximately five months prior to your renewal in the relevant year detailing exactly what you need to submit.
Please refer to Related Links to review the complete Competence Program Update.
Building Your Portfolio
The Competence Committee has developed a 15 minute presentation on completing your professional portfolio. View the presentation.
The Competence Committee and the ACSW strives to be understanding during difficult times for our members. As such, when a Social worker experiences a natural disaster (house fire, flood etc) the ACSW will review the case individually and work with the social worker to develop a plan for his/her portfolio. If you have experienced a disaster, please contact the ACSW to discuss your options before your portfolio is due.
Annual Submissions
The Professional Development Credit Form should be completed every year by every social worker and submitted with their renewal form and payment. Do not submit any other competence documents with this form unless you are asked to submit your complete portfolio. There is a separate form to be completed by social workers on the Clinical Specialty Registry.
Requirements:
|
Category A |
Category B |
Category C |
Total |
|
| Full-time RSW |
Minimum 10 |
Maximum 30 |
Maximum 10 |
40 |
| Part-time RSW (less than 1000 hr/yr) |
Minimum 5 |
Maximum 25 |
Maximum 25 |
30 |
| Inactive RSW |
Maximum 20 |
Maximum 20 |
Maximum 20 |
20 |
| Clinical social worker |
Minimum 20 |
Minimum 10 |
Maximum 10 |
50 |
| Clinical social worker part-time |
Minimum 10 |
Minimum 5 |
Maximum 20 |
35 |
| Clinical social worker inactive |
Maximum 20 |
Maximum 20 |
Maximum 20 |
20 |
Carry over: You have the ability to carry over a maximum of 20 category A credits from one renewal period to the next. Carry over cannnot be used for multiple years, but must be used in its entirety the year after it is acquired.
Competency requirements while Inactive (e.g., Parental leave, LOA)
Your competency requirements are the same while inactive. The only exception is that the credit requirement is reduced to 20 credits per year. While away, there is no mandatory category A requirement. The credits can be completed in any category or any combination of categories, but should reflect how you have maintained your competency and are preparing to return to practice.
Portfolios
Submission requirements for the Continuing Competence portfolio vary according to each social workers’ renewal date. Look at your Practice Permit for the expiry date, then look at the chart below to see what you must submit and when to submit it.
If your expiry date is:
|
September 30th - |
portfolio must be submitted May 31, 2015, 2020, 2025, etc. |
|
December 31st - |
portfolio must be submitted August 31, 2011, 2016, 2021, etc. |
|
March 31st - |
portfolio must be submitted November 30, 2012, 2017, 2022, etc. |
|
June 30th - |
portfolio must be submitted February 28, 2014, 2019, 2024, etc. |
The full portfolio consists of:
- a completed learning plan for each year since the program began (2003), you became registered in Alberta, or your last portfolio submission, whichever is most recent
- a completed self evaluation (except the self care sheet) for each year as noted above
- documentation of Category A activities for each year as noted above
- a Category A Summary Form or similar written request for non-accredited activities or Category A activities that are not otherwise documented
- a Professional Development Credit Form for the current year
- any other documents you would like to include to demonstrate how you are monitoring, assessing, and maintaining your professional competence on an ongoing basis
The format of the portfolio is entirely up to the individual, so long as all the required documentation is submitted. Please click on the Continuing Competency section to dowload all required documents.
The Competence Committee and the ACSW strives to be understanding during difficult times for our members. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our office.
