Overview
The real you is rooted in your community. And we’re inspired by it. The Social Service Worker – Indigenous Specialization program will help you gain the knowledge and tools needed for you to guide, support, and empower individuals, families, and entire communities.
Dedicated to student success, this program opens doors for you to provide effective social service worker intervention from a holistic Indigenous lens. Once you graduate, you will be prepared with the tools necessary to support and address social, cultural, and political issues. Foster balance in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects for individuals, families, and communities. With the combination of theory, hands-on learning, and fieldwork placements, you will be prepared to work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, helping them overcome barriers.
If you`re not ready to stop your education there, we offer five pathway-to-degree opportunities for you to choose to complete both your diploma and degree in as little as four years.
Once you earn your diploma, you will be eligible to register with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, setting you on the path to a rewarding career in social services.
Get ready to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those you support with the Social Service Worker – Indigenous Specialization program.
Courses
Requirements & Program Information
Ontario Secondary School diploma with Grade 12 English (C) ENG4C, or mature student status. Missing any requirements? Get them for free from Academic Upgrading.
A mature student is someone who is 19 years of age or older by the first day of College and has not graduated from high school. You can still apply to the program and you have two options:
- You can pay $25 to write the Canadian Academic Achievement Test (CAAT) for Math and/or English requirements only or
- You can take Academic Upgrading for free to get your high school equivalency for Grade 12 English (college level).
If you have graduated from high school but haven`t been to school in a while, you are an adult learner. You still may want to consider free Academic Upgrading offered on campus to re-fresh your skills before the start of your program.
Educational Paths
Professional Designation
As a graduate of the Social Service Worker-Indigenous Specialization program you will be eligible for registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), subject to applicable fees and membership requirements. The OCSWSSW is a professional regulatory body which recognizes and regulates the social work and social service work profession, creating standards of practice and a professional designation for anyone with the designation of social worker or social service worker.
Employment Opportunities
Upon graduation, you will bring a unique voice to your career that reflects a distinct set of knowledge and skills, demonstrating competence in the social services workers skill areas with a specialized focus on issues affecting Indigenous people. You may find jobs in private, governmental and First Nation programs in areas such as mental health, education, youth detention, addictions, outreach, family services and social welfare with individuals, families and communities.
Further Education
Past graduates of the program have gone on to university in areas of social work, sociology, community development, teaching as well as specialized in addictions or Anishinaabemowin & Indigenous Studies. Each university may differ on which credits transfer and are eligible for advanced credit. You are encouraged to research your university of choice to determine if current articulation agreements are in place or how that university recognizes college credits.
As a graduate, you will also have the option of earning a three year Child & Youth Care Diploma in only two academic years. This dual diploma option is available according to a predetermined educational map that provides you with one full year of advanced standing in the CYC program at Sault College.
Clinical/Lab and Field Placement Requirements
Apply What You Learn
In the second year of this program, you will be able to gain valuable work experience and apply the things you learn in class by visiting and working in agencies, treatment centres, youth facilities, women`s drop-in centres, and other places where you can apply the skills you learn while studying with us. You will participate in a total of 550 hours of field placement in social service work settings during your second year.
The Field Placement Officer will meet with students at the beginning of semester two to introduce and provide guidance on obtaining the field placement requirements. All costs associated to these requirements are the responsibility of the student.
Mandatory Field Placement Requirements
(I) A current Police Record Check – Vulnerable Sector Check. This is required by students as you will be participating in a placement during which you may have unsupervised access to vulnerable persons. For detailed information about the Vulnerable Sector Check requirement or if you are a person with a police record or charge, please refer to the Criminal Record Check Policy.
(II) Immunization & Health Record Form: This form includes the following immunization requirements:
a) Immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella.
b) Current tetanus-diphtheria.
We strongly recommend that students, for their own personal safety, have the Hepatitis B vaccine. Students are also encouraged to have a current influenza immunization as this may be a requirement of some fieldwork settings.
(III) Current Certification in Standard First Aid & CPR Level C.
(IV) Completion of the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015), and additional health and safety certificates, all free of charge, and offered through the College once a student is registered.
(V) You will need to have a G.P.A. of 2.0 or higher in order to be considered for placement.
(VI) You must sign a SSW-IS Program Statement of Confidentiality Form prior to field placement.
Career Path
As a Social Service Worker - Indigenous Specialization (SSW-IS) graduate you may find employment a variety of private, governmental, and Indigenous Specific programs in areas of mental health, education, addictions, outreach, family services and social welfare.
As a graduate of the program you would bring the core skills required of a social service worker professional with a level of cultural competence to provide culturally appropriate services.
Please note that many workplaces will require a driver`s licence for their job postings. Consider starting the process of acquiring your licence early on in your program, so that you may have a greater opportunity for employment upon graduation.
Fees & Costs
| Domestic | International | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Ancillary | Tuition | Ancillary |
| $2,648.20 | $1,150.00 | $15,120.30 | $1,800.00 |
These fees are for the 2024-2025 academic year (year 1 of study), and are subject to change. Please visit your Student Portal to view your Schedule of Fees.