Program Courses

• Psychology [PCGO]

  • This subject provides the student with a basic knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts that can be applied in the subjects that follow. Subjects include Introduction to Psychology, History of Psychology, Biology and Behaviour, States of Consciousness, Learning, Developmental Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, Psychological Disorders, Therapies, and more.

• Communications Fundamentals [CMFO]

  • This subject provides a comprehensive study of effective communication skills and techniques the student will use both professionally and personally. The subject will sharpen skills to work effectively in a professional helping relationship. Students will also learn how to conduct an effective job search and how to continue their development as an Addictions Worker. Topics include human communication, perception and self, language, non-verbal communication, public communication, organization and support, presenting your message, informative speaking, persuasive speaking, understanding and improving interpersonal relationships, and more.

• Ethics [ECR4]

  • This subject is designed to provide the student with a framework in which to view helping functions and related skills in a systematic manner. The subject concentrates on the helper’s task of becoming a more aware and effective person. The emphasis is on empowering others to help themselves through the development of communication and coping skills. Topics include reasons for students seeking a career in the helping profession; practical strategies for ensuring quality experiences in fieldwork and supervision stages of the helping process; common problems at work in regards to resistance, transference, counter transference and difficult clients; ethical awareness and learning for helpers; value and belief systems of helpers; one’s role in the community as a helper; stress and burnout; and more.

• Interviewing Techniques [IVWO]

  • This subject will assist the student to define communication skills and demonstrate how to use them effectively in many types of situations. A group of core communication skills is essential to any interview, whether it takes place in counselling, nursing, social work, personnel work, or information gathering.

• Introduction to Software Applications [ISWO]

  • This subject educates the student about the software applications that are commonly used in document preparation, report writing, and presentations. The student will learn how to use a computer’s operating system; perform basic file management tasks; use a Web browser to explore the Internet and perform searches for information; create, edit, and format documents; and prepare a slide show presentation.

• Case File Management & Report Writing [CFMO]

  • This subject deals with preparing social work-related written reports to communicate the progress of a client. The student will be introduced to various methods of recording information, along with the requirements for various entries to a file within the parameters of legal and ethical requirements. Basic computer skills are further developed through a series of assignments. Topics include reasons for record-keeping, the mechanics of recording and dictating, summary recording, confidentiality: physically safeguarding case records, general rules around documenting, case conference process, and more.

• Introduction to Intake Procedures & Treatment Planning [ITPO]

  • This course focuses on developing students’ understanding of the intake and planning processes. Our graduates work in a broad range of settings across the social services and therefore encounter of a wide variety of standardized and in-house intake and psychometric tools. In light of this, Introduction to Intake Procedures & Treatment Planning centers on developing portable and universal “hands-on” skills in interviewing and planning so that our graduates have a solid practical basis from which to start. This module helps the student understand the role of the support worker in intake procedures and treatment planning. Furthermore, the module helps the student understand the purpose of intake and treatment planning, as well as the professional challenges support workers might encounter while doing these tasks.

• Group Facilitation Concepts [GFCO]

  • This subject will provide the student with an overview of the nature of group work in a social service setting and an opportunity to explore relevant techniques and exercises designed to enhance group work.

• Community Resources & Networking [CRNO]

  • The goal of an Addictions Worker is to accurately assess the client’s needs and provide the most appropriate referral in an ethical manner. This subject establishes a framework to assess needs and explores the various services available in the community. This is accomplished by guiding the student through a series of assignments to enhance evaluation skills and knowledge. Topics include learning about various community resources in the local community, addiction treatment centres, the John Howard Society, the Elizabeth Fry Society, correctional facilities, multicultural organizations, detox centres, assessment centres, local counselling services, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and more.

• Fundamentals of Addiction [FOAO]

  • This subject provides the foundation for further in-depth subjects in the study of addiction. The basic pharmacological nature and effects of a range of psychoactive chemicals are presented with an emphasis on challenging the myths of which chemicals cost society the most in terms of economic costs and social burden of human suffering. Specific target populations are explored, focusing on women, children, adolescents, ethnic minorities, elderly, the disabled, and those suffering from mental illness. Assessment, intervention strategies, and treatment options are presented along with the most common problems encountered during treatment.

