ADDICTIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKER

Program Outline

PROGRAM OVERVIEW ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

This diploma program focuses on preparing students to  High school diploma or equivalent, or mature student
eectively manage the responsibilities of addictions and status (19 years or older)
community services practitioners in a wide variety of social  International students must provide proof of English
assistance programs. This program will be of particular language proficiency through ONE of the following
interest to students seeking training in addiction and recovery measures:
practices. This program is intended for people who are
looking for a career in social services and community support, o Minimum 50% in English 12 or 67% in
assisting people with personal and social issues, including Communications 12.
addiction and mental health. o Minimum 50% in post-secondary level English or
Communications coursework.
o Successful completion of a standardized
DELIVERY METHOD – Hybrid (Online/In-Person) language proficiency test at or above ONE of the
When courses are oered through distance education (online), following standards:
the education delivery for the program utilizes a range of  Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6
methods.  IELTS 5.5 with no band lower than 5
 TOEFL iBT score of 46
Course delivery may include asynchronous instruction:  Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) score of
 Pre-recorded lectures 162
 Microsoft PowerPoint presentations with or without  Pearson Test of English (PTE-A) score of 45.4
voice-over  Versant English Placement Test (VEPT) score
 Forums and discussion boards of 46
 Email communication Interview with Instructor
 Google Drive and similar collaborative tools  All applicants must complete a “Student Declaration”
form.
Synchronous instruction:  Students who meet the minimum admissions
 Streaming video platforms requirements are eligible to complete related work
 Live online interactions with the instructor, individually experience oered in this program:
or course-wide o Students must complete all courses in their
 Web conferencing program of study.
 Telephone availability o Students must achieve at minimum a passing
 Virtual oice hours grade of 65% in each course.
 Emailcommunication o Students must additionally provide proof of
the following:
 A clear criminal record check.
PROGRAM CREDENTIAL  A record of current immunizations.
Diploma

COURSE EVALUATION GUIDE

PROGRAM DURATION Method Percentage
871 full-time hours over 42 weeks Approx 10 Months Assignments/Quizzes 25%
771 hours instruction & 100 hours practicum Reports/Papers 25%
Mon - Fri 530pm - 930pm Presentations 25%
Exams 25%
GRADUATION & PROGRAM COMPLETION
REQUIREMENTS
Students must successfully complete all courses. A minimum C REQUIRED BOOKS
grade average is required for graduation. See course outlines.
 ADDICTIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKER
Program Outline

ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS *THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION RECEIVED

Online learning: Aendance for the course is based on  First Aid/CPR
evidence of keeping up with the course materials and  Food Safe
instructor’s directions, participating in ongoing discussion  Non-violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI)
posts, and submission of all required criteria used for  LivingWorks Start – Suicide Prevention Skills
evaluation. Aendance is tracked two ways - the first is (clock  Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
hours) via online aendance (ie. zoom). As part of the delivery  Naloxone administration training
methodology students are also required to participate in  MANDT
independent learning activities – for example, readings with  WHIMIS
questions, viewing relevant videos with assessments and so  Indigenous Awareness Certification course
on. Teachers estimate the number of hours these sorts of  Gender Based Analysis (GBA+)
activities would take and credit the time to the clock hours.
The instructor and administration keep a record.
NATIONAL OCCUPATION CODE
4212 Social and Community Service Worker
PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Upon completion of the programs, students will reliably be
able to: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
 Explain the social and community services available Upon completion of the program, graduates can work in the
and the role of social services workers in improving below occupational list:
the social welfare of individuals and communities.
 Recognize at-risk behaviors across a variety of  Aboriginal outreach worker
groups.  Addictions worker
 Describe the eects of psychoactive chemicals on  Child and youth worker
target populations suering with mental illness.  Community service worker
 Describe the eects of mental health in relation to  Crisis intervention worker
addiction, diagnosis, and medications used in  Developmental service worker
pharmacotherapies and the impact mental health  Family service worker
may have on individuals or communities.  Group home worker
 Describe and discuss the issues, defining traits,  Mental health worker
intervention, prevention, and safety issues for those  Social services worker
suering with mental illness.  Youth worker
 Articulate the impact on the client-counsellor
relationship with respect to cultural and diversity
issues. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM
 Identify resources available under the broad umbrella  Instructional/Technical Items: white board, overhead
of the Canadian health care system. projector, lecture notes, computers.
 Furniture: chairs, desks, garbage bins.
 Stationary: A4 folders, notepads, pencils, pens,
PARTICIPATION PROGRESS/ASSESSMENT METHODS highlighters.
 A final grade of 60% is required to pass each course  Other oice products and equipment.
unless otherwise indicated on a course outline.  For online learning, the student must have access to a
Generally, course assessment consists of quizzes, computer (no older than 4 years), webcam,
exams, and project-based assignments. headphones, and good broadband.
 Students will be required to complete 100 hrs. of work
experience. To qualify for work experience, students
are required to maintain a minimum C grade average
or higher and a minimum aendance of 85%.
 ADDICTIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKER
Program Outline

