Frequently Asked Questions
A registered social worker who is on the general registry (not the provisional registry) may provide practice supervision and complete the supervisor reference form to ensure you are a safe and competent social worker. If your practice supervisor is on the provisional registry, your supervised practice hours will not be recognized.
A registered social worker in another recognized jurisdiction may provide practice supervision (but they may also require courtesy registration with the ACSW). However, supervision done outside of Alberta might not make you aware of the norms and expectations in this province.
Please ensure that your practice supervisor is not a family member, in-law, or partner and is a different person from whoever gave you a character reference at the time of application.
Registered social workers need professional liability insurance coverage because it’s required by the Health Professions Act. You must upload proof of insurance in your registrant profile annually.
ACSW recommends that you obtain your own coverage even if your employer’s malpractice insurance covers you.
ACSW does not specify a minimum amount, type, or provider of professional liability insurance. Learn more about professional liability insurance requirements here.
It is not an American exam. The ASWB is an organization that provides supports for social work regulatory boards and colleges throughout Canada and the USA. They are located in the USA and use US currency. Canadian and American social workers work together to ensure the exams are created by industry experts and are fair, valid, and reliable. Canadian social workers contribute to the exam content.
No. Your complete application, with application fee and supporting documents, is typically reviewed within two weeks of submission.
The number of applications in process affects how long it takes. From April through June, we receive many new graduate applications. All applications are processed in the order they are received. When your application is approved, you will be notified by email with a request for payment of annual registration fees. Please ensure you can receive email from our domain, acsw.ab.ca.