All Webinars

This webinar is the first in the series, "Decolonizing Clinical Social Work: Integrating Ubuntu Centred Cultural Humility to Enhance Cultural Competency."

To decolonize social work, we must first understand the colonial systems that shaped it. This opening session explores how colonization disrupted cultural identity, erased Indigenous ways of knowing, and medicalized suffering through Eurocentric frameworks. Participants will examine how mainstream models like Maslow’s Hierarchy and the ACES study reflect individualist, Western assumptions that often invisibilize collective, historical, and racialized trauma. In contrast, we will introduce HIPP Theory (Historical, Intergenerational, Persistent & Personal trauma) as a decolonial and embodied approach rooted in cultural and ancestral context. Through this lens, participants will begin to explore the foundations of cultural competency, reflect on their own social location, and engage with Ubuntu as a path to rehumanizing care and restoring relational accountability.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the relationship between colonization, cultural harm, and the foundations of Western clinical frameworks.

2. Differentiate between the ACES framework and HIPP Theory, identifying how each conceptualizes trauma and healing.

3. Critically reflect on how dominant models like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may exclude collective, relational, and cultural worldviews.

4. Begin to explore their own positioning within the cultural competency continuum and consider how Ubuntu can guide culturally humble and relational practice.

This session invites social workers and allied professionals to engage in a deep, reflective exploration of neuroaffirming practice—moving beyond inclusive language and checkbox trainings to embrace a framework rooted in ethics and dignity. Drawing from lived experience, emerging research, and her doctoral work, Alisha Stubbs challenges participants to critically examine traditional models of support—including compliance-based and behaviour-focused approaches—and the ableism that often underlies them.

Rather than centering interventions or branded modalities, this session offers a relational and anti-oppressive lens for supporting neurodiverse individuals, families, and communities. Participants will reflect on their own roles within complex systems, identify ways ableism shows up in practice, and begin to reimagine support that prioritizes autonomy, safety, and belonging. Through current scholarship, concrete strategies, and meaningful prompts, attendees will leave with increased capacity to engage in trauma-informed, dignity-centered, and neuroaffirming work across clinical, community, and policy contexts.

Participants will leave the session with the ability to:

1. Define neuroaffirming practice in a way that is grounded in ethics, relationships, and disability justice—not as a set of techniques or “soft skills,” but as a deeper commitment to safety and belonging.

2. Begin to think about how to critically assess traditional models of support, including the legacy of compliance-based interventions, goal-driven therapy, and social “skills training,” through an anti-ableist and trauma-informed lens.

3. Begin to identify specific ways that ableism shows up in practice—from assumptions about eye contact and verbal language to the pathologizing of stimming, sensory needs, or dependency.

4. Increase curiosity about how to apply trauma-responsive, dignity-centered strategies for supporting neurodiverse individuals across clinical, community, and policy contexts.

5. Reflect on their own power, role, and responsibilities as service providers, educators, or policy influencers in systems that may inadvertently marginalize those they aim to support.

Social workers in primary health care provide a breadth of services, enhance access, and improve comprehensiveness of interprofessional primary care teams. This webinar will also examine the state of social work in primary health care in Canada and discuss the CASW’s report outlining a vision for social work practice in primary health care. Our team will highlight experiences of social workers in different geographical jurisdictions in Canada to illustrate some of the important issues emerging for social workers in primary health care.

Webinar Key Objectives:

i) To highlight social work practice in primary health care across Canada;

ii) To review and discuss the vision for social work in primary health care outlined in the CASW National Report;

iii) To present examples of social work practice in primary health care;

iv) To discuss some recommendations to advance social work practice in primary health care in Canada.

Join us for an insightful webinar that examines the field of Social Work through the lens of disability—specifically, Blindness and Low Vision. This session will explore ways to create a more inclusive profession, from delivering and accessing supports and services to fostering accessibility and inclusion within Social Work employment and academic spaces.

Registered Social Worker and Master of Social Work graduate Ben Akuoko will share his journey navigating the Social Work field academically and professionally. He will deconstruct key theories and considerations for working with Blind and Low Vision individuals. David Greenidge from the CNIB Access Lab will highlight essential technologies that can support the success of Blind and Low Vision professionals in the digital environment as well as Social Work space.

Through this workshop, attendees will gain a fresh perspective on how to break down barriers and ensure that Blind and Low Vision individuals are fully included in the important work of Social Work.

Webinar Key Objectives:

• Inclusive Practice for Blind/Low Vision persons accessing Social Work services
• Reviewing Barriers of Employment for Persons who are Blind/Low Vision in the Social Work field
• Consideration for Persons who are Blind/Low Vision in the Social Work Program
• Considering Digital accessibility within academics and the workplace
• Looking at the built environment within the workplace
• Why it is important to consider this in the helping field of social work

Don't miss this opportunity to learn, reflect, and take action toward a more accessible and equitable profession.

The Canadian experience of social work’s practice space has historically been limited to the micro and mezzo environment from a front-line service delivery model. Yet, in the increasingly convoluted public and social policy arena, where the social determinants of health outcome priorities are debated and determined by policy actors who do not have direct knowledge or experience of their policy implementation impact; the impetus for social workers to possess broad-based macro level competencies in government systems navigation (understanding the roles and responsibilities of each level of government), public and social policy analysis and effective community development negotiating skills has never been more urgent.

