Diploma in Social Service Worker

at Seneca College - King Campus Canada

This program is the first in Canada to be designed around the Canadian College of Health Leaders LEADS Leadership Framework and will provide you with the integrative thinking skills which are critical to the management of complex health systems. The training from this program will prepare you to tackle the needs and priorities for financial sustainability, evidence-informed decision making, health promotion, illness prevention, modern management and patient-centred care as outlined by the Conference Board of The Canada Health Summit.

As a student in this program you will take part in field, lab and mentorship experiences from your first year along with specialized courses in health formatics, cross-cultural and global health, program planning, health law, mediation, patient safety, research, innovation and leadership.

Scholarship opportunities are available if you have distinguished academic records from your high school careers. A variety of scholarships and bursaries are also available to you based on merit and financial needs.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Business management
• Health administration

Mandatory Degree Work Term
A work experience that includes at least one term in a formal work environment. The work term(s) may be a paid or unpaid position that is completed between two academic semesters and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work. Students must be in good standing and meet all identified requirements prior to participating in the work experience. The successful completion of the work term(s) is required for graduation. Eligibility for participation does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. Additional fees are required for the mandatory degree work term regardless of success in securing a work position.

This eight-month graduate certificate program enhances the knowledge and skill sets of front line service providers or recent graduates of relevant programs with a specialization in mental health intervention. Along with studying theoretical and practical course content in family dynamics, community mental health and crisis intervention, you will be introduced to practical applications of the latest research and develop an understanding of risk, protective factors as well as early intervention applications. This training will prepare you to provide expertise to individuals and families in need of support.

During your second semester, the unique ‘Community Outreach’ course challenges your abilities to innovate new practices in the field. You will be placed on a team with fellow students where you will develop original modules based on best practices in mental health detection, prevention and outreach thereby contributing to the expansion of mental health knowledge and practices to the broader community.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Research 
• Practical applications 
• Ability to use good judgment

Prepare for an exciting career in law enforcement and crime prevention. In this two-year diploma program, you will gain a comprehensive education combining professional knowledge with practical skills development. This program prepares you a range of careers in public safety, policing, investigations, security and enforcement services in public and private organizations, and corrections.

Seneca’s Police Foundations program uses hybrid and online delivery across our curriculum to deliver innovative and flexible learning focused on student needs. For the majority of courses, students can choose between online and in-class options to decide a delivery mode that works best for students and their timetables, while also concentrating on the applied and professional skills needed for successful careers in law enforcement and community safety.  

Police Selection
Applicants are advised that following graduation from Police Foundations, the selection process from Police Services in Ontario include:

• Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada
• Written aptitude and communications tests
• Criminal records check
• Physical fitness testing
• Vision, hearing and medical tests

The four-year Honours Bachelor of Child Development degree program prepares you for expansive opportunities across the health, education, and social service sectors. Upon completion of this program, you will be able to pursue careers in family support services, recreation, early learning and education, infant mental health, and early intervention for children and youth with diverse abilities. You will also qualify to register as a member of the College of Early Childhood Educator and practice as a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE).

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Interdisciplinary educational approaches
• Interprofessional collaboration

Mandatory Degree Work Term
A work experience that includes at least one term in a formal work environment. The work term may be a paid or unpaid position that is completed between two academic semesters and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work. Students must be in good standing and meet all identified requirements prior to participating in the work experience. The successful completion of the work term is required for graduation. Eligibility for participation does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. Additional fees are required for the mandatory degree work term regardless of success in securing a work position.

Seneca's King Campus is part of a provincially significant wetland complex and is a valued source of headwaters to the Humber Rivers watershed, which is part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. In this unique two-year diploma program, the majority of your outdoor training will take place on this land. You will study ecology, traditional types of landscaping, practical skills and receive an overview of the ecosystem allowing you to understand the impact humans have on the environment and how to protect and restore its natural landscapes.

