Social Service Worker

Humber’s Social Service Worker 2-year diploma program, including 600 hours of field placement, prepares you to work with individuals, families and communities in a professional helping role. Approaching your education from an anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory and strength-based perspective, you will learn how to empower and advocate for people to meet their goals and to access needed services and programs.

This program will help you develop an understanding of systemic barriers that impede people’s access to social and economic resources and learn how to work with individuals and communities to address these barriers.   

You will be taught by skilled, committed faculty with real-life work experience in the human services field, on how to work with people of diverse backgrounds who are experiencing challenging life events including but not limited to poverty, settlement challenges, mental health issues and substance dependence, intimate partner violence, and post-traumatic stress.

You will study topics and develop skills in:

• advocacy and case management
• counselling
• crisis intervention and trauma-informed approach
• family dynamics
• human behaviour and development
• interpersonal skills
• mental health and addiction

The Social Service Worker program is also offered part-time.

Winter Accelerated Schedule - If you start in January, the program operates on an accelerated schedule, meaning students will graduate in the subsequent Spring. Given the program has four semesters, taking a full course load during the summer semester is necessary.

In this program, you will apply your theoretical knowledge and practise human service skills by participating in 600 hours of field experience. You will work in a social service organization (typically unpaid) two days per week over Semesters 2, 3 and 4 (200 hours each semester). Alongside this field experience, you will also complete coursework and attend a seminar class.

With the support of a dedicated field experience advisor, students will use job search skills to find, apply for and interview with organizations in order to secure their field experience. Once in the field, you will be supported by a seminar instructor who will guide you as you build your confidence and professional reputation.

Important note: the preparation for your field experience starts one term prior to your work-integrated learning (WIL) term. To see what needs to be done before you start your filed experience, please review the  Progression Path infographic. In this document, Month One refers to the first month of your pre-WIL term, Month Two refers to your second pre-WIL term, etc. For example, if your WIL term is scheduled for the Winter term, Month One will be the first month of the Fall term, i.e., September.

For detailed information about your work-integrated learning processes, see the FSCS Work Integrated Learning Handbook. Also review our WIL Blackboard Site Overview video for more details.

Have any questions about your future or current field experience? Reach out to your program’s field experience advisor at SSWplacement@humber.ca.

You will gain the skills needed to work with various social service agencies, organizations and centres serving equity-deserving and vulnerable groups such as at-risk women and youth, people experiencing homelessness,  newcomer groups to Canada, individuals with disabilities, and people with mental health and addiction challenges. Our graduates typically find work in government, non-government and private organizations as:

• case managers
• community/family support workers
• intake workers
• mental health workers
• outreach workers
• residential case workers

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers (OCSWSSW)

Graduates may apply to become members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers (OCSWSSW).

Ontario Social Service Worker Association (OSSWA)

Graduates may apply to become members of the Ontario Social Service Worker Association (OSSWA).

Additional requirements may apply.

Note: The requirements for the additional credential(s) are determined by the granting body, which is independent from the College. Students are encouraged to obtain the specific requirements directly from the granting body before enrolling.