According to the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) social work is: "a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. It aims at helping them develop their skills and the ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems. Social work is concerned with individual and personal problems but also with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence.

In a socio-political-economic context which increasingly generates insecurity and social tensions, social workers play an important and essential role."

For more about the profession visit the CASW web site.