The demand for environmental landscape management is growing within private and public organizations, therefore employers are in search of graduates who are committed, skilled and knowledgeable in the profession.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• A blend of theoretical and applied practical skills valued in the environmental landscaping field
• Knowledge of the latest landscaping techniques, including fusion landscaping approaches
• Computer aided design techniques
• Business and marketing skills
• An advanced awareness of ecology and the interactions between humans, plants and the environment.

Optional Co-op
You will be given the opportunity to complete an optional co-op work term in a professional work environment. To be eligible, you must meet all academic requirements as well as have a passing grade on a communication assessment. Additional fees are required for those participating in the optional co-op. 

This one-year certificate program provides general education and the opportunity to explore and earn credit towards other college programs. A career-counselling component will help you choose and prepare for career-specific postsecondary education.

This one-year certificate program is designed to teach you how to effectively provide care and assistance to clients and families in order to live fulfilling lives in their communities and in institutions. As a student of this program, you will develop a broad range of abilities emphasizing value, true sensitivity and respect for the individuality of each client. You will also have the opportunity to participate in cross disciplinary and/or inter-professional learning opportunities with other members of the care and service team for example, Practical Nursing, Registered Nursing and Social Service Workers.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Personal care and hygiene assistance
• Household and family management
• Meal preparation
• Medical assistance
• Palliative and restorative activities

Field Placement
As a student of this program, if you meet all the academic requirements, you will have the opportunity to participate in two field placements. Field placements are similar in length to an academic semester and typically involve full-time work hours that may be paid or unpaid.

The Personal Support Worker program will provide opportunities for experiential learning through the hands-on skills lab and 2 field placements (facility and community).

This three-year advanced diploma program will provide you with a full range of intervention, prevention and treatment strategies to facilitate a positive change for children, adolescents and families in need of emotional, social, developmental or mental health support. You will receive in-depth training and education in behavioural theories, practices and a foundational understanding of assessment, intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and activities with children and youth.

Skills
Throughout the course of this advanced diploma program you will develop skills in:

• Prevention, intervention and treatment strategies
• Treatments, counselling and therapeutic theories
• Understanding in adolescent development, violence, child and youth management, diversity, therapeutic activities, group and family work

Field Placement
As a student of this program, if you meet all the academic requirements, you will have the opportunity to participate in approximately 1,200 hours of field placement during semesters 3 to 6 in a professional setting. Unpaid field placements will take place throughout semester 3, two days a week, while semester 4, 5 and 6 will take place three times a week.

In this eight-month graduate certificate program, you will receive a combination of academic knowledge and hands-on training to pursue a dynamic career in public and private policing and investigations. With a focus on the development of advanced skills, you will be prepared for the challenges and rewards that come with investigations and law enforcement.

Seneca’s Advanced Investigation and Enforcement program uses hybrid and online strategies across our curriculum to deliver innovative and flexible learning focused on student needs, while also concentrating on the applied and professional skills needed for law enforcement and investigations (both public and private).

After successful completion of the first semester, you can apply for a training completion number. It will make you eligible to be tested, at your own expense, for the provincially regulated licence to be a private investigator. Additionally, by completing the Firearms Safety course, you will be eligible to apply for a Canadian Firearms License.

This two-year diploma program prepares you to deliver exciting recreational activities that help local communities, public and private organizations, and groups such as older adults, youth, and persons with disabilities. With exposure to key professional practices, such as physical literacy, leadership and management, business skills, facilities management, community development and program development, you will be well prepared to develop programs and activities for municipalities, not-for-profit groups, and private organizations. Graduates from this program are eligible for transfer credits into the Bachelors of Therapeutic Recreation degree. This program offers significant credit transfers that allow you to earn this four-year degree within three years.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Business strategies for public, private and entrepreneurial sectors
• Community initiative and non-profit involvement
• Outreach and engagement strategies
• Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) student membership
• Physical Literacy and Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)

Field Placement
You will gain hands-on experience through unpaid placement in the fourth semester working with recreational professionals. You will also work in partnership with community groups, local boards of education and non-profit organizations across the program.