Addictions and Mental Health - Online Stream Information
The Ontario Graduate Certificate in Addictions and Mental Health (ADMH) is a full-time program, delivered over three back-to-back semesters:
Semester One: includes six 3-credit courses which provide the theoretical foundations required to work in the field of mental health and addictions. Online, synchronous practice labs are included to help students develop their counselling skills. This semester additionally includes one non-credited but mandatory course (ADMH 5020: “Professional Practice”) which helps students to prepare their own professional profile for future work in the field.
Semester Two: includes six 3-credit courses that focus on developing skills and competencies, taking the theoretical learning from semester one, and developing proficiency in applying these theories into practice. Online, synchronous practice “labs” are held each week to facilitate skill development, as students actively participate in various exercises and receive real-time feedback. These skills develop students’ ability to support people with mental health and addiction concerns in a variety of professional contexts.
Semester Three: comprises one 12-credit course: ADMH 5015 “Field Experience”. This course comprises 280 hours of onsite experience with a mental health and/or addictions agency, or research project. Students also complete 14-hrs of seminar classes, which take place synchronously online for two hours, every two weeks.
What to Expect in Our Courses
In the ADMH program, the “asynchronous” parts of the program are the learning activities which take place on your own time. Examples of these include going through the online learning modules, completing the required readings, working on assessments, and contributing to discussion board posts. Please note students with a full course load should anticipate spending approximately 24 hours per week on the asynchronous components of their course work.
The “synchronous” components of the program are those that require students to log in to our online learning platform at a specified date and time. Participation in these sessions is required, and some courses embed assessments as part of these scheduled sessions. To accommodate different schedules, we offer these synchronous components at various times, to allow you to choose the schedule that works best for you. Please note the synchronous components of the program are between 1-2 hours per week.
At the beginning of each semester, each course will share a “critical path” that details the learning modules, related assessments, and synchronous components of the course on a week to week basis.
Each ADMH course is designed to develop your knowledge, skills and proficiencies to work in the field of mental health and addictions. The first semester courses (ADMH 5001, 5002, 5003, 5004, 5006, 5011, 5020) are focused on developing strong theoretical underpinnings, as well as some core competencies required in the field. The second semester courses (ADMH 5007, 5008, 5009, 5012, 5013 and 5017) are designed to further develop your practical skills in supporting people living with mental health and addiction concerns. There are therefore more “hands-on” activities such as role plays and case studies in the second semester. The third semester course (ADMH 5015, often referred to as “work integrated learning” or as “placement”), comprises 280 hours of onsite experience with a mental health and/or addictions agency, or research project. Students also complete 14-hrs of seminar classes, which take place synchronously online for two hours, every two weeks.
Each course takes place over a 14-week period, in alignment with Humber’s academic calendar. Please see our academic calendar for the specific dates relevant to each semester.
What to Expect in your Assignments
Assignments vary between courses, and can include tests/exams, case studies, article reviews and critiques, discussion posts, role plays, reflective journaling exercises, presentations, and project-based work. Some courses include group projects that require engagement and coordination between students. It is therefore important to note that meetings with student colleagues may need to be arranged in order to complete required group assignments.
At the start of each semester, students are provided with a calendar of assessments, which includes assignment due dates and respective weightings for each, so you can manage your time effectively. All assignments are able to be completed online – there is no requirement for students to attend campus for their assessments.
Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
In the first semester of the program, students engage in ADMH 5020: “Professional Practice” which is a course designed to prepare you for working in the field of mental health and addictions. In this course, students engage in mock-interviews to enhance their ability to secure professional roles, and receive support updating their resume and tailoring their skills and experience to the field. An overview of the WIL process at Humber is also provided.
In the third semester of the program, students engage in 280 hours of WIL with the ADMH 5015 course. This applied experience allows students to use the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the online coursework. Please note all of the 1st and 2nd semester courses are pre-requisites to ADMH 5015.
While students are responsible for finding a suitable agency/program for their field experience, there is a Humber Field Experience Advisor who is available to assist. Students also have access to a list of trusted community agencies and are supported in creating their field experience learning plan. Students are able to complete their field experiences anywhere in Canada. For students requiring a field experience site outside of the Greater Toronto Area, we recommend contacting the Field Experience Advisor in Semester One for additional support.
The field experience takes place within the context of a seminar course (ADMH 5015) that is taught by a faculty member. The course includes a synchronous, online component that serves as group supervision, offering students the ability to work through any challenges, and share their learnings while on placement. The seminar class itself is two hours long, held every other week for the duration of the 14-week semester (7 classes, for a total of 14hrs). In addition there are reflective assignments, progress reports and class discussions that are included as part of the assessment framework. The field experience and seminar coursework connect the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in the first two semesters to real-world application, fostering students’ abilities and proficiencies for successful careers in the field.
