The Addiction and Mental Health Worker program is offered by the School of Community and Health Studies. This program helps you acquire the knowledge and skills needed to work in mental health and addiction services, using evidence-based knowledge and skills in screening, assessing and responding to people with mental health and substance use issues from diverse cultural and community perspectives. In your Addition and Mental Health Work courses, you learn to work with individuals, family members and small groups who are impacted by addiction and mental health issues. You’ll work with them in a variety of community health and human services settings, such as mental health and addiction agencies, homeless drop-in centres and crisis service centres. You also gain the knowledge to advocate for equitable access to supports and services, including health promotion, prevention and harm reduction. Classroom instruction is combined with field placement experience in the second year when you spend several days each week working with clients under the supervision of experienced service providers in social service agencies. Meanwhile, field placements give you the opportunity to work in interprofessional teams to gain direct experience. Please Note: This program is taught using a combination of modalities. Courses may be taught face-to-face, online or in blended/hybrid combination of both online and traditional classroom teaching.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older) English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (minimum grade required) or the Centennial College English Skills Assessment for Admission