Diploma in Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant

at Centennial College - Morningside Campus Canada

At Centennial College's Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA & PTA) program, you'll learn to support people whose ability to function and adapt has been impaired or compromised due to injury, illness, or conditions affecting participation in daily activities.

Through training in this health care diploma program, which will consist of current theoretical knowledge and practical experiences, you'll develop competencies to become a compassionate, client-centred and reflective rehabilitation practitioner who will be prepared with the knowledge and skills to work in the dynamic health care field.

The faculty members of this college health care program are experienced occupational therapists and physiotherapists working in their field of expertise, and will ensure you'll have the educational tools, training and hands-on experience necessary to meet career challenges with enthusiasm, professionalism, and current evidence-based industry knowledge and skills. High academic standards and personal attention are two standout features of this program.

Once you complete the Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant program, you'll have the knowledge, skills and ability to work under supervised practice with registered occupational therapists and physiotherapists to provide rehabilitation services to improve people's quality of life.
 
Program Highlights

• Additional areas of instruction and development will include respect and caring for the uniqueness of individuals, effective communication, critical thinking and decision-making.
• You'll participate in several fieldwork experiences that will provide opportunities for the supervised application of skills in clinical settings with a range of client populations. The facilities at which you'll be able to complete placement vary, and when combined, offer diverse experiences in both occupational therapy and physiotherapy disciplines.
• The diversity of your placements will allow you to experience what your career can entail and help you to discover your areas of interest.
• As a graduate of the OTA & PTA program, you'll achieve vocational learning outcomes by demonstrating the ability to:

Appropriately and effectively communicate through verbal, nonverbal, written and electronic means with clients, their families, significant others, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other health care providers;

• Participate in the effective functioning of interprofessional health care teams;
• Establish, develop, maintain and bring closure to client-centred therapeutic relationships;
• Ensure personal safety and contribute to the safety of others within the role of the therapist assistant;
• Competently practice in a legal, ethical and professional manner within the role of the therapist assistant;
• Document and complete client records in a thorough, objective and accurate manner;
• Develop and implement strategies to maintain, improve and promote professional competence;
• Effectively perform through the application of relevant knowledge of health sciences, psycho-sociological sciences and health conditions;
• Perform functions common to both physiotherapy and occupational therapy practices that contribute to the development, implementation and modification of intervention/treatment plans under the supervision of, and in collaboration with, the occupational therapist or physiotherapist;
• Enable the clients' occupational performance and optimal function by contributing to the development, implementation and modification of intervention/treatment plans under the supervision of, and in collaboration with, the occupational therapist and physiotherapist, respectively.

Centennial College's Architectural Technician program will prepare you for a variety of careers in the building industry. For example, as an employee of an architectural firm, you may assist with preparing design and construction drawings and carry out contract administration tasks during the construction phase. You may also work in drafting, design or sales for a building material manufacturer or supplier.

This diploma program will place a strong emphasis on energy-efficient, sustainable design and construction strategies, and protecting the environment. You'll learn to use state-of-the-art computer technology as well as prepare designs and construction drawings for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional buildings. Knowledge of building materials, construction methods, structural design, mechanical and electrical services, building codes and zoning by-laws will round out your training.

The Construction Project Management program at Centennial College will focus on the study of the management and technological aspects of residential, industrial, commercial and institutional construction projects as well as engineering and infrastructure construction.

This college management program will integrate a modular design with a principal focus on construction management and an ancillary focus on general project management in a construction environment. As a result, Construction Project Management courses will provide the technical training needed for you to acquire a unique combination of construction and project management skills — in conjunction with the added dimension of protecting the environment and sustainability.

Centennial College's Biotechnology - Advanced Fast-Track program sees qualified college or university graduates gain direct admission into Year 2 (Semester 3) of the three-year Biotechnology program and receive their technologist advanced diploma in two years (four semesters).

In the Biotechnology - Advanced (Fast Track) courses, you'll learn the scientific principles, techniques and skills to work in industrial microbiology and chemistry. Specialized study in biotechnology applications, biochemistry, microbial genetics, and clinical and environmental microbiology will also be included.

Your opportunity to understand theory and gain technical practice will be combined with many opportunities for you to enhance your experience. Additionally, project work, in consultation with faculty, will help you to further develop your skills in research, laboratory techniques, report writing and presentation.

