OASW Honours National Day of Observance for COVID-19

A Message from Dr. Deepy Sur, OASW CEO:

Today (March 11), marks Canada’s National Day of Observance , a time to honour those whose lives were lost to COVID-19 and share our deep gratitude for all healthcare & essential workers, including social workers, who have cared for us this past year. 

This year has been like no other for members of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW), those we serve, our families and our friends. Social workers have continued to provide in-person care across hospitals, long-term care homes, child welfare and other congregate settings. Too many have experienced personal grief and adversity during this time due to the loss of loved ones or your sense of normalcy, as you quickly adapted to new practice landscapes. 

On this important day, I ask that you take a moment to honour your experiences and the gravity of what has occurred over these past 12 months. We also hope you pause to acknowledge your immense resiliency and strength. We know that the road to wellness is within reach and that social workers will continue to remain key to Ontario’s recovery. We are stronger together. 

OASW is honoured to join the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario and stand with over 35 health organizations across the province to mark this important day, and we ask our members, and the public to light a candle at 7:00 PM (ET) this evening as a sign of remembrance. 

We also invite you to download campaign images and share these on social media using the hashtags #Candle4COVID and #TogetherWeCanDoIt. 

Today, and everyday, #YouAreNotAlone.

Sincerely, 

Deepy Sur, MSW, PhD, RSW
Chief Executive Officer 


Resources and Supports for Registered Social Workers and Registered Social Service Workers During COVID-19

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About OASW
 
OASW is the voice of social work in Ontario. It is a voluntary, bilingual, non-profit association representing approximately 6800 social workers. All members have a university degree in social work at the bachelor, master or doctoral level. OASW works to actively speak on behalf of social workers on issues of interest to the profession and advocates for the improvement of social policies and programs directly affecting social work practice and client groups served.