COURSE BREAKDOWN PSYC100 Psychology Fundamentals (60 hours)

The course introduces the basic concepts and core topics in
Addictions & Community Support Worker the study of the origins and variations in human behavior.
Course No. Course Name Hours Students will be introduced to human development,
ACSW100 Addictions Fundamentals 40 consciousness, memory, motivation, memory, group
ACSW200 Social Service Work Fundamentals 20 psychology, and psychological disorders. Students will also be
PSYC100 Psychology Fundamentals 60 introduced to personality assessment. Students will use this
SOCI100 Sociology Fundamentals 20 critical knowledge through their course of studies and
PSYC110 Ethics Fundamentals 40
through their careers.
ACSW300 Self-Care Techniques 20
ACSW400 Resources and Networking 20
SOCI100 Sociology Fundamentals (20 hours)
PSYC130 Interview & Intake Procedures 60
COMC150 Professional Report Writing 20
Sociology is the study of society through the examination of
ACSW500 Family Studies 40 human interactions and cultural phenomena. This course is
PSYC140 Mental Health Fundamentals 80 designed to introduce you to a range of basic sociological
PSYC150 Behaviour Analysis Techniques 40 principles focusing on key theories and research, broad
PHRM100 Pharmacology Fundamentals 80 concepts of race and ethnicity, the eects of these on groups
ACSW600 Relapse Prevention 40 and individuals and the impact on the
PSYC160 High Risk Populations 20 client-counselor relationship. Students will use this critical
ACSW700 Child & Youth Populations 40 knowledge through their course of studies and through their
CARE500 *Third Party Certificates 131 careers.
SSPR100 Practicum Work Experience 100
Program Total 871 PSYC110 Ethics Fundamentals (40 hours)
The goal of this course is to prepare students to become
Detailed course descriptions follow. Please note that course competent, grounded, and humane care providers. To
content may be changed or upgraded to meet the demands achieve this, the course provides students with the
of industry; and the courses may not be listed in the order conceptual tools that will assist them in developing a
taught. personal, practical, and integrative approach to counselling in
the context of being able to make informed and coherent
judgements with respect to professional ethical issues.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Students will use this critical knowledge through their course
of studies and through their careers.
ACSW100 Addictions Fundamentals (40 hours)
This course will challenge popular perceptions and urban ACSW300 Self-Care Techniques (20 hours)
mythology associated with drugs, problem behaviors, and This course provides students with the concepts, knowledge
addiction. Addiction models, prevention/intervention and skills on how to increase personal resiliency by examining
strategies, and treatment options will be introduced. Students physical, emotional, cognitive, and professional health.
will use this critical knowledge through their course of studies Students will learn to implement strategies that promote the
and through their careers. art of self-care, reduce compassion fatigue and burnout
through the establishment of a self-care program while
ACSW200 Social Service Work Fundamentals (20 hours) continuing to maintain a quality client-counsellor relationship.
Students will be introduced to the pivotal role social service Students will use this critical knowledge through their course
workers and associated support professionals play in of studies and through their careers.
improving the social welfare of individual people and
communities. This course will familiarize students to the
various roles, functions, tasks, and responsibilities social
workers assume in a variety of seings and introduce them to
the key skills and practices of the profession. Students will use
this critical knowledge through their course of studies and
through their careers.
 ADDICTIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKER
Program Outline