You'll learn to:

• Perfect your aseptic techniques;
• Isolate, enumerate and identify microorganisms from many types of samples (the human body, water, soil, air, food, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products);
• Accurately calibrate and use a range of instruments such as pH and BOD meters, gas chromatographs, spectrophotometers (regular/IR/UV), HPLCs, centrifuges, PCR thermocyclers and gel electrophoresis equipment;
• Prepare microbiological media and reagents;
• Culture pathogenic microbes;
• Design and perform advanced microbiology and microbial genetics experiments;
• Use microorganisms to assay pharmaceutical products.

Centennial College's Healthcare Environmental Services Management (HESM) program was designed to meet the demand for qualified environmental services managers with the ability to develop systems and processes to protect workers, clients and patients from environmental hazards in the health care setting and operate buildings that are safe.

Today's health care environment is changing, and there's an increased need for infection control measures, outbreak or pandemic planning, isolation cleaning levels, emergency preparedness and timely response in the health care setting. In this college health diploma program's courses, you'll learn to develop, implement, and monitor operating systems and preventative maintenance in the housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and transportation areas within the environmental department of a health care facility. You'll also learn about the emergence of new technologies to fight antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" and to help support disease control of bacteria and viruses.

The curriculum will include concepts of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as well as going "green" for a healthier environment and to reduce pollution and the carbon footprint. You'll also research the use of effective eco-friendly products with lower volatile organic compounds.

To help you acquire the necessary skills, the HESM program will also expose you to the industry's best practices and continuous quality improvements to coordinate and monitor building, sanitation, maintenance and operating systems. You'll also be informed of the wide range of environmental issues health care facilities encounter as they work to comply with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Health Canada, Occupational Health and Safety, Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC) and other regulatory requirements. As part of Public Health Ontario, the PIDAC has created best practice documents, reports and recommendations on matters related to communicable diseases, immunization, and infection prevention and control and surveillance. Centennial's HESM program is recognized as a recommended program that managers and supervisors in environmental service departments can attend when directly related to environmental cleaning in health care.

Through this offering, you'll combine health care environmental service knowledge with business and human relations, critical thinking and problem solving skills. This combination will prepare you to work with a diverse team in this challenging field.

As a Centennial College HESM student and graduate, you may be eligible to apply for Ontario Healthcare Housekeepers' Association and Canadian Association of Environmental Management memberships. Both are recommended for employment opportunities.

Program Highlights

• The Healthcare Environmental Services Management program will incorporate classroom lectures, hands-on practical lab experience, field trips and guest speaker presentations.
• Experiential learning and practical skill development will occur on campus in designated lab areas and in computer labs with industry-specific software.
• Included in this School of Community and Health Studies program will be two field placements in semester 3 and 4.
• The diploma you'll earn reflects high standards of learning and transferable skills.

As a Healthcare Environmental Services Management graduate, you'll be able to reliably demonstrate the ability to:

• Support the provision of a healthy, safe and sanitary health care environment according to guidelines set by current legislation, standards and regulations;
• Analyze infection prevention and control practices to ensure compliance with current legislation standards and regulations;
• Effectively work as part of an interprofessional health care team to ensure successful functioning of the facility;
• Apply quality management principles in compliance with requirements established by the organization and regulatory bodies;
• Manage the health care environmental services operations as outlined by the departmental/organizational business plan;
• Develop ongoing personal and professional development strategies and plans to achieve realistic career goals and to enhance management skills;
• Analyze and evaluate the impact of social, ethical and legal issues on individual and/or organizational operations within a health care environmental services context;
• Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of recruitment, orientation, training, development and retention programs for health care environmental services employees;
• Develop and evaluate a departmental budget that reflects fiscal accountability and financial planning;
• Apply effective human resource management practices to enhance organizational and individual productivity and performance;
• Document, generate and maintain all required records in compliance with current healthcare environmental services regulations, standards and established protocol.

The Nutrition and Food Service Management program at Centennial College is the longest established two-year program of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area.

This health diploma program has been the recipient of numerous awards for its approach to preparing students to pursue challenging careers as managers in the dynamic and growing health care and food service industry. Nutrition and Food Service Management has received the Centennial College President's Academic Program Recognition awards for Job Market Preparation, Student Satisfaction, Graduate Satisfaction, Employer Satisfaction and Quality of the Learning Experience.

