Become a Community Service Or Addictions Worker

Are you looking for a rewarding healthcare career where you can help others? The Academy of Learning’s Community Service and Addictions Worker Program provides a fulfilling path in this vital field. This comprehensive program combines the expertise of community service worker courses with specialized addiction support worker training, ensuring you’re well-prepared to make a significant impact in the lives of those struggling with addiction.

Start your career in community service and addiction work today.

Our program offers a balanced, highly effective blend of hands-on training and theoretical knowledge. Our dedicated instructors support you every step of the way, ensuring you gain the career-targeted skills today’s employers demand. Certain aspects of our mental health and addictions courses are offered online, allowing flexible learning that fits your life.

Our Community Service Worker with Addictions Worker Specialty diploma program is meticulously designed to prepare you for a rewarding career, focusing on advocating for and locating resources for vulnerable members of the community. By enrolling in this program, you embark on a journey to become a skilled addiction support worker with the knowledge and practical experience necessary to make a tangible difference in individuals and families dealing with addiction. With a strong emphasis on addictions, the curriculum delves deep into the most effective methods for supporting those in need, drawing from the latest research and best practices.

We prioritize the career-targeted skills and training that today’s employers are searching for, enabling you to complete our program in less than eight months through our innovative Our Community Service Worker with Addictions Worker Specialty diploma program is designed for those looking to embark on a meaningful career in social services, specifically focusing on supporting individuals facing addictions. This comprehensive community service worker program integrates key aspects of addiction support into the broader context of community service, preparing you to advocate for and locate resources for vulnerable community members.

The program meticulously combines the roles of an addiction and community service worker, offering specialized training on how to become an addiction counsellor. Through a blend of theoretical learning and hands-on experience, you’ll explore practical strategies for supporting individuals and groups.

Integrated Learning System™ (ILS). With ongoing enrollment and a flexible course schedule, we ensure that you can start your education at a time that best fits your schedule and goals, making it ideal for those seeking to balance commitments while pursuing a community service and addiction work career.

Our career-focused curriculum includes courses in:

Throughout this program, you’ll gain the essential skills to support and assist clients as a skilled community service and addiction worker. Through practical field placements, you’ll confidently apply your learning in real-world settings, complemented by specialized job search and resume workshops geared towards addiction and community services careers. Our curriculum, including online mental health and addictions courses, prepares you for impactful roles, whether you want to become an addictions support worker, a community service worker, or a counsellor. This comprehensive approach ensures you’re well-equipped for a meaningful and lasting career in this vital field. Throughout the program, you will learn to help clients in need of services, support, and resources, positively impacting their lives. This program is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to become an addiction counselor, addressing the critical issues related to addiction and mental health.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this community service worker course are qualified to work in various settings and occupations, embodying roles as addiction support workers, community service workers, and addiction and community service workers. Job titles may vary by location, but graduates become an integral part of numerous settings, including:

  • Healthcare and social assistance
  • Nursing and residential care facilities
  • Youth centres
  • Individual and family services
  • Youth protection services
  • And more!

Admission Requirements

  • Clear Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check
  • 19 years of age or older (varies, depending on province-specific ministry requirements)
  • Grade 12 or equivalent, or Mature Student Status with successful completion of CAST testing
  • Completion of the Wonderlic SLE admission test with a minimum score of 18
  • Adequate level of physical health to be able to fulfill job requirements
  • Other medical tests (e.g., TB Test) or proof of vaccinations (e.g., Hepatitis B) may be required by industry before placement
  • Good command of the English language – both written and oral
  • Completion of standard registration form

Program Objectives

This community service worker program will provide you with the basic knowledge, skills, and work experience needed to become permanently employable in a CSW and AW setting. Skill development is delivered in three areas:

  • Comprehensive community service worker knowledge, including psychology, sociology, family life, mental health, addictions, criminology, at-risk populations, case management, counselling, ethics, business communication, report writing, and government and social services.
  • Comprehensive addictions worker knowledge, which includes an overview of drugs (past and present) as they pertain to the Community Service and Social Worker industry.
  • Exploration into the world of addictions. Topics include alcohol and familiar drugs, like tobacco and caffeine, as well as natural health products and over-the-counter drugs.
  • Exploration into the world of addiction treatment and prevention. Students learn about both the prevention and treatment of addictions, including organizations like AA, which focus on rehabilitation.
  • Full range of computer and office skills, including current software applications, keyboarding skills, and personal and professional development.
  • On-site work experience through participation in a 105-hour preceptorship at an approved CSW facility.

Program Outline

Part A: Computer and Business Office Skills

  • Introduction to Keyboarding
  • Keyboard Skill Building Level 1
  • Microsoft Windows Level 1
  • Microsoft Word – Level 1
  • Microsoft Excel – Level 1
  • Microsoft Access – Level 1
  • Microsoft Outlook – Level 1
  • Thought Patterns For A Successful Career
  • Job Search and Résumé Writing

Part B: CSW Administrative/Clinical

  • Psychology Fundamentals
  • Sociology and Family Life in Canada
  • Introduction to Mental Health and Addictions
  • Life-Span Development
  • Criminology and At-Risk Populations
  • Case Management, Counselling, and Ethics
  • Business Communication and Report Writing
  • Government and Social Services
  • Standard First Aid
  • Basic Rescuer (Level C) CPR Certification

Part C: AW Administrative

  • Addictions Worker Level 1
  • Addictions Worker Level 2
  • Addictions Worker Level 3

Part D: Work Experience

  • Preceptorship