As we end the year, we offer a special thank-you to our members for your continued dedication to the social work profession, and to your communities. 

Please note that our regular office hours are slightly modified in December:

• We are holding a staff event on the afternoon of Friday, December 13, so the office will close early that day at 11:30 a.m. We’ll be available again in the morning on Monday December 16.
• The College’s office will close at noon on Tuesday, December 24, 2024. We will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

We do not expect these brief closures to affect the annual renewal period, as the registration renewal deadline has changed this year and is now January 31, 2025.

NSCSW staff occasionally work remotely, so if you need to visit us in person, we strongly recommend that you make an appointment first to confirm whether a staff member can be present and able to assist you when you arrive. If you need step-by-step assistance, a video call may also be an effective way to get help; please email us to request a video appointment on Zoom or Teams.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! We hope the last days of 2024 will offer you all opportunities to rest, recharge, and prepare for what’s next; we look forward to seeing you in the new year.

The province is seeking up to three members of the public to appoint to the NSCSW Board of Examiners (BOE) for terms that will begin in March 2025. Our Board of Examiners oversees the application of regulatory policy, approves social work applicants, and makes all decision regarding the complaints and discipline matters brought before the College.

They’re looking for people who are not social workers, and who have:

• good common sense
• good problem solving skills
• ability to devote the time and effort required to deal with a high volume of work that the BOE is required to address
• interest in the profession of social work
• interest in participating in the accountability to the public for competent social work practice.
• critical thinking to carry out policy and decision-making with respect to the BOE’s regulatory functions
• familiarity with administrative law, and/or previous experience as a board chairperson or a member of a tribunal or other regulatory body

There is also a particular need for members from equity-seeking groups.

The BOE typically meets for two hours on the third Thursday of every month. BOE members have the option to sit on the complaints or discipline committees, which would require an additional time commitment.

We encourage our members to share this opportunity among your personal and professional networks.

Interested? Please apply directly to the province’s Agencies Boards & Commissions portal.

Notice: Please rest assured that if you were registered with the NSCSW in 2024, your registration is intact until the renewal deadline of January 31, 2025.

On December 31, 2024, due to a technical error, the status of some members was mistakenly changed to “refused registration.” The members affected may have received an automated email reflecting this change. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and any confusion it may have caused.

A developer team is actively working on repairing this error and they expect to succeed this week; this notice will be updated when the fix is complete.

In the meantime
» NSCSW Members: Please wait and do not attempt to enter your professional development activities or fill out the online renewal form until the repair is complete.
» Non-members: If you are checking registration status for a social worker in Nova Scotia, the public registry will have errors until the repair is complete. If your need is urgent and you cannot wait until next week, please reach out to NSCSW staff.

Members of NSCSW can now complete your 2025 registration renewal online.

Please note that our registration year is changing this year. The new deadline for renewing registration is January 31, 2025; your 2024 registration will be extended this fall to end on that date.

Shortcuts:

• Member login
• Professional development
• Renewal form
• Payment
• Completing renewal
• Leaving the College
• Why we renew
• Late renewals
• Early bird draw

This post explains the steps to completing the renewal process. Each step is followed by a short list of troubleshooting tips, answers to questions frequently asked by our members, and links to helpful resources.

• If you encounter a problem that cannot be fixed with the troubleshooting tips on this page, please contact the College for assistance. Our staff can assist you by phone, email, or video chat.
• If you need to visit our office in person, please email us to make an appointment so we can confirm availability; some staff members are on telework rotation, and our office will be closed for several days at the end of December.
• We aim to respond within two business days to all renewal inquiries. Please avoid leaving messages for multiple team members as it can further slow down our response. If the person you contacted can’t help you themselves, they will forward your question to the correct person on your behalf.
• RSW (Telepractice) members are able to renew online this year; instead of providing a professional development inventory you will need to provide proof of continued registration in good standing within your home jurisdiction. Please contact Gen Coughlan at [email protected] if if you need staff support with a telepractice renewal.