In this 90-minute workshop, the facilitator will guide the audience of social workers from various practice backgrounds through a series of activities to achieve the following objectives:

1. Introduce effective methods of influencing domestic and international policy development from a macro social work perspective.

2. Amplify Social Work’s integral role in public policy implementation as a cornerstone of Equity and Inclusion (lived experience of poverty and underrepresented communities as the experts in economic and social policy development).

3. Encourage more social workers to seek out opportunities to connect their local engagement to the broader public and social policy decision-making architecture.

Workshop attendees will gain new advocacy skills or re-organize their advocacy toolkits to effectively engage in public and social policy advocacy for their clients and communities by connecting micro and mezzo issues such as municipal services, employment skills development, addictions/health and mental health, online harms or others to the policy actors at various levels of government with the goal to effectively navigate systems and positively influence domestic and international policy development. The outcome of these activities is to reinforce social work’s integral role in the implementation of equitable public and social policy.

The widespread use of social media and recent integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into practice is impacting the risks and liabilities facing healthcare professionals. Join CASW’s legal and insurance partners, Gowlings WLG LLP and BMS Canada, as they explore the evolving intersection of technology and social work practice. Ask questions and learn more about how the CASW liability insurance program protects you with tailored coverage and specialist legal representation in an increasingly digital world.   

Learning Objectives:  

• Understand the Impact of Social Media and AI on Healthcare Professionals' Risk and Liabilities: Participants will learn how the growing use of social media and the integration of AI into healthcare practices affect the legal risks and liabilities healthcare professionals face.
• Recognize the Role of Liability Insurance in Protecting Healthcare Professionals in a Digital Age: Participants will gain insights into how liability insurance can offer tailored coverage and for professionals navigating the complexities of modern technology in healthcare.

Despite being developed and researched in a Western, Eurocentric context CBT is used throughout the world and has been adapted and modified so that it is culturally flexible and responsive. This webinar will explore concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion as well as social location and power as they apply to CBT. Culturally-sensitive and culturally-adapted CBT will be compared and contrasted. Finally, we will explore various practical ways in which culture and cultural considerations can be woven into CBT practice.

At the end of the webinar participants will: 

• Understand key concepts related to equity, diversity and inclusion; social location; and power and how they relate to CBT. 
• Value the difference between culturally-adapted CBT and culturally-sensitive CBT.   
• Be able to apply elements of culturally-sensitive CBT in practice  Have practical resources to use in their clinical work.

The abuse of older adults is a serious issue in Canada affecting up to 8.2% of older Canadians (55+) living in the community (“Into the Light: National Survey on the Mistreatment of Older Canadians”, 2015, NICE). This means up to 17,500 older Manitobans could be experiencing abuse. The abuse can be physical, emotional, financial, sexual as well as neglect. Join us for a virtual presentation on March 28th from 12-1:30 pm CT and 1-2:30pm ET!

Learning Objectives: 

• How to recognize Elder Abuse
• Types of abuse
• Responding to Elder Abuse
• Prevention Strategies and case examples
• Highlight of A & O programs and services

This webinar is offered in partnership with the Manitoba College of Social Workers.

Join us for A Fireside Chat with Social Workers at the Senate, an intimate and engaging conversation with two esteemed social work Senators the Honourable Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard and the Honourable Senator Tracy Muggli. This event offers an opportunity to gain firsthand insights into their experiences in the Senate and their work in shaping social policy that impacts communities across Canada.

In a relaxed fireside chat format, the Senators will be interviewed by two passionate social work students who will lead an informal yet thought-provoking dialogue that bridges the gap between policy and practice.

Social workers can expect to:

• Hear the Senators' journeys from social work practice to the Senate, and how their professional values inform their policy work,
• Learn about key social policy issues being addressed at the national level and the role of social workers in shaping legislative change, 
• And engage with the next generation of social work leaders as they explore the intersection of advocacy, policy, and practice.

This fireside chat is an opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired by the critical work being done to influence social change from within Canada's highest legislative body.

Register today to be part of this important conversation!

It is well known that there are large disparities in health and mental health outcomes for Indigenous peoples across Canada. Closing the gaps of these health outcomes is the subject of advocacy for First Nations, Inuit and Metis people across Turtle Island and comprises several sections of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action (2015).   

Despite the pressing need for effective care, research on empirically supported treatments for Indigenous peoples remains limited (Gone et al., 2019; Beckstead et al., 2015; Braveheart et al., 2020). One proposed solution is the Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing framework. Etuaptmumk is a term proposed by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall that describes taking the strengths of both indigenous and mainstream worldviews to maximize benefits and outcomes for people and the environment. In a healthcare perspective, Cyr and Riediger (2021) describe Etuaptmumk as an epistemic concept that has “the power to elevate health initiatives and overall well-being for indigenous peoples and communities”.   

Drawing on this framework, Anangkwe, Charity Fleming, has developed an indigenous adapted 12 session CBT model. Integrated into the model are key indigenous adapted CBT interventions including Indigenous Adapted Mindfulness Practice and Indigenous Adapted Imagery Techniques. Join us in this webinar to learn through experience, best practice, and strengthen your toolkit; emerging stronger in your journey of providing culturally responsive care to FNMI peoples.