Our History - A Look Through the Years
The Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social Work (CSSSW) began to take shape in July 2000 at the IASSW/IFSW conference in Montreal. Inspired by the work of Professor Ed Canda of the University of Kansas, Barbara Swartzentruber (Renison College) contacted Brian Ouellette (St. Thomas University), John Graham (University of Calgary) and John Coates (St. Thomas University) to discuss a shared interest and commitment of spirituality and social work. Shortly after they formed The Canadian Network for Spirituality and Social Work.
With a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the cooperation of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) and the Faculty of Social Work (University of Toronto), the first Canadian Conference on Spirituality and Social Work took place at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, in May 2002; Dr.Canda gave the keynote address. In 2005, the network formally became the Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social Work (CSSSW).
In 2006 members of the CSSSW, Drs. John Coates, Diana Coholic, and John Graham were awarded a SSHRC Strategic Cluster Research Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to further develop a network of Canadian and international scholars, practitioners and organizations to expand research in the area of Spirituality and Social Work. One of the outcomes of the efforts of the CSSSW members has been a significant increase in the number of scholarly publications and journals by Canadian scholars and practitioners. (Add link to books and journals on our website).
With a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the cooperation of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) and the Faculty of Social Work (University of Toronto), the first Canadian Conference on Spirituality and Social Work took place at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, in May 2002; Dr.Canda gave the keynote address. In 2005, the network formally became the Canadian Society for Spirituality and Social Work (CSSSW).
In 2006 members of the CSSSW, Drs. John Coates, Diana Coholic, and John Graham were awarded a SSHRC Strategic Cluster Research Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to further develop a network of Canadian and international scholars, practitioners and organizations to expand research in the area of Spirituality and Social Work. One of the outcomes of the efforts of the CSSSW members has been a significant increase in the number of scholarly publications and journals by Canadian scholars and practitioners. (Add link to books and journals on our website).