As we do every year, we strongly encourage you to consider early renewal as a gift to your future self.

1. Member login

Access your member account online.

Use one of the link buttons in this post, or visit NSCSW.org and click the registry portal link in the menu at the very top of this page, then select the option for current NSCSW members.

Enter your member registration number and password to sign into your member account.

Login tips & troubleshooting

• Can’t remember your member registration number? 
  You can find it by looking up your name in the public registry, then type the number in with no spaces or symbols. Or you can sign in using your primary email address.
• Can’t remember your password? 
  Click “Forgot your password?” and follow the directions, and you’ll receive an email with instructions to regain access. All fields are case-sensitive.
  • Use the password reset option early; your profile will be locked if you enter an incorrect password three times in a row. Locked profiles will need intervention from College staff to unlock them. You must type in your email address to request a password reset; entering your member registration number won’t work there.
  • We’re not sure why, but Hotmail addresses sometimes block our password reset emails and renewal notifications. If this happens to you, please contact us for help resetting your password. And if you have another non-Hotmail address you check frequently, please consider adding that to your member account instead.
• Are you at work? 
  Digital security settings at your workplace might limit which websites you can visit, or affect your ability to stay signed in. Try using a personal device from home, or talk to your IT department.
• Is your browser up to date? 
  Use a modern web browser like Safari, Google Chrome, Edge, or Mozilla Firefox, and make sure you are using the latest version. (Internet Explorer has been discontinued by Microsoft and is no longer reliable.)
• Still can’t get in? 
  Please double check whether you’ve clicked on the member account section of the registry portal. (The applicant section of the registry portal is not for renewals; that section is only for people who are applying to join NSCSW for the first time and do not have a member number yet.)

2. Professional development inventory

Click on Professional Development in the menu, and select Activities.

Scroll down and find Add Activity. 

Use this option to enter each of your professional development activities from 2024.

Each activity should be entered separately, and should have both a category (e.g. Required Trainings) and selected subcategory/description (e.g. Ethics Training). If you attempt to combine multiple activities into a single entry, the database may not recognize that you have met your minimum requirements.

As you add each activity, please remember to write a brief reflection on how it will influence your future practice. 

When you’re done, choose Submit to College from the menu.

Once your minimum hours are met, the Submit button on this page should change its colour to blue – click this to continue. Click Finish when you are done. A renewal form link will then appear on the front page of your member profile.

