This course is designed to give students an overview of several fundamental concepts in psychology. The purpose is to give students the knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts that can be applied to their chosen field of study. This course provides an introduction to the principals of psychology including human development, motivation, social psychology related topics relevant to community service work.

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.

This course is designed to provide students with basic information regarding common drugs and processes of abuse. Furthermore, it's designed to give students some hands-on tools for analyzing addiction as a complex bio-psychosocial model. Included in this course is the etiology of addiction, maintenance and relapse prevention, cross cultural counseling, gender-specific addictions, the psychological models used in addiction, and working on a multidisciplinary addictions treatment team.

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.

This course provides students with an introduction to issues frequently encountered when working with families affected by addiction. Drawing on Bowen and Solution-Focussed family therapies, it provides tools that help social service workers understand various family dynamics. Basic strategies for interviewing families are reviewed. The concept of codependency is introduced, both in terms of the family life of clients, and the workers’ own risk for developing codependent behaviours on the job. A basic introduction to working with diverse family groups is provided.

This course is designed to give the student an introduction to case management, documentation, and report writing in the social work field. It covers the effects of deinstitutionalization and the importance of the case manager role. Types of recording in this course include process recording and summary recording along with intake summaries. The process behind intake interviews, service delivery planning, building case files, and service coordination are also covered. The course also examines ethical and legal issues giving students an idea of the various areas where competence improves with experience. Various roles in case management such as assessment, intake procedures, outreach, and resources are also covered.

Helping professionals who work with traumatized or otherwise "at-risk" individuals are at risk themselves for developing secondary traumatic stress. The very qualities that led workers to the social service employment -- compassion and empathy -- are the ones that make workers particularly vulnerable to this. Murphy’s Law and the different types of stress are also brought to the forefront. This course briefly reviews the nature and diagnostic criteria of both post-traumatic stress and secondary post-traumatic stress. The primary focus in this module is practical, hands-on strategies that social service workers can use to prevent burnout and increase self-care.

This course is designed to give students some hands-on experience with networking and with assessing and improving their job readiness skills. It is also intended to educate students about the local community agencies and organization (who they serve, what they do, how clients access the services, etc.). This course is not designed to empower students for career readiness. In other words, instructors should not be developing opportunities for students; rather, instructors should be coaching, training, and motivating students to learn how to develop opportunities on their own.

Note that students are expected to focus their search in the area of the social services they intend to specialize, such as youth, addictions, aboriginals, etc.

During this module, students earn their certification in First Aid/CPR, ASIST suicide prevention training, and Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI). Students also learn WHMIS, FoodSafe ®, and Medication Administration for Support Workers.

Suicide Intervention Skills Training (6-8 hours)
This 3rd party training will cover the skills needed to allow
one to recognize and intervene with persons in distress.

Medication Administration for Support Workers (8-10 hours)
This session, part of SSW114O – Professional Development, is a two-day session to understand who and how a community support worker can assist with medications in the field. Topics include:

• A review of mental health concerns and common psychiatric medications
• Mental disorders
• Discontinuing psychiatric medications
• Online tutorials (Centre of Addiction and Mental Health)
• Use of medications in residential settings

FoodSafe™ - Level 1 (8 -10 hours)
FOODSAFE Level 1 is a food handling, sanitation, and work safety course designed for front line food service workers. The course covers important food safety and
worker safety information including foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, cleaning, and sanitizing. The course is normally delivered (as part of SSW114O – Professional Development) as an eight-hour face-to-face class by an external provider who provides a workbook and other materials required for this certification training.

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (8- 10 hours) This course (part of SSW114O – Professional Development) is designed to help participants learn to recognize warning signs that allow for early intervention in a crisis as well as how to use both verbal and non-verbal techniques to avoid a violent confrontation. The use of nonviolent crisis intervention allows for recognizing individuals in distress early on and using appropriate techniques to address the situation before it becomes a crisis.

Standard First Aid & CPR (16-18 hours)
As part of the SSW114O – Professional Development course, external providers teach first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. It includes the
latest first aid and CPR guidelines, and it meets federal and provincial regulations for Standard First Aid and CPR. WHMIS Education for Employees (4-6 hours) This course, part of SSW114O – Professional Development, provides specific health and safety information about workplace hazardous materials called controlled products through learning the WHMIS 2015 standards. This enables workers to understand how WHMIS information can help them to work safely with and near hazardous materials. This one-day session provides this essential information and is reinforced with an online training session and certification examination.

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

This practicum will place students in actual workplaces related to their field of study where they are expected to act as a regular employee for the set time periods in order to gain the valuable “real world” experience, often sought by employers who are hiring. Students are encouraged to find their own work experience; however, once placed, continuation in the placement is a mandatory diploma requirement. This practicum is an unpaid work experience. Students and practicum hosts are provided with a practicum “package” that outlines the expectations of both the student and the host that need to be met to have a successful outcome.