Description
The School of Community and Health Studies offers the Addiction and Mental Health Worker program. It will help you acquire the education to work in mental health and addiction services using evidence-based knowledge and skills in screening, assessing, and responding to people with mental health and substance-use issues from diverse cultural and community perspectives.
In Addiction and Mental Health Work courses, you'll learn to work — in a variety of community health and human services settings such as mental health and addiction agencies, homeless drop-in centres and crisis service centres — with individuals, family members and small groups impacted by addiction and mental health issues. You'll also gain the knowledge to advocate for equitable access to supports and services including health promotion, prevention and harm reduction. The Addiction and Mental Health Work program has a commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada. As a result, courses will offer Indigenous perspectives to addiction and mental health work.
Classroom instruction will be combined with a second-year field placement experience during which you'll spend several days each week working with clients in social service agencies under the supervision of experienced service providers. You'll have the opportunity to work in interprofessional teams to gain direct experience providing support to clients and families through case management, assessment, referral and navigating systems of care. The practical experience you gain will help to reinforce classroom learning and provide grounding for full-time work after graduation.
Career Outlook
- Case Manager
- Harm Reduction Worker
- Street Outreach Worker
- Short-term Crisis Bed Worker
- Community Health Support Worker
- Shelter Worker
- Residential Support Worker
- Drop-in Worker
- Supportive Housing Worker
- Peer Support Worker
- Addictions Case Worker
- Mental Health Support Worker
- Hostel Relief Worker
Program Vocational Learning Outcomes
Program Vocational Learning Outcomes describe what graduates of the program have demonstrated they can do with the knowledge and skills they have achieved during their studies. The outcomes are closely tied to the needs of the workplace. Through assessment (e.g., assignments and tests), students verify their ability to reliably perform these outcomes before graduating.
- Develop a plan to assist the client in achieving their goals for mental wellness and recovery from addictions
- Integrate group work and group facilitation skills across a wide range of community service settings, supporting growth and development of individuals, families, and communities affected by addictions and mental health issues
- Consider social policy, legislation, and political, social, and economic systems and their impacts on service delivery in addiction and mental health services
- Provide appropriate treatment and prevention strategies to individuals and families impacted by addiction and mental health issues
- Recognize diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families, and communities to develop and promote accessible and responsive programs and services
- Respond accordingly to clients in crisis to provide appropriate assistance and referral where necessary
- Develop and maintain positive interprofessional collaboration and working relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and community partners that adhere to professional, legal and ethical standards
- Advocate at a system-level for nonjudgmental acceptance and unconditional positive regard of individuals with addictions and mental health issues
- Collaborate with indigenous peoples and their communities to identify and advocate for access to culturally appropriate resources to address addiction and mental health issues
- Engage in critical self-reflection to support professional growth and lifelong learning
- Reimagining the ways the sector engages with community members through the creation and collaboration of innovative organizational approaches
Requirement
- Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree with CGPA > 2.50/4.00 OR 3.0-3.5/5.00
- A copy of your international Passport Bio-Data Page.
- WAEC Certificate
- Undergraduate Certificate (ND & HND)
- Undergraduate Transcript (ND & HND)
- Passport Photograph
- English Proficiency TOEFL (60 IBT), IELTS (5.5)
- Curriculum Vitae
Structure
Program Highlight
In the Addiction and Mental Health Worker program, you'll learn to:
The Addiction and Mental Worker program curriculum is reviewed on an annual basis to ensure courses are current, relevant, and based on evidence-based research and best practices in the field.
Program faculty members are all trained in addiction and mental health work and social work practice, and have extensive knowledge, expertise and field experience.
During your two years in the program, you'll have the opportunity to obtain a Stackable Certificate in Indigenous Studies: First Peoples in Canada.
Two specialized field placements will provide you with valuable opportunities to integrate classroom learning, knowledge and skills in professional practice. Facilitated two days per week in the third semester and four days per week in the fourth semester, these experiences may include a variety of settings (governmental services, community centres, settlement agencies, social service agencies, shelters, residential group homes, employment counselling agencies and educational institutions, among others).
As an Addiction and Mental Health Worker student, you'll have the opportunity to apply for an Indigenous focused field placement. This placement is a full year placement and has a prerequisite to be enrolled in the Stackable Certificate in Indigenous Studies: First Peoples in Canada. The program has a history of strong partnerships with global organizations.
You'll have the opportunity to engage in interprofessional collaboration and practice with other programs within the College community, such as Early Childhood Education, Police Foundations, and Community.
Education Pathways
Successful graduates of this Addiction and Mental Health Worker Diploma program have the opportunity to apply their credits toward further study at the degree level. Listed below are the degrees from partnering institutions available for this program.
Please note that each pathway has a specific minimum grade requirement in order to qualify for transferring credits, which are assessed by the partner institution.