• Fundamentals of Pharmacology [PRMO]

  • This subject provides basic drug information including the basic pharmacological nature and effects of a range of psychoactive chemicals. Students will build knowledge relating drug treatments/usage to various body systems and associated states of disease. Subjects include General Principles of Pharmacology; Drug Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion; Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Certain Drugs; Drugs and the Digestive System/Vitamins and Minerals; Conduction and Neurotransmission; and more.

• Preventive Health Promotion [PRVO]

  • The student is introduced to various health and relationship concerns that are relevant in chemically dependent individuals. The student will learn to evaluate the effectiveness of program delivery and begin to create new ideas for promoting healthier lifestyle choices within a range of settings and diverse populations.

• Relapse Prevention & Intervention [RPIO]

  • This subject will provide the student with an understanding of relapse as a natural part of the recovery process. The student will study a range of strategies and techniques to assist in minimizing and preventing the effects of prolonged periods of relapse during the journey of recovery. Students are guided through the entire relapse process by considering the application of some basic principles introduced in the Center for Applied Behavioural Research (CENAPS) Model of Treatment.

• Secondary Traumatic Stress [SCTO]

  • Secondary traumatic stress results from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person. Students will gain insight into their personal strengths and weaknesses and will explore methods to prevent/reduce secondary traumatic stress. Topics include the Definition of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Stress Disorders; Counter Transference and Burnout; Self-Care for Trauma Counsellors; Vicarious Traumatisation; The Importance of the Professional Peer Group; Personal Sorting Styles; Ethical Issues Associated with Secondary Trauma in Counsellors; Moderating Secondary Traumatic Stress Through; Administrative and Policy Action; and more.

• Working with Families [WFMO]

  • This subject will provide students with an overview of how addiction can impact the family unit. Understanding the family reaction is critical to providing caring support to the recovering addict and their loved ones. A recovery program that does not address issues of co-dependency may increase the likelihood of persistent patterns of relapse for both the addict and their family.

• High Risk Populations [HRPO]

  • This course is designed to give students a cursory understanding of the most common high risk populations in Canada. Students must also be aware that this course cannot provide a completely comprehensive understanding of each group. It is intended simply to provide a base level of knowledge, an expanded frame of reference, and practical understanding of how to begin working with these groups in a manner that is respectful and effective. During this course, students will learn about cultural context in general and more specifically, how that understanding is applied to each group from a front line perspective. Additionally, students will learn most common defining traits and relevant statistical information for each group and how to show respect to that group when working with them. Towards this end, the instructor will combine lecture with class discussion, assignments, videos, and speakers to help deepen their understanding of these various populations within the human services field.

• Youth Issues [YOU4]

  • This course is designed to give students an overview of the issues that our youth are facing in today’s society. The course looks at three general areas of concern related to youth issues. The first part of the course is aimed at describing what is meant by at-risk and who these at-risk youth are. This is essential in order to better understand what the common risk factors that contribute to youth becoming at risk are. Secondly, the student will learn about the different at-risk categories in order to explore the various issues and problems. Finally, the course will look at the different intervention, prevention, and treatment strategies or models.

• Community Services Worker Certificates [SSW113O]

  • In this module, students earn the three external certificates bundled into their program: Level 1 First Aid/CPR, Level 1 ASIST Suicide Intervention & Prevention, Level 1 Non-violent Crisis Intervention (NCI). Instruction will be provided by certified trainers in these specialties. Typically, the trainers will be College staff, but external trainers may also be used when that is expedient.

• Introduction to Social Service Work [SSW101O]

  • This course is designed to give the student an introduction to social service work in Canada. Social service workers and allied professionals play a pivotal role in improving the social welfare of individual people and whole communities. These helping professionals do so from a variety of contexts, but from a coherent “strengths-based’ values platform. Students will learn what social services workers do, how they do it, why they do it, and what good it does.

• Sociology [SCLO]

  • Knowledge of the workings and interaction of people in society will aid the student in understanding how people are influenced by their social environment. Time is also spent highlighting relevant social problems.

• Diversity and Social Justice [SSW103O]

  • This course presents diversity from a much broader perspective than just race and ethnicity, exploring a broad spectrum of cultural and diversity issues and their impact on the client-counsellor relationship. Students will have the opportunity to learn from external speakers with expertise in specific communities as well as an opportunity to hone their clinical skills via role-playing.