Professional development tips & troubleshooting

• Do not submit the professional development inventory until you have finished tracking that your annual minimum PD requirements are met.
  • If you think your hours are complete and correct, but are unable to submit your inventory and proceed to the next step, please contact College staff for assistance.
  • You won’t be able to edit activities or add new ones after you submit the inventory. Please make sure all details are complete before you click the button. If you accidentally submit too soon and need to make changes, you will need to ask College staff to assist you.
• Need more professional development (PD) hours?
  • Our YouTube page has playlists of webinars related to each one of the five new mandatory PD topics: tap here to check them out.
  • Our PD activities page is also full of suggestions and helpful links.
• Need more clarity on the required topics?
  All registered members must complete at least six hours of PD across five specific topics mandated by the College. You can learn more about each one on the PD guidelines page, but here’s a quick summary:
  • social work ethics (1 hour training)
    • ethical behaviour is fundamental to social work practice and guides our actions daily
    • must be formal/structured training, not an informal activity
    • must specifically be relevant to social work practice
  • anti-racist & anti-discriminatory practice (1 hour training)
    • intended to support comprehensive anti-oppressive practice and ensure that all social workers provide culturally safe, competent, responsive, and appropriate services to diverse communities
    • approved topics include 2SLGBTQIA+, anti-racist practice, ableism, antisemitism, islamophobia, trauma-informed practice, training regarding inter-generational trauma, and other related content
      • please try to choose a different area than you did last year
    • must be formal/structured training, not an informal activity
  • truth & reconciliation (1 hour training or activity)
    • the social work profession must acknowledge and address its complicity in colonial undertakings that have harmed Indigenous communities
    • requirement is designed to support recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission for necessary education for all people working in public service, with the aim of fostering resilience, reconciliation, healing, and understanding
  • vicarious trauma & secondary stress (2 hours training or activity)
    • intended to ensure that all social workers receive support in preventing or managing vicarious trauma and secondary stress from their work
    • increasing and maintaining resilience in professional context is essential for protection of the public; social workers in state of burnout may become unable to practice safely
    • examples: education regarding compassion fatigue/satisfaction, burnout or vicarious trauma; attending personal therapy; engagement in the NSCSW Peer Accountability Process; Indigenous healing rituals; group practices such as sharing circles; etc.
    • note: most self-care activities are not eligible for this category, so those should be tracked under informal subcategory instead
  • social justice (1 hour training or activity)
    • learn more about how to practice advocacy, or voluntarily participate in advocacy beyond your job responsibilities
    • social workers are called upon by our Code of Ethics to promote social fairness, equitable distribution of resources, and reduce barriers for marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable individuals; activities in this category can be related to fair and equitable access to public services, equal treatment under the law, elimination of discrimination, poverty, and more
• Are you a Social Worker Candidate?
  • SWCs are required to complete and report to the College the same amount of PD as RSWs.
  • Annual PD and the Candidacy Mentorship Program (CMP) are separate regulatory requirements, and are tracked in different sections of the member portal. The PD activities you complete to fulfil your membership renewal obligations should not be counted as CMP activities, and vice versa. However, SWCs are encouraged to discuss PD planning with their mentors.
• Are you an RSW (Telepractice) member whose primary registration is in another province or territory?
  • You need to fulfil the professional development or continuing education requirements of your home jurisdiction.
  • To continue practicing electronic social work with service users in Nova Scotia, you will need to provide proof of continued registration in good standing within your home jurisdiction as part of your renewal with NSCSW.
  • Please contact Gen Coughlan at [email protected] if you need staff support with your telepractice renewal.
• Not sure how much PD you need?
  • If you had active registration for the entire year, you need 40 hours of PD in 2024; of these, at least 20 hours must be formal learning, and at least 6 hours must be allocated to the mandatory topics.
  • You may need fewer hours if you were an associate for any part of the year. For a member who is with us all year:
    • for 1-3 months associate you need 35 hours total PD (15 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • for 4-6 months associate you need 30 hours total PD (10 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • for 7-9 months associate you need 25 hours total PD (5 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • for 10-12 months associate you need 20 hours total PD (6 mandated topics)
  • You may need fewer hours if you joined the College after the first quarter of the year. For first-time registrants only:
    • Jan-Mar start: need all 40 PD hours (20 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • Apr-Jun start: need 30 PD hours (15 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • Jul-Sep start: need 20 PD hours (10 formal, 6 mandated topics)
    • Oct-Dec start: need 10 PD hours (4 formal, 6 mandated topics)
• Participated in an activity over multiple days?
  Our database only records one date for each activity, not a range. For example:
  • after attending a multi-day conference or seminar, you may select the start date, and add clarifying details in the description section
  • to track an ongoing volunteer commitment you may choose to enter each day as a separate activity
• Not sure how to categorize an activity?
  Compare it to the criteria in the professional development guidelines.
  • If an activity is eligible for multiple categories, you can choose whether to assign all the hours to a single category or divide them up.
    • For example, a two hour workshop about ethics in social work research could be divided into one hour for the mandated social work ethics requirement, and the remaining hour assigned to formal learning.
• Completed more than the required hours?
  Great! The requirement is a minimum standard for what must be completed within each registration year; we love to see our members choose to exceed it.
  • Excess hours can’t be banked and carried from one year to the next. You will start with a fresh slate in February 2025.