In this School of Community and Health Studies program, you'll learn to combine food service administration and health care to interpret and apply nutritional care principles to promote health and effectively manage a food service department. Major topic areas will include:

• Healthy Nutrition Counselling 
• Food service Operations
• Safety and sanitation
• Accounting Principles 
• Human resource management
• Financial management
• Menu planning
• Large quantity cooking
• Menu design applications
• Medical nutrition therapy

The Canadian Society of Nutrition Management (CSNM) accredits the Nutrition and Food Service Management program. When you graduate, you'll be eligible for membership in the CSNM. CSNM membership is a requirement of Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to work as a food service manager in long-term care facilities and many acute care facilities. As such, you'll be fully prepared with specialized knowledge and eligible to work in health care. 

Program Highlights

• Using the School of Community and Health Studies and the School Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts' resources, you'll learn the practical aspects of large quantity food preparation and conduct experiments to learn the physical properties of food.
• The program is made up of four semesters (fall and winter intakes). 
• The final six weeks of the program will consist of an  approved  field placement which will be  organized by the college. Field placement will be  a supervised  practicum in healthcare. 
• Faculty members are typically members of the CSNM or the College of Dietitians of Ontario. They have experience in food manufacturing, the retail industry, food service management, clinical nutrition, and consulting in acute and long-term care.

When you graduate from Nutrition and Food Service Management, you'll have the ability to:

• Plan menus to accommodate the nutritional, dietary and medical needs, cultural and religious requirements, and personal preferences of clients;
• Supervise and evaluate the handling, preparation and service of food to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, organization policies, and procedures and industry best practices for health, safety, sanitation, quality assurance and client satisfaction;
• Provide for the nutritional needs of diverse clients in health care settings in collaboration with or under the direction of members of the interprofessional health care team;
• Comply with and support others to work in accordance with industry, organization and legal standards for professional and ethical conduct;
• Apply relevant local, national and global trends, emerging technologies, and changes to legislation to enhance work performance and support management decisions;
• Deliver customer service that anticipates, meets or exceeds individual expectations and is consistent with organization standards and objectives;
• Participate in the hiring, coaching, training, scheduling, supervision and performance evaluation of department staff in accordance with human resources, labour relations, workplace health and safety, and industry best practices;
• Participate in the management of inventory and the procurement of goods and services according to industry best practices, financial constraints, and principles of social responsibility and environmental sustainability;
• Contribute to the analysis of food and nutrition processes, systems and operations, and the implementation and evaluation of changes to support continuous improvement;
• Contribute to the planning and administration of budgets consistent with organization objectives and legal requirements for food and nutrition services departments;
• Appropriately select and use information and industry-specific technologies to enhance individual work performance and the management delivery of food and nutrition services;
• Participate in promoting food and nutrition services and healthy living to support marketing plans and the general well-being of individuals;
• Develop global citizenship and equity knowledge, skills and experiences as they relate to sustainability of resources, individual and community identities, critical social analysis, and enhanced personal and social responsibility;
• Support action for change that promotes social, economic and ecological equity at personal and global levels;
• Participate in interprofessional collaboration.

The Environmental Technology (Fast-Track) program is for qualified college or university graduates who wish to gain direct admission into Year 2 (Semester 3) of this three-year advanced diploma program in preparation for the constantly evolving field of environmental technology.

Through courses that will cover the three foundational disciplines of biology, chemistry and civil engineering, and teach you to understand and manage complex environmental problems, this college technology program will provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge for career success.

Courses will feature hands-on experience using technology and equipment in water and soil quality analysis, ecological field sampling, analytical chemistry, hazardous material management, surveying, municipal engineering, AutoCAD drawing and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping. Meanwhile, laboratory practice in water quality testing, groundwater movement, computer aided environmental audits and the chemistry of pollutants will provide you with the skills to analyze and remediate the urban environment.

Program Highlights

• You take part in a program that is the recipient of Centennial College's President's Academic Program Recognition Award for Outstanding Student Satisfaction.
• Opportunities exist for participation in local conservation and restoration activities.
• Graduates can apply to register with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologist (OACETT).
• After semester four courses are completed, you can write

Drinking Water Operators
If you successfully complete the entry-level course for drinking water operators, you'll meet the requirements of the Ministry of the Environment's entry-level course for drinking water operators.

Co-op Option
The co-op option in this program will provide you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while you complete three work terms as an employee in the field. This experience will not only allow you to put classroom learning into practice but it will also provide valuable contacts for your future career.

