Be there when your community needs you most

With Northern’s two-year Social Service Worker diploma, you’ll graduate ready to help vulnerable individuals, families, and communities as they cope with – and work through – some of life’s most stressful events.

Focused on collaboration and teamwork, the evidence-based curriculum reveals the complex influences that affect human development and behaviour. It also provides you with the tools you’ll need to make a difference.

You’ll master conflict management, develop skills to intervene in a crisis, and gradually develop holistic and culturally-sensitive healing plans that will help chart a new course for those in your care.

Along the way, you’ll put theory into practice thanks to a series of clinical labs and a 15-week placement with a variety of social services agencies. It all adds up to a rewarding journey of self-awareness and professional growth. And it all starts here.

Social Service Workers focus on promoting equality, and addressing disadvantages that people face on the basis of race, disability, gender or age. They use their knowledge of human behaviour and development, communication, interviewing and counseling skills, to work with groups and/or communities to help them become more caring and capable of supporting their communities.

This program prepares students to work with people who are experiencing stressful events in their lives from an individual, family and community perspective. Students will learn how to intervene in crisis situations and will develop skills needed to assist individual clients, groups, families and communities to better meet their challenges and to enhance their social functioning. Clinical practice labs and field placements provide a milieu where students are able to apply theory into practice through interviewing, case assessment and planning. Students must be able to apply skills, such as teamwork and group work outside of class. They may also be required to seek feedback from agency professionals for lab work and video assignments.

This program is offered completely online, with on-campus support and services if desired.

Northern College values lifelong learning in an effort to maintain the current competencies outlined by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. The College assists learners in developing competent skills, attitudes and an interest in the social service profession egalitarian and supportive relationships with our professors and facilitators facilitate adult learning and development.

Career Opportunities
Social Service Workers are commonly employed by government agencies and social service agencies. Graduates are eligible to register with Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Web site: http://www.ocswssw.org/.

Provincial Registration
In order to practice in Ontario as a “Social Service Worker” or a “Registered Social Service Worker”, graduates must apply for registration in the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). Graduates of the SSW program will meet the education requirement for registration. For more information, please visit ocswssw.org