Interprofessional Education Curriculum
The goal of the Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE) is to prepare health professional students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for collaborative interprofessional practice. All health professional students have the opportunity to develop collaborative competencies through the integrated developmental Collaborative Healthcare & Education curriculum in both university and practice settings.
Over the course of the curriculum, students engage in a minimum number of approved core and elective learning activities according to their program requirements. Electives are facilitated by university and clinical faculty and include interactive sessions, simulations, patient/client/family stories, clinical team-led cases and discussion, student team-based activities, community clinic engagement, as well as facilitated blended learning activities. Students will receive weekly emails from CACHE about upcoming Interprofessional (IPE) activities.
Please visit the CACHE Website for information about CACHE at the University of Toronto, including IPE curriculum FAQs.
Learn more about Interprofessional Education opportunities for FIFSW students below.
FIFSW students: Please note that participation in the CACHE is encouraged yet VOLUNTARY. Social Work Students are NOT required to complete the Interprofessional (IPE) Curriculum as part of the MSW degree.
Social Work students share their experiences
Above: FIFSW Master of Social Work Students share their experiences participating in U of T’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) Curriculum through the Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE)
Interprofessional Education Curriculum
What is the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Curriculum?
At FIFSW, students have the opportunity to sign up for voluntary IPE classes which are offered through U of T’s Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE).
These classes equip social work students with knowledge and skills needed to practice as members of aninterprofessional team. IPE classes tend to run in the evenings and are typically one-time stand-alone classes (meaning that you do not have to attend them throughout the semester). Students can sign up for IPE classes via the IPE management system.
Why take an IPE class?
- You will get to meet and learn alongside students from a range of other disciplines including:Occupational therapy, nursing, spiritual care, kinesiology, pharmacy, and speech-language pathology.
- Employers look for health care providers who have knowledge and skills in working alongside other interdisciplinary colleagues.
- You will gain an understanding of what role other health care providers play in patient care. Crucially, you will have a chance to share a social work perspective with your interdisciplinary peers and help themunderstand the value that social workers bring to collaborative teams.
- Receive a certificate to recognize your participation.
What are the requirements to receive an IPE certification of recognition?
To receive a certificate of completion, students are required complete three elective classes and one foundational class. Elective classes can be found through the IPE website. Foundational activities thatyou can choose from are scheduled beforehand and are listed below
Year 1:
- Why Collaborative Healthcare – October 8, 2026
- Who are you Collaborators – November 9, 2026
- Cultivating Team Partnerships – January 18, 2027
Year 2:
- How can we Collaborate for Quality Care – Sept 2026
- Palliative Care – February 2027
- Why Conflict Matters – March 2027
- PAIN Curriculum – March 2027
Note: If you are not able to make any of these dates, please reach out to us to inquire about make-up dates. If you are unable to attend the make-up dates then no worries, please reach out to us and we can arrange an alternative activity.
What are some examples of IPE classes that have been offered before?
Some current and previous IPE learning opportunities include:
- My Disease Will Never Define Me: A Session on Empathy
- Unity Health: Collaborative Learning Activity – Disrupting Ableism
- Holland Bloorview: Ethics – Common Ethical Issues in Paediatric Rehabilitation
- Trillium: Dietetics: Collaborating with Dieticians
- An Interprofessional Approach to Caring for Families following Pregnancy and Infant Loss (Presented by the PAIL Network & Sunnybrook)
Who do I contact if I have questions?
We love questions so please don’t hesitate to connect! You can get in touch with us via the following emails: Rachelle.Ashcroft@utoronto.ca or ipe.utoronto@utoronto.ca
Where can I learn more about IPE?
To learn more, check out the social work IPE orientation video.
Contacts
FIFSW MSW IPE student representatives
Fatima Ahmad: Year 2 and Advanced Standing Representative
Year 1 Representative – Currently Vacant
Your student representatives are a great first point of contact if you have questions about MSW IPE program requirements, what it is like to participate in the program from a student perspective, and more.
FIFSW Faculty Leads/Representatives
Rachelle Ashcroft, Associate Professor
Contact FIFSW’s Faculty Leads/Representatives to learn more about social work and interprofessional practice or if you have questions about completing IPE requirements.
General inquiries
For general inquiries about CACHE, including interprofessional senior projects, issues with the IPE curriculum portal, or difficulties signing up for elective or core courses, please contact ipe.utoronto@utoronto.ca.
Interested in learning more about IPE?
Associate Professors Keith Adamson and Rachelle Ashcroft published the article: “Integrating Social Work Into Interprofessional Education: A Review of One University’s Curriculum to Prepare Students for Collaborative Practice in Healthcare,” published in Advances in Social Work.