3. Complete renewal form

Complete the entire renewal form. Review all your information and confirm it’s correct.

• Have you recently changed your name?
• Do you have a new mailing address, primary email, or phone number?
• Is all your employment information up to date, and complete?
• Are you interested in volunteering for a position on Council, or a College committee?
• Are you subscribed to our mailing list to receive updates from the College, the biweekly email newsletter, and Connection magazine?

Please make all your updates and changes before you submit the form.

Renewal form tips & troubleshooting

• Have you confirmed your liability insurance? 
  All members must attest that they have sufficient liability coverage, which may be obtained via an employer and/or independently. Further documentation is only required for members who are solely liable for their practice (i.e. private practitioners).
• Your “common first name” is the name you are commonly known by, and/or prefer to be called. It might be your legal first name, your middle name, or a nickname; whatever it is, it should be included in our registry so that someone searching for that name will be able to find and confirm your registration.
• Are you registered in other jurisdictions? 
  Or with the regulatory body of another health profession?
• Are you self-employed? 
  Please enter your private practice information in the employment section. 

4. Select payment & submit renewal form

There are three payment options:

1. To pay online, click the Pay Now box next to your registration fee(s), enter your credit card information, and click Process Payment.
2. To pay by mail, select Cheque. Your cheque payment must be received before January 15.
3. If your employer plans to submit payment directly on your behalf, select To Be Submitted By Employer. You will be able to view and print an invoice for them if it’s required for their internal procedures.
   • Employer payments to NSCSW are made by cheque, so please complete your renewal form by January 15 to prevent processing delays.

If your employer is reimbursing you for registration fees, you may choose whether you prefer online or cheque payment. After your renewal is complete you can print copies of your receipt directly from your member profile, and submit them to your employer according to their internal process.

Payment is due no later than January 31 (see Late Renewal section below).

Payment tips & troubleshooting

• We will only accept payments once the online renewal form is complete. We strongly encourage you to pay online if you can.
• Cheque payments are only accepted until January 15, 2025, to allow time to process them before the end of the registration year (i.e. manually match cheques to member accounts and deposit payments). Cheques can be mailed, or dropped off at our office in Halifax (please use our mail slot if the office is closed), as long as they are delivered before the cutoff date.
• We do not recommend post-dating cheques. 
  If a member’s cheque payment fails in late January, they may not have time to complete an alternate method of payment before the deadline, and could have their registration suspended. 
• If your employer submits payment to the College on your behalf:
  • Please ask them about their internal procedures and deadlines.
    You must complete the renewal form before we can accept their payment, so they may require you to provide them with a copy of your invoice. They may need time to collect and process these for multiple staff members at your organization, so act early.
  • You should complete the renewal form by January 15 to prevent processing delays. Employers pay fees to us via cheque, but the funds are not attached to your member account until every other step of renewal is complete. Our staff spend the last two weeks of the year renewing and processing hundreds of these payments, and we don’t want yours to be held up.
  • Are you also a Clinical Specialist? 
    Most employers do not cover the $50 annual fee to maintain your your clinical specializatioin, since it is only required for private practice at this time. To pay this portion yourself when you’re completing the renewal form, use the Pay Now checkboxes to split your payment; select the box next to Clinical Specialist Fee and deselect the one next to Annual Renewal Fee. 

5. Completing renewal

Your registration is renewed for 2025 once the College receives both your complete online renewal form and your payment of registration fees. You need to renew your registration to continue practicing social work in the new year. 

Once your registration is renewed, you can print your receipt and proof of 2024 registration (i.e. certificate or wallet card) directly from your online member account.

Leaving the College

If you will not be renewing this year, please contact Gen Coughlan at [email protected] as soon possible.

