Continuing Education Updates
Tags: Vol. 1, Issue 4, June 2021
New Crisis Intervention and Trauma Supports Certificate
The Continuous and Professional Learning (CPL) Department of the Faculty of Social and Community Services, launched the Crisis Intervention and Trauma Supports Certificate in Fall 2020.
The Certificate of Completion is composed of six courses, each addressing an essential aspect of Crisis Management. When we started the certificate in the Fall of 2020, there were 25 students; this summer however, we have 62 students – that is a 148% increase in enrolment for our Crisis Intervention and Trauma Supports Certificate! The Certificate’s inaugural cohort is graduating at the end of June.
The Crisis Intervention & Trauma Supports certificate program was designed to give students insight into how individuals, families and communities may experience a crisis, and the practical skills to mitigate the way crisis and trauma influence our capacity to function optimally, in times of distress and beyond. Research suggests if a crisis and/or trauma is addressed with compassion, effective strategies and understanding, the possibility of chronic and/or future symptoms may be significantly reduced.
The certificate focuses on the immediate support and intervention individuals often require in crisis situations, across the lifespan. The program provides participants with practical skills to assist those who are exposed to trauma and crisis experiences including loss, violence, abuse, crime, mental health challenges, and communal or familial traumatic events. Students learn best practices, theoretical models and examine trauma-informed practice, along with opportunities to practice the skills and strategies presented to build a support toolkit. The program also explores the systemic and cultural barriers to supports and services, along with how to advocate for adequate care universally. Our certificate program is well suited to persons working or volunteering in settings where they are helping people in crisis, or with exposure to trauma. As such, our program has benefits for many in the care professions, such as social workers, social services workers, nurses, counsellors, crisis workers, paramedics, police, firefighters, chaplains, funeral directors, child and youth workers, community agencies and others working in related areas.
In the last course of the certificate program, learners will be completing a research assignment exploring family issues as they relate to crisis intervention and trauma. Students will think critically about who is impacted, accessibility of resources as well as barriers and challenges that might be present for how the family processes their experience. Learners are asked to research their topic from a diverse lens and to identify the impact on micro and mezzo systems, as well as to identify therapeutic approaches and local resources that could be of assistance.
The harsh and varied impact of COVID on our communities over the last year, have made the areas studied in this certificate so relevant and important for students.
Two New Micro Credentials
In January of this year, eCampusOntario helped roll out the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS). The VLS is an historic $50 million investment by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) intended to drive growth and advancement in virtual learning across the province’s post-secondary institutions.
By Partnering with other Ontario Colleges, the CPL Department of the FSCS was successful in securing two new online Micro-Credentials. At Humber College, Micro-Credentials allow skills and competencies to be learned in a flexible, fast and affordable way. Micro-credentials are designed to help organizations recognize and integrate critical skill sets into their workforce while supporting the pursuit of individual career goals in a stackable, portable and customizable way.
The first, in partnership with Durham and Algonquin College, is called Managing Responsive Behaviours in Older Adults. This training aims to address the complex challenge of how best to support those living with dementia or other behaviour impacting illness. This targeted Micro-Credential hopes to provide Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and Social Service Workers (SSWs) with unique, compassionate, and effective methods of engaging with older adults dealing with responsive behaviours. This competency-based training will look at responsive behaviours and cognitive impairments, then examine triggers and preventative approaches, and finally, the benefits of using gentle persuasive approaches for older adults. Development is currently underway, with a goal of an early 2022 launch.
The second Micro-Credential project is a collaboration with Centennial and Sault College, and will focus on Cyber Security Governance. This six-module Micro-Credential will address what researchers suggest is a growing Cyber Security skills gap.
Our new competency based Micro-Credential will cover Cybersecurity Governance in organizational preparedness, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, risk management, 5G, law and public policy, and a module on ethics. Our hope is that this Micro-Credential reskills and upskills workers, closing cybersecurity skills gaps and preparing talent to address the ever-widening workforce gap.
