Tuesday, November 17, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET | Online
Presented by
Courtney Sas, MSW, RSW, MBE and Marli Lichtman, HBA, CFA

Social workers are being asked to do more with less while AI tools enter their workplaces and their clients’ lives faster than professional guidance can keep pace. This session demystifies AI for social work practice: what the technology is, where it may genuinely save time and how to use it within OCSWSSW expectations and applicable Ontario privacy requirements.

Through interactive discussion and live demonstrations, participants will see fictional or fully de-identified handwritten notes transformed into an organized summary and learn a straightforward prompting framework they can apply to realistic professional tasks. The session will address documentation, report writing, client communication and resource research, while emphasizing confidentiality, informed consent, bias, accuracy and human oversight.

Attendees will leave with practical safeguards, self-review questions and a realistic understanding of what AI can and cannot do, so that technology supports rather than replaces professional judgment.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain what generative AI is and identify areas where it may responsibly reduce administrative burden, including documentation, report writing, client communication and resource research.
2. Apply a structured prompting framework to draft an effective, privacy-protective AI prompt for a realistic social work scenario.
3. Assess a potential AI use case against OCSWSSW guidance and applicable privacy obligations, including PHIPA and PIPEDA where relevant, and identify appropriate safeguards.

Presenter Bios:

Courtney Sas, MSW, RSW, MBE, is a clinical social worker at a University of Toronto–affiliated hospital, an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and a private
psychotherapist specializing in anxiety and mood disorders. With a Master of Bioethics, she brings an ethics-grounded perspective to technology, clinical practice, and client wellbeing.

Marli Lichtman, HBA, CFA, is the founder of The AI Tutor, an AI education and advisory practice helping leaders and teams use AI practically, responsibly, and effectively. Drawing on more than 15 years of strategy and transformation experience, she delivers hands-on training across sectors, including regulated professions.

Together, Courtney and Marli provide practical AI education for social workers centred on privacy,  ethical safeguards, professional judgment, and immediately applicable skills.

 Pricing:

• OASW Members: $15 + HST (OASW member ID # required)
• Non-Members: $35 + HST

Not a member? Join OASW today