If you have retired or left the province, we will only need your statement to process your resignation. However, if you have changed positions and believe you are no longer practicing within the Scope of Practice as defined by the Social Workers Act, you must apply for resignation by submitting a request and current job description to the College for review, in accordance with Social Worker Regulation 26 (a).

Why is registration renewed annually?

The annual renewal process is a core NSCSW regulatory function. It confirms to the public that our members have the ethical foundation, skills and good character to practice social work in Nova Scotia. 

Renewal is also an opportunity to reflect on your professional growth and development, and to bring to life the core social work value of integrity in professional practice. You’re recommitting to the values and standards of our profession and reflecting on your goals and commitment to lifelong learning. 

Professional social work registration is a privilege our members can take pride in.

Late renewals

If a member’s registration is not renewed by January 31, it will be suspended on February 1. The member will need to pay an additional fee to reinstate their registration.

The Social Workers Act requires that individuals who practice social work in this province must be registered with our College. If a member’s registration is suspended, this may affect their employment. 

It is each individual member’s responsibility to ensure their own registration is renewed on time. We encourage all members to consider completing their renewal as early as possible.

Early bird renewal draws

If you complete all steps for your annual registration renewal (including payment) on or before November 30, we will enter your name into a draw for a prize package. The  name of the winner will be published in our member-only newsletter in December.

(College staff and Council are not eligible for these draws.)

Social work’s bio-psycho-social-spiritual philosophy and our profession’s commitment to equity and social justice directly complement health care. We are excited to be inviting our members to join our Health Committee and help shape the future of social work in health care across Nova Scotia.

This ad-hoc committee of the council is focused on redefining the role of social workers in health care delivery, addressing challenges posed by the neo-liberal paradigm, the dominance of the medical model, and managerialism. Our mission is to empower social workers to enhance patient care and community wellbeing.

As a member of the committee, you will:

• Assess Current Practices and Challenges: Evaluate the roles of social workers in acute and primary care settings, identifying strengths and challenges within current healthcare models.
• Identify Regulatory Needs: Determine necessary regulatory changes to strengthen social workers’ roles and effectiveness in healthcare settings.
• Advocate for Social Work in Healthcare: Champion the role of social work within healthcare delivery.

The work of this committee will be informed by our 2021 mental health report, Repositioning Social Work Practice in Mental Health in Nova Scotia, as well as a recent paper by the Canadian Association of Social Workers, “Social Work and Primary Care: A Vision for the Path Forward.”

Volunteer contributions to the social work profession are considered informal professional development activities; this includes service on any of NSCSW Council’s committees. You will be able to include up to 12 hours of your committee activities in your professional development inventory each year.

If you are passionate about making a difference in health care through social work, we invite you to express your interest. Please send your expression of interest and CV to [email protected] by October 31, 2024. Join us in driving meaningful change and enhancing health care outcomes for all.

We’ve been working for quite some time on adapting the CASW Code of Ethics, Values and Guiding Principles 2024 to create a new Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Nova Scotia, as well as drafting new standards specific to clinical specialists. This kind of change to the College’s foundations requires several rounds of feedback from audiences inside and out; we’d like our members to take a look at the latest drafts and let us know your thoughts. We also have a virtual event planned if you’d like to attend a presentation with Alec Stratford instead of or in addition to the reading: register now to join us at noon Atlantic time on October 2.

Once you’ve had a chance to review the drafts, you can fill out an anonymous survey, or join the conversation with your peers in the comments section of this page below.

Our Council has added a new section to the NSCSW Governance Policy Manual. In the event that a staff member of NSCSW seeks elected office, it is essential to maintain the non-partisan status of our organization and ensure that our operations remain unaffected.

1. Non-Partisan Status

The NSCSW is committed to non-partisanship and does not support or oppose any candidate^. As such, we do not publicize an employee’s candidacy in a way that indicates support.

2. Definitions Relevant to Political Participation:

(a) A “candidate” is anyone officially nominated or acknowledged as a candidate, either by themselves or through consent, for federal or Provincial elections.