• Fundamentals of Poverty [SSW106O]

  • The course explores the impact poverty has on the individuals who must cope with it as well as the impact on the community as a whole. Particular emphasis is placed on child poverty in Canada as well as de-bunking myths and stereotypes about poverty. Two special topics in poverty are also covered: poverty and homelessness and poverty, and Aboriginals and the impact of the Legacy. The importance of education and occupation is also covered. As one of their module deliverables, students construct personal resource binders of local agencies and organizations that support people coping with poverty. They will be able to refer to these for future projects and while on practicum.

• Fundamentals of Mental Health [SSW108O]

  • This course explores basic questions regarding mental health. It explains the formal diagnostic categories of the DSM-IV-TR, common medications used in pharmacotherapies for mental health concerns, as well as the impact mental health concerns have on the affected individuals. Particular emphasis is placed on community-based interventions and supports for people living with mental health issues as well as the importance of the duty to warn. As one of their module deliverables, students construct personal resource binders of local agencies and organizations that support people coping with mental health. They will be able to refer to these resources for future projects and while on practicum.

• Advocacy and Empowerment of Youth [SSW301O]

  • This course introduces the student to the foundations of advocacy and empowerment for young people. How to lay the groundwork for advocacy is explained as well as ways to build rapport with youth to facilitate effective advocacy. Different strategies based on education components to empower youth while learning through education and personal choices are covered. Finally, how to advocate for effective standards of professions and healthy meaningful programming is explored.

• Youth and the Social Welfare Systems in Canada [SSW302O]

  • This course is designed to give the student critical insight in to the social category youth and how the boundaries and definitions of youth are socially and historically determined based on the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), the impact of various social systems (justice systems, social services systems, education systems etc.) on youth identity formation is explored, as well as observing the differences in the Young Offenders Act (YOA) and the YCJA. The ways for youth to access social justice in these systems are outlined, as well as examining the growing inequalities around youth.

• Youth Diversity: Culture & Subculture [SSW306O]

  • This course is designed to give students an overview of the impact of culture and subculture on youth. The specifics issues and needs of immigrant and LGBTTIQ youth, Aboriginal youth are explored. The impact of associations, activity, and style subcultures on youth is also investigated.

• Introduction to Youth Justice Issues [SSW305O]

  • This course is designed to give students an overview of the youth justice system of Canada as well as insight into the impact contact with justice system has in the lives of young people. Myths/stereotypes versus the realities of youth crime in Canada are presented. Community-based interventions, rehabilitation, and restorative justice options for youth are explored.

• Student Success Strategies [SSSO]

  • The purpose of this course is to optimize learning through equipping students with effective study techniques. This course also provides an introduction to personality styles that will be encountered in the workplace and allows students to practise appropriate and productive interaction between the various styles. Emphasis is placed on the types of communication that work best with each style in order to achieve a good working relationship and to manage and resolve conflicts that arise. Students are also introduced to strategies for setting personal goals, managing time, and managing the stress that results from study or work and builds on positive group dynamics and setting expectations for student success

• Professional Skills [PSKO]

  • This course is designed to equip students with interpersonal skills identified by employers as essential for success in the professional world. Using a variety of instructional methods including case studies, group exercises, and discussion, students learn and practice key communication skills.

• Career and Employment Strategies [CESO]

  • In addition to learning career-oriented skills, students learn how to get a job in their chosen profession. Our Employment Services department will assist the graduate in resume writing, as well as preparing for job interviews. Our staff is sensitive to current job market trends and the needs of employers in each local market. Our graduates receive guidance and training to use career tools that help job seekers build a better resume and cover letter, manage an online portfolio, hone interviewing skills, and develop a personal brand online. Students will have the use of a computer lab which has unlimited Internet access, as well as job search resources. Facilitators will also be made available to advise on job finding resources, interview skills and techniques and to carry out mock interviews. This course also looks at the planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up stages of an interview: How people find jobs; Employer expectations; Presenting an enthusiastic attitude; Focusing on the right job and the hidden job market; Transferrable skills; Thank you letters; Effective telemarketing; Handling objections, self-confidence, and self-esteem; Individual counselling and coaching.

• Mandatory Community Placement [PRAC300]

  • This program includes 300 hours of a full-time community placement.