Start Dates & Ontario Colleges Program Codes:
- Fall Start (September): 0107
CIP Code: 44.0701
Empower Communities Through Social Service Work
Social service work is a diverse field with one core purpose: helping people. If you're passionate about making a difference in your community and supporting individuals facing various challenges, Confederation College's Social Service Worker program is your gateway to a rewarding career.
Our comprehensive program equips you with essential knowledge and skills in social welfare, mental health, interpersonal effectiveness, communications, addictions, and applied professional practice. Through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on work placements, you'll gain practical experience and start building your professional résumé before graduation.
Learn to leverage community resources and your own abilities to create meaningful change in people's lives across various population groups, from children to seniors.
Top Highlights
- Professional Recognition: Graduates can apply for membership with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
- Diverse Experience: Work with all population groups, from young children to senior citizens
- Broad Skill Set: Gain experience in many different areas of social service work
- Flexible Options: Available as an accelerated program for those with a related college diploma or university degree
- Real-World Application: Reinforce classroom learning with valuable work placements
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Develop respectful and collaborative professional and interpersonal relationships that adhere to professional, legal, and ethical standards aligned to social service work.
- Record information accurately and communicate effectively in written, digital, verbal and nonverbal ways, in adherence to privacy and freedom of information legislation, in accordance with professional and workplace standards.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Develop strategies and approaches to implement and maintain holistic self-care as a member of a human service profession.
- 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.
- 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.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Succeed in the Social Service Worker program if you are:
- Compassionate: Genuinely care about improving others' lives
- Empathetic: Able to understand and share the feelings of others
- Patient: Comfortable working with individuals facing various challenges
- Communicative: Skilled at listening and expressing ideas clearly
- Resilient: Ready to handle emotionally demanding situations
Graduates of the Social Service Worker program are prepared for diverse roles, including:
- Social Service Worker (for members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers)
- Outreach Worker
- Case Manager
- Intake Worker
- Support Worker
- Facilitator
- Family Worker
- Program Coordinator
These positions are available in various settings, including:
- Public welfare agencies at different government levels
- Child and family services
- Addiction treatment centers
- Mental health facilities
- Community development organizations
- Domestic violence support services
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