(b) An “employee” refers an “employee” is defined as a person who is employed to perform work. This definition encompasses anyone who performs work under an agreement or contract of employment, whether written, verbal, expressed, or implied. The scope of this definition includes full-time, part-time, temporary, or casual workers.

(c) A “political party” signifies an organization endorsing candidates in federal or provincial elections.

3. General Rights of Employees:

Employees may become candidates, engage in partisan activities, and manage or contribute financially to political campaigns for federal or orovincial elections. However, these activities are restricted during work hours or in the workplace, and violations may lead to disciplinary actions, including termination.

4. Restrictions During Candidacy and Employment:

Employees must refrain from soliciting funds, making partisan media statements, discussing policies related to their work in a partisan manner, canvassing during work hours, or displaying/distributing partisan materials at work, except while on candidacy leave. Failure to adhere to these rules can result in disciplinary measures.

5. Prohibitions for Individuals in Authority:

Individuals in authority positions are prohibited from soliciting political contributions from employees or coercing them into political fundraising activities.

6. Leave of Absence for Candidacy:

Employees declaring candidacy must begin an unpaid leave of absence either from the election writ’s issuance date or as soon after becoming a candidate if the writ has already been issued. Those needing or wanting an earlier leave must apply to the Executive Committee or Executive Director/Registrar, which will be considered accordingly.

7. Notification of Intention to Return to Work:

An employee who has taken a leave of absence to be a candidate in an election must notify the Executive Committee or Executive Director/Register of their intention to return to work. The notification must be given to both parties for the process to be considered valid.

Upon giving notice, the employee is entitled to return to the position they vacated two weeks after the notice has been provided to both the Executive Committee and the Executive Director/Registrar. This timing can be adjusted if the Executive Committee or Executive Director/Registrar, and the employee mutually agree on an alternative return date.

8. Termination of Leave of Absence:

The leave of absence granted for election candidacy will terminate on the day a successful candidate is declared elected.

If the employee wishes to extend their leave of absence, they must notify the Executive Committee and Executive Director/Registrar, no later than the day immediately following ordinary polling day. The employee must specify the extension period, not exceeding ninety days, and the leave will then terminate as per the notice.

9. Return to Position Post-Election:

Employees who are unsuccessful in their candidacy are entitled to return to their original positions.

For employees who are successful candidates, their leave of absence will be extended from the ordinary polling day until two weeks after any of the following events, whichever occurs latest:

• The employee resigns from the elected position before the next election.
• The Assembly is dissolved for the next election, and the employee notifies the Executive Committee and or the Executive Director/Registrar that they do not intend to be a candidate.
• Nominations close for the next election without the employee being officially nominated.
• Declaration day for the next election confirms the employee has not been re-elected.

10. Consecutive Election Wins:

If an employee is elected for a second consecutive term, their leave of absence as a candidate terminates on the day they are declared elected for the second time. Consequently, the employee ceases to be an NSCSW employee for all purposes, including entitlement to employee benefits, from that day forward.

11. Position Upon Return After Unsuccessful Reelection:

An employee who is not re-elected in the second election during their leave of absence may return to their original position or, if that position has been filled or eliminated, to an equivalent position once the leave of absence expires as outlined in subsection

12. Benefits During Leave of Absence:

During the leave of absence to be a candidate, employees will not receive their salary. However, they are entitled to pension credit for service as though they were not on leave, along with medical and health benefits, long-term disability coverage, and life insurance, provided they pay both the employee’s and the employer’s share of the costs.

13. Municipal Office Candidacy:

Employees may be candidates for elective municipal office or actively support a candidate for such office, provided that:

1. Their candidacy or activities do not interfere with the performance of their duties.
2. There is no conflict of interest with the NSCSW

This policy ensures that NSCSW employees who wish to engage in political activities or pursue candidacy in elections have clear guidelines regarding their leave of absence and the conditions for their return to work.