ACSW400 Resources and Networking (20 hours) ACSW700 Child and Youth Populations (40 hours)
Support workers are required to assess client needs and make This course introduces the issues facing children and youth,
appropriate referrals. Consequently, they should be familiar the risk factors that contribute to that risk, at-risk categories,
with the resources available in their communities so that they and an examination of a wide variety of
can provide an appropriate level of referral to the most intervention, prevention and treatment strategies and
suitable resource. This same knowledge is also key in deciding models. Students will use this critical knowledge through their
on desired practicum placements, and where to apply for that course of studies and through their careers.
first job after graduating. Therefore, this course focuses on
applying the same skills in two dierent contexts: how to
network and refer clients and how to network and advocate PHRM100 Pharmacology Fundamentals (80 hours)
for oneself as a social service job seeker. Students will use this This course examines the impact of drug use/abuse on the
critical knowledge through their course of studies and through human body. It describes how physiological changes caused
their careers. by substance use/abuse in turn trigger psychological,
emotional, and behavioral changes in the drug user. Students
PSYC130 Interview and Intake Procedures (60 hours) are asked to critically reflect on contemporary trends in
In this course students will learn about themselves in relation Canada in terms of drug use prevention, drug treatment, and
to others while also developing skills believed to be crucial to harm reduction social policies. Students will have an
intake, interviewing, and counselling processes. This course opportunity to complete their online Naloxone overdose
will also focus on the application of interviewing skills to child, prevention certification and receive instructions on how to
adolescent, and family work. Students will review, discuss, obtain a free-of-charge Naloxone kit from a designated
role-play, observe, and pharmacy. Students will use this critical knowledge
enact clinical interviewing skills. Because helping professionals throughout their course of studies and throughout their
engage in multicultural environments this course will take into careers.
consideration and explore
multicultural knowledge and sensitivity. Students will use this PSYC140 Mental Health Fundamentals (80 hours)
critical knowledge through their course of studies and through This course provides students with a working knowledge of
their careers. mental health issues and addictions by introducing students to
classifications of mental disorders, addiction development
COMC150 Professional Report Writing (20 hours) and dependence, eects, signs and symptoms and response,
This course has been designed to provide students with the diagnostic categories, treatment options and best practice
skills necessary to prepare industry-specific and regulation- interventions, and common medications used in
compliant documentation and reports that meet the pharmacotherapies. Students will explore trends in mental
standards of client, clinical practice, legal and ethical health and addictions support, service, delivery, and practice.
requirements. This course will assist students in understanding Students will use this critical knowledge through their course
the fundamental principles and purposes of documentation of studies and through their careers.
and report writing by taking them step by step through the
details of the processes and documentation required. PSYC150 Behavior Analysis Techniques (40 hours)
Students will use this critical knowledge through their course This course introduces students to behavior analysis and how
of studies and through their careers. it can be used in real-world situations. Students will learn how
to define and understand behavior, as well as strategies for
ACSW500 Family Studies (40 hours) changing behavior. They will also explore the basic principles
This course will provide students with an introduction to the of behavior analysis and their applications in at-risk
impact addiction and addiction recovery processes can have populations. Additionally, the course will cover the use of
on the family. Gaining a holistic understanding behavior analysis in addiction treatment, providing students
of the family reaction, response, and recovery in cultural and with practical knowledge and skills.
societal contexts is fundamental to providing the support
required to the recovering addict and their support structures.
Students will use this critical knowledge through their course
of studies and through their careers.
 ADDICTIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES WORKER
Program Outline

PSYC160 High Risk Populations (20 hours) ACSW600 Relapse Prevention (40 hours)
This course focuses on providing students with the core This course is designed to introduce the concept of ‘relapse’
knowledge and understanding of dierent behavioral, within the context of the addition recovery process. The
biological, environmental, historical, medical, student will become familiar with a range of
and socio-cultural aspects of high-risk populations so that strategies and techniques to assist in minimizing relapse
needs can be appropriately assessed, and care strategies repetition and in preventing the negative eects of prolonged
developed across a continuum of care. Students will use this periods of relapse during recovery. Students will
critical knowledge throughout their course of studies and use this critical knowledge through their course of studies and
through their careers. through their careers.

SSPR100 Practicum Work Experience (100 hours)

The practicum work experience will provide students with
opportunities to apply theory to practice and gain valuable
real-world work-related experience. Students will be able to
demonstrate how they are capable of solving complex
problems and working collaboratively as part of a team.