Program Description Humber’s Social Service Worker diploma program prepares you to work with people in a professional helping role. Approaching your education from an individual and a community perspective, you will learn how to empower and advocate for people to meet their goals and to access needed services and programs. Skilled, committed faculty with real-life work experience in the human services field teach with a focus on promoting equity and addressing barriers people face on the basis of race, class, disabilities, gender or sexual orientation.
You will study topics such as human behaviour and development; interpersonal, interviewing and counselling skills; family dynamics; legislation and social policy; and how to work effectively with groups and communities. You will develop the skills needed to intervene in crisis situations and to work with a broad range of people including those experiencing poverty, settlement challenges, domestic violence, mental health issues and substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, and other challenging life events.
You will work together with a field placement co-ordinator to align two unpaid field placements with one of our community partners. Your first-year placement begins in the January semester and your second-year placement runs throughout the academic year. Placements are two days per week. You will have the opportunity to experience a full work week in Semesters 2, 3, and 4.
Prepare for work in women’s shelters, community centres, refugee centres, youth employment agencies, hostels, drop-in centres for homeless people, other social assistance agencies and group homes and in agencies in the justice system. You will deal with a range of clients including individuals with psychiatric issues, developmental delays and disabilities. Gain skills needed to become a case manager, intake worker, residential counsellor, community/family support worker, or mental health or outreach worker.
