Lawyers for Social Workers and Social Service Workers

As trusted social worker lawyers, we routinely represent social workers in Ontario in regulatory, litigation, clinical and risk issues, including those with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the “OCSWSSW”), the Human Rights Tribunal and the Information and Privacy Commissioner. We help social workers navigate the legal landscape governing social work in Ontario, including under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act.

If you have a complaint, investigation or disciplinary matter before the OCSWSSW, it is important to get legal advice from a social worker complaint or social worker discipline lawyer to evaluate your risk and help you manage your response. This is especially important because many forms of remediation ordered by the OCSWSSW remain on a social worker’s public register indefinitely. We are social worker defence lawyers who assist routinely on all types of OCSWSSW matters, including clinical issues, billing issues, communication issues, recordkeeping issues and boundary violations/sexual abuse allegations.

We regularly work with insurance companies covering Ontario Social Workers and also routinely represent social workers and social service workers directly who do not have coverage for regulatory matters. We typically offer our clients the choice of an hourly rate or flat fee for these regulatory matters, especially for social worker complaints. We represent social workers across the province of Ontario, including in Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Brampton, Barrie, Kingston and Thunder Bay.

Legal Services for Social Workers and Social Service Workers

  • Responding on behalf of social workers to OCSWSSW patient complaints before the Complaints Committee of the OCSWSSW;

  • Facilitating proactive courses or remedial courses for social workers ordered by the OCSWSSW;

  • Responding for social workers to OCSWSSW section 75 investigations before the Complaints Committee;

  • Responding to disciplinary matters and allegations of professional misconduct for social workers before the Discipline Committee of the OCSWSSW;

  • Responding to registration issues for social workers before the Registration Committee of the OCSWSSW or guiding social workers on their application for licensure in other provinces/countries;

  • Defending allegations for social worker students on testing irregularity and cheating made by the Association of Social Work Boards;

  • Responding to appeals and judicial reviews for social workers before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (“HPARB”), the Divisional Court of Ontario or the Court of Appeal for Ontario;

  • Responding to complaints made against social workers to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario regarding discrimination and human rights violations;

  • Responding to complaints against social workers before the Information and Privacy Commissioner;

  • Responding on behalf of social workers to OCSWSSW Fitness to Practice matters;

  • Assisting social workers in managing a challenging patient, including harassment and assault, and terminating the social worker-patient relationship;

  • Navigating clinical issues for social workers, including privacy breaches, social worker malpractice allegations, recordkeeping issues and patient demands;

  • Navigating billing issues for social workers, including insurance company inquiries and audits;

  • Navigating compliance for social workers with OCSWSSW Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice;

  • Assisting social workers in responding to the annual OCSWSSW report regarding past criminal and regulatory issues; and

  • Representing social workers on workplace investigations.

Need help with any of the above? We are social worker attorneys, so don’t hesitate to contact John McIntyre for a free consultation at john@mcintyre-szabo.com or through the website here.