What is the difference between OCSWSSW, OASW, CASW, and NASW?

If you are an aspiring social worker in Ontario looking for information about the regulatory bodies that represent social work in Ontario, this post is for you! There are a variety of associations and colleges that represent social work, and with them come *even more* acronyms to remember (if you’re an Ontario social worker, you know the acronym struggle)! This can definitely get a little confusing, so I made this blog post to explain the difference between the common bodies/associations: OCSWSSW, OASW, CASW and NASW. As always, thank you for reading, and I hope this post provides some clarity (and some empowerment) as you navigate your journey towards the profession of social work. ☺

OCSWSSW – Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

The OCSWSSW is the regulatory body for both social service workers and social workers in Ontario. The main mandate for regulatory bodies is to protect the public from certain professionals, in this case, unfit or unqualified social workers or social service workers. The OCSWSSW ensures the safety of the public by setting standards of practice, ethics, and professional conduct for its members. 

Once a profession becomes regulated, the use of the associated professional title becomes safeguarded, meaning you can only practice under that designation if you are a part of the registered body for that profession. In Ontario, “social worker”, social service worker”, “registered social worker”, and “registered social service worker” are all protected titles (OCSWSSW, 2025). 

Upon completion of school, graduates can register through the OCSWSSW, this usually involves paying an annual fee to maintain registration and requires members to participate in ongoing learning/education. Due to the protected title of social work, many employers require prospective social workers to be registered, so it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the process of registering before you start interviews! 

OASW – Ontario Association of Social Workers 

The OASW is a professional association developed to provide a “voice” for the profession of social workers (OASW, 2022). If you decide to join the OASW, you will have access to low-cost or free professional development training, and networking events, as well as benefits for health care or insurance. 

• Related Reading: Ontario Social Workers Will Soon Require a Licensing Exam

What is the difference between the OASW vs. OCSWSSW?

It’s important to know the difference between the OASW and the OCSWSSW as the two platforms have very different functions. As discussed in the above paragraph, the OCSWSSW is to protect the public from unfit social workers and social service workers, whereas the OASW is there to support social workers themselves. In addition to this, it’s important to note that where the OCSWSSW is mandatory for certain social work roles and the use of the title Social Worker in Ontario, the OASW is not mandatory to join in order to be registered or use the social work title.

I hope that so far this blog post has offered some guidance on the most common regulatory bodies/associations for both social service workers and social workers in Ontario! As these regulatory bodies operate at a provincial level, it’s important to check in on the requirements of your specific province, as each differs slightly! ☺ 

Now that we have covered the provincial level, let’s speak a bit about the social work associations operating at the federal level… 

CASW – Canadian Association of Social Workers 

Just like the Ontario Association of Social Workers, Canada also has a Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW), which is the largest operating association and voice for the social work profession across Canada (CASW, n.d.). The CASW often collaborates with the provincial-level associations and the board of directors of the CASW is made up of one elected member from each of the provincial associations. The CASW is valuable because it promotes the interests of the profession and advocates for important policies that align with social justice initiatives while providing resources and guidelines for social workers across Canada (CASW, n.d.).

NASW - National Association of Social Workers

In short, the NASW is the equivalent of the CASW in the United States! Similar to the CASW, the NASW provides a wide range of services to social workers like; advocacy resources, professional development, and ethical guidelines (NASW, 2025). If you want to read more about the NASW, you can read about this here: https://www.socialworkers.org/

Summary of main differences:

• OCSWSSW: Regulatory body for social workers and social service workers in Ontario 

• OASW: Association representing social workers at the provincial level – all of Ontario

• CASW: Association representing social workers at the federal level – all of Canada 

• NASW: Association representing social workers at the national level – all of the United States 

Where to go from here… 

This blog post was a little bit different than most, instead of focusing on different Master of Social Work programs, we focused on key information that will be important in your post-student, professional life! As an Ontario resident who went to school in Halifax and then moved out to British Columbia, I can’t stress enough how helpful it is to be informed about the social work regulations in the province you will be practicing in as a professional social worker. Just like the Master of Social Work programs (which I’m sure you’re familiar with at this point), each province differs slightly in their regulatory bodies and available social work associations. Familiarizing yourself with the support available to you as a new social worker can really make such a difference and these associations can be a catalyst for accessing these support networks! 

Overall, I hope this blog post provided some clarity on the different social work regulatory bodies and associations in Ontario, Canada, and the United States! I also hope this post encourages you to explore the regulations in your area, so you can discover which associations offer support, which you deserve as a new, or seasoned, professional! 

Related: Social Work Programs in Canada

References

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). About CASW. Canadian Association of Social Workers. https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/about-us/about-casw

National Association of Social. (2025). About NASW. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About

Ontario Association of Social Workers. (2022). About OASW. Ontario Association of Social Workers. https://www.oasw.org/Public/Public/Home.aspx?hkey=3e495991-f497-4de8-9b55-da2af0fb2758

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. (2025). About us. Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. https://www.ocswssw.org/about-us/