Fees

  • Social Service Work Services are not covered by OHIP. This is a privately paid service. Although Social Service Workers are a regulated profession in Ontario, their services may or may not be covered by any private insurance/benefit plan.

  • Payments are due at the time of services. Client’s first session, which includes an initial assessment, is 90 minutes in length for $150 + [HST]. Follow-up sessions are 50 minutes at the hourly rate of $95 + [HST]. E-transfer to anne@holdingspacehalton.ca or a cheque payable to “Frauke Stewart” are the forms of payment accepted.


How do I work

  • Location 

    • I work in the community in the Region of Halton. Primarily my services are based in Oakville. However, I am able to drive to any location in the region. A surcharge may apply depending on the location of service.

    • The service can happen at your preferred location which can be your home, a public place (cafe, library, park, etc.) or an institution if access is authorised and I am invited by the client.

  • What to expect

    • Client’s first session, which includes an initial assessment and intake form, is usually 90 minutes long. Follow-up sessions are 50 minutes in length and built upon the goals set by the client and myself.

    • Frequency of sessions:

      Ideally sessions are scheduled weekly at a set time. There will be a detailed check-in after three and again after six sessions to determine how to proceed.


Terminology

  • Hospice

    • The term hospice is used differently depending on the context. Generally, most people think of hospice as a place/institution where dying people have a safe and peaceful place to spend their last days before death occurs. Hospices follow a care approach which focuses on the quality of life at the end of life and not on medical treatment to cure. Comfort and person-centred care is the focus.

    • Hospice is also a care approach which follows and blends into the palliative care stream. Hospice care can happen in any place (e.g. hospital, Long Term Care, at home). It is usually done by a  multidisciplinary team of palliative care professionals that work together to focus on pain and symptom management. The team is most often made up of Palliative Care physicians, Palliative Care Nurses, Ethic committee members, Social Workers or Social Service Workers, Spiritual Care Coordinator.

  • Bereavement

    • Bereavement is the state an individual is in when a loss occurs. The loss can have different reasons e.g. losing a person when a relationship ends, when someone dies, when you lose your identity etc.

  • Grief

    • Grief is the emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual reaction to a loss. It is for most of us non-pathologic. The symptoms of grief are wide and varied. Some symptoms that may occur are sadness, anger, stress reaction (e.g. heart palpitations, sweat, sleep disturbance), decrease in attention and concentration, feelings of restlessness, social withdrawal, fatigue. There are many different forms of grief depending on the person’s life circumstances and experiences.

  • Mourning

    • Mourning is the outward expression of your grief. It is different for the individual but can also follow certain traditions and customs depending on the culture and religion.

  • Supportive Counselling

    • Supportive counselling services are not easily described in general statements. Supportive counselling is short term and non-therapeutic. It is primarily a talk-based therapy approach including validation, active listening, empathy and support. It is intended to help people improve and maintain their mental health and well-being. Supportive counselling occurs when the Registered Social Service Worker and client enter into a supportive relationship where both parties work together to bring about positive change in the client’s thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning.

  • What is a Registered Social Service Worker?

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers states the following:

  • Social service workers assist clients in dealing with personal and social problems by delivering counselling, community services and social support programs.

  • Registered social service workers have specialised post secondary education and must participate in continued professional learning and skills development to fulfil the requirements of their professional regulatory body, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

  • Social service workers serve in a range of settings from group homes and shelters to income maintenance and youth programs.

  • According to the College’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, the scope of practice of the profession of social service work means the assessment, treatment, and evaluation of individual, interpersonal and societal problems through the use of social service work knowledge, skills, interventions and strategies, to assist individuals, dyads, families, groups, organisations and communities to achieve optimum social functioning.

In Ontario, in order to use the title Social Service Worker or Registered Social Service Worker or their French equivalents, or to hold out expressly or by implication that you are a social service worker, you must be registered with the College. Generally, graduates who have obtained a two-year college diploma in social service work from a College of Applied Arts and Technology qualify for registration with the College. (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. (n.d.). About RSW and RSSW. https://www.ocswssw.org/public/about-rsws-and-rssws/ ).

For more information on scope of practice, competencies and limitations please refer to these two websites:

Ontario Social Service Worker Association: https://www.osswa.ca/

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers: https://www.ocswssw.org/

  • What is MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying)

    • MAiD is a process that allows someone who is suffering from an incurable medical illness to receive assistance from a medical practitioner (physician or nurse practitioner) in ending their life. They must be assessed and meet specific legislative requirements.

For more information please visit the government website: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html