Pursue a fulfilling career working on the front line of social services.

In the two-year Social Service Worker Ontario College Diploma program, you gain the skills and knowledge to work effectively with individuals, groups and communities dealing with personal and social problems.

Through theory and practical experiences, the program prepares you to support a wide range of client groups and communities who are in the process of change or growth, including those impacted by issues such as:

• loss and separation
• family crisis
• poverty
• violence
• homelessness
• addiction
• disability
• unemployment
• oppression
• resettlement

As a student, you complete three semesters in field placement experiences totaling almost 700 hours. You identify, practice and incorporate theoretical knowledge at a level that provides top client service. As well, you strengthen the bond between yourself and the community by participating in various applied research projects and direct practice opportunities. With these opportunities, you are ready to work on the front line of social services.

Graduates may secure employment as Social Service Workers in provincial, municipal and private social service agencies including:

• social service departments
• long-term care facilities
• addiction and mental health services
• schools and youth services
• community health and resource centres
• shelters
• residential treatment programs

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Have effective interpersonal skills.
• Are committed to addressing social issues, such as poverty, homelessness, oppression and human rights.
• Have strong language skills (oral and written).
• Are team-oriented and enjoy working with others.
• Deal effectively with stressful situations.

Careers

This program prepares you for your career by providing you with the opportunity to apply for professional accreditation in the field of social services. Upon graduation, you need to register as a Social Service Worker through the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers in order to be recognized as such.

You may find work in:

• drop-in centres
• employment services
• addiction and mental health services
• schools and youth services
• community health and resource centres
• shelters
• residential treatment programs

Pathways

Please note: There may be more pathways available for this program than are listed here. Please use our Pathways search tool to see every option.

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Develop respectful and collaborative professional and interpersonal relationships that adhere to professional, legal, and ethical standards aligned to social service work.
2. Record information accurately and communicate effectively in written, digital, verbal and non-verbal ways, in adherence to privacy and freedom of information legislation, in accordance with professional and workplace standards.
3. Integrate a practice framework within a service delivery continuum, addressing the needs of individuals, families and communities at micro, mezzo, macro and global levels, and work with them in achieving their goals.
4. Plan and implement accessible and responsive programs and services, recognizing the diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families and communities, and meeting these needs.
5. Examine current social policy, relevant legislation, and political, social, historical, and/or economic systems and their impacts for individuals and communities when delivering services to the user/client.
6. Develop strategies and approaches that support individual clients, groups, families and communities in building the capacity for self-advocacy, while affirming their dignity and self-worth.
7. Work from an anti-oppressive, strengths-based practice, recognizing the capacity for resilience and growth of individuals and communities when responding to the diverse needs of marginalized or vulnerable populations to act as allies and advocates.
8. Develop strategies and approaches to implement and maintain holistic self-care as a member of a human service profession.
9. Work with individuals, groups, families and their communities to ensure that service provider strategies promote social and economic justice, and challenge patterns of oppression, discrimination and harassment, and sexual violence with clients, coworkers and communities.
10. Develop the capacity to work with the Indigenous individual, families, groups and communities while respecting their inherent rights to self-determine, and to identify and address systemic barriers that produce ill-effects, developing appropriate responses using approaches such as trauma informed care practice.
11. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Application Information

SOCIAL SERVICE WORKER
Program Code 0432X01FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Program Resources

The Social Service Worker program consists of courses that are delivered in a variety of formats including face-to-face in a classroom, hybrid (combination of classroom and online learning) and online courses. Students participate in all three types of learning. Students also participate in field placement learning activities. Class schedules vary from term to term and courses may be scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday. There is no flexibility in the assigned timetable. There is a significant workload in the program and students need to be prepared to make a full-time commitment to their studies and field placement in order to be successful.

Students may apply for transfer of academic credits from Algonquin College (internal transfer) or from other institutions (external transfer). College Policies AA09 and AA10 apply to transfer of credits. For more information visit: www.algonquincollege.com/directives.

Students may apply for credit by challenging courses using Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). College Policy AA06 applies to PLAR. Students pay a fee for each course they wish to be exempt from and, through either a portfolio or challenge examination, a PLAR may lead to the acceptance of work and life experience in lieu of taking certain courses. For more information visit: www.algonquincollege.com/col/plar.html. Please note we do not PLAR any of our placements.

The social service worker field requires mature, flexible workers who commit to personal wellness and self-care as well as the principles of social justice and anti-oppression. This demanding program places students in learning environments and in contact with emotionally challenging situations. This may be unsettling to those who are in current recovery for mental health, abuse or addiction problems. As such, we encourage prospective students to reflect upon their readiness to meet these demands.

This full-time day program is also offered on the Pembroke Campus. While the learning outcomes at the Woodroffe and Pembroke Campuses are the same, subject delivery is reflective of the local circumstances which affect program delivery.

There is also an Intensive offering delivered at the Woodroffe Campus. This latter program is for individuals who have completed a degree or diploma (from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology) in the humanities. Degrees outside of the humanities may be considered on an individual basis.

Social Service Worker is a registered professional title which may only be used by members in good standing of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). This relates to Ontario legislation entitled The Social Work and Social Service Worker Act. Graduates of the Social Service Worker program are required by law to join the OCSWSSW after graduation in order to use this professional title. The OCSWSSW grants or denies membership. Visit www.ocswssw.org for more information.