To participate in programs with optional co-op, you'll typically complete an application process in the second semester of your studies, and if academically qualified, will be admitted to the co-op program. When you graduate, your diploma will highlight the co-op credential.

In Centennial College’s General Arts program, you'll study a range of subjects in the humanities and social sciences as well as communications.

This college preparation program is for you if you're:

• Considering college programs in areas such as communication arts, child studies, community services, hospitality or tourism administration;
• Planning on transferring to the Liberal Arts diploma;
• Exploring your ultimate career goals and various educational opportunities.

The Massage Therapy program at Centennial College will provide you with both the fundamental and advanced massage therapy skills to become a successful massage therapist. The program will emphasize professionalism and teach an evidence-based approach to assessment, treatment planning and implementation.

Recognized as a distinctive and rigorous offering within the School of Community and Health Studies, this program will balance a combination of theory and practical application through in-class lectures, lab experience, an onsite public clinic and offsite outreach placements.

You'll learn the proper assessment tools and techniques to deal with a wide variety of conditions that involve lymph, muscle, nerve, fascia and joints of the body as well as a wellness focus that maintains physical health, function and mobility.

Program Highlights

• Programs at Centennial College are awarded Key Performance Indicator Awards based on student satisfaction survey statistics. The Massage Therapy program has received the President’s Academic Gold awards for Graduate Satisfaction and for Quality of Learning Experience.
• The Massage Therapy program will offer strong clinical components through onsite labs and clinics and offsite placements. 
• At Centennial’s Morningside Campus, you'll obtain hands-on practice in modern clinical spaces where you'll meet clients who experience injuries, dysfunction and disease. Your responsibility will be to offer assessment and treatment, under the supervision of experienced RMT faculty members, to help improve patients’ physical ability and quality of life.
• When you graduate, you'll be eligible to write the registration examinations administered by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) to obtain the Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) designation. Centennial students have demonstrated an excellent success rate at the CMTO entry-to-practice examinations (see www.CMTO.com for results).

Centennial College's Esthetician program is the only undertaking of its sort in Toronto to offer both clinic and placement components. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills for spa applications, medical esthetics and business operations.
During your time in this college health program, you'll learn from qualified instructors who have many years of experience in the industry and explore a comprehensive curriculum that will incorporate:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Pathology
• Histology
• Chemistry
• Infection control
• Practical applications
• Product knowledge
• Sales techniques
• Business practice

As a Centennial College Esthetician student, you'll have the advantage of developing your skills in esthetician lab facilities using cutting-edge equipment that is common in today's wellness and medical spas. The lab facilities, located at Morningside Campus, also serve as the faculty-supervised Censation Esthetics Student Clinic, in which you'll gain real-world experience. Each semester, new services will be added to the curriculum to prepare you for applying your knowledge.

To round out your training in this college diploma program, you'll apply your skills to field placement experiences in both industry clinics and established businesses. This aspect of the offering will allow you to learn in an atmosphere that will build the confidence and skills to enter this challenging and exciting career.
Upon graduation, you'll be able to provide the entire range of professional services offered in today's spas, medi-spas and doctor's offices and have the skills required to successfully operate a private business.

Program Highlights

• A strong curriculum will emphasize preparing you for the current workplace by providing the latest knowledge.
• Medical esthetics embedded in semesters 3 and 4 will include:
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Micro current lifting
  • Photobiostimulation
  • Low level coherent light and ultrasound
  • Laser/IPL (55 hours of theoretical and practical training)
  • Chemical peels
• Among specialized body equipment you'll become familiar with will be:
  • Vichi capsule/showers
  • Body contouring, drainage
  • Ultrasound
  • Non-invasive meso therapy
• You'll learn to effectively use computer software commonly utilized in spas.
• Your education will allow you to apply knowledge of business operations, exceptional customer service and diverse population needs to the daily operations of an esthetic business in a professionally managed salon or spa environment.
• Faculty members who have extensive experience and knowledge are all accomplished and well respected in the field.
• Many placement sites hire Esthetician program students upon completion of the program/placement. Up to 95 per cent of the placement sites have hired grads.
• The Esthetician program receives high Key Performance Indicator satisfaction rates from students, graduates and employers. It has received 100 per cent employer satisfaction and 100 per cent student satisfaction for program quality, learning experience, clinical experience and quality of teachers with current industry skills.