Diploma in Social Service Worker in Gerontology

at Seneca College - King Campus Canada

Prepare for an exciting career in law enforcement and crime prevention. In this two-year diploma program, you will gain a comprehensive education combining professional knowledge with practical skills development. This program prepares you a range of careers in public safety, policing, investigations, security and enforcement services in public and private organizations, and corrections.

Seneca’s Police Foundations program uses hybrid and online delivery across our curriculum to deliver innovative and flexible learning focused on student needs. For the majority of courses, students can choose between online and in-class options to decide a delivery mode that works best for students and their timetables, while also concentrating on the applied and professional skills needed for successful careers in law enforcement and community safety.  

Police Selection
Applicants are advised that following graduation from Police Foundations, the selection process from Police Services in Ontario include:

• Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada
• Written aptitude and communications tests
• Criminal records check
• Physical fitness testing
• Vision, hearing and medical tests

This one-year certificate program is designed to provide you with the core knowledge, skills and abilities fundamental to academic success in health sciences and other high affinity programs. You will develop knowledge and skills in communications, mathematics, human anatomy, biology, and organic/inorganic chemistry. You will be well prepared to further your study in the health sciences at either the diploma or baccalaureate level. The program also provides you with the opportunity to learn about potential careers in the health sciences, and to identify other programs focusing on the biological or chemical sciences that will enable you to achieve your career objectives.

This program is the first four-year undergraduate honours degree in Canada that provides a comprehensive program of study in the rapidly growing field of Behavioural Psychology. With a curriculum based on the theory that adaptive and maladaptive behaviours are acquired through interaction with the environment, you will examine a range of subjects in psychology including behavioural intervention, behavioural techniques and the application of Applied Behaviour Analysis in clinical and non-clinical settings. You will graduate with in-depth theoretical, conceptual and applied knowledge in the field of behavioural psychology.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services are becoming more widely available in Ontario as funding has quadrupled over the last 10 years. Approximately one in 10 Canadians has a learning disability and in Ontario one in five children and youth has a mental health challenge.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

•  Developmental and intellectual disabilities
•  Autism Spectrum Disorder
•  Mental health and neurological injury applications
•  Experience in gathering and information to design treatments and interventions

Mandatory Degree Work Term
You will be required to fulfil one mandatory work term within a professional environment with a minimum of 420 hours. The work term(s) may be a paid or unpaid position that is completed between two academic semesters. Students must be in good standing and meet all identified requirements prior to participating in the work experience. The successful completion of the work term(s) is required for graduation. Eligibility for participation does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. Additional fees are required for the mandatory degree work term regardless of success in securing a work position.

Canada now has more people over age 65 than any other age group and there is a great need for skilled and trained professionals to work with older adults. This two-year diploma program combines the knowledge, professional values and skill sets of social service to assist older adults to maintain independence and a good quality of life. The program focuses on a holistic strength-based approach, current legislation and best practices.

Along with your studies in mandated government initiatives and service delivery models for working with seniors, you will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge infield placement and participate in additional educational training. As a student you will engage in personal reflection and growth, work within a team, apply professional ethics, and successfully achieve the Ministry Vocational Learning outcomes so you are prepared to confidently enter the workforce.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Therapeutic program planning
• Individual and group modes of facilitation
• Interventions with clients, families and significant others
• Service coordination and navigation
• Interpersonal communications skills related to working with bereavement and grief
• Assessment of client’s needs and strengths
• Advocacy

Field Work
As a student of this program, if you meet all the academic requirements, you will have the opportunity to participate in a field placement. You will work in a professional capacity and will be evaluated on the basis of an approved three–part learning contract as agreed by you, the approved fieldwork agency and the Seneca SSWG program. With the support and assistance from your professor, you will play an active role in securing your placement.

Fieldwork days are typically:

• Equivalent of two full days per week in semesters two, three and four
• Full week block placements as scheduled throughout the program duration
• One placement at a residential setting and one placement at a community agency which provides services to seniors

This two-year diploma program is the first of its kind in the GTA. It is uniquely designed to meet the growing need for enhanced workplace health and safety in every industry. You will develop strong foundational knowledge in health and safety to identify, manage and assess risks in various workplace settings. This program will also focus on the policies and procedures in the care and prevention practice. You will apply concepts and theories with practical experience in field placements and graduate with the skills needed to identify and report on safety and health conditions in the workplace.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Develop and implement health and safety policies
• Develop and facilitate health and safety training
• Conduct accident investigations and emergency response plans

In this four-year degree program, you will learn to assess, design, evaluate and implement therapeutic interventions for future clients. Therapeutic interventions are activities designed to achieve outcomes in the physical, psychological, social, cognitive and spiritual domains. As a student of this program, you will gain essential knowledge and expertise in various health disciplines such as health sciences, recreation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology. In semester eight, you will take professional stream options to increase your knowledge in a specialized area and gain an added advantage in the workplace.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Client assessments
• Evaluation and implementation of therapeutic intervention
• Therapeutic intervention activities

Mandatory Degree Work Term
You will complete at least one term in a formal work environment. It takes place in the fall semester of the final year and it may be a paid or unpaid position that requires a minimum of 420 hours of work. Students must be in good standing and meet all requirements prior to participating in the work term. The successful completion of the work term(s) is required for graduation. Eligibility for participation does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. Additional fees are required for the mandatory degree work term regardless of success in securing a work position. Please be aware that students in the program will take Semester 7 classes over summer in order to complete a fall work term and Semester 8 in the winter.

This three-year advanced diploma program will provide you with a full range of intervention, prevention and treatment strategies to facilitate a positive change for children, adolescents and families in need of emotional, social, developmental or mental health support. You will receive in-depth training and education in behavioural theories, practices and a foundational understanding of assessment, intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and activities with children and youth.

Skills
Throughout the course of this advanced diploma program you will develop skills in:

• Prevention, intervention and treatment strategies
• Treatments, counselling and therapeutic theories
• Understanding in adolescent development, violence, child and youth management, diversity, therapeutic activities, group and family work

Field Placement
As a student of this program, if you meet all the academic requirements, you will have the opportunity to participate in approximately 1,200 hours of field placement during semesters 3 to 6 in a professional setting. Unpaid field placements will take place throughout semester 3, two days a week, while semester 4, 5 and 6 will take place three times a week.

Seneca is the first college to offer this four-year specialized degree program in the growing field of community mental health.  Students will study a range of essential topics to gain foundational knowledge in theoretical interventions and social determinants by focusing on health science, psychology and social work from both a practical and theoretical standpoint.

The World Health Organization has established there is an overwhelming worldwide human resource shortage in community mental health. One-fifth of Canadians will personally experience mental illness in their lifetime and in Ontario one in five children and youth under the age of 17 has a mental health challenge. Mental health problems are predicted to increase by over 50% internationally by the year 2020.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• Analytical, conceptual and critical thinking skills
• Ability to challenge the status quo
• Problem-solving skills
• Professional expertise in order to assess community needs, plan, educate and administer recovery-oriented support services

Mandatory Degree Work Term
A work experience that includes at least one term in a formal work environment. The work term(s) may be a paid or unpaid position that is completed between two academic semesters and requires a minimum of 420 hours of work. Students must be in good standing and meet all identified requirements prior to participating in the work experience. The successful completion of the work term(s) is required for graduation. Eligibility for participation does not guarantee that a work position will be secured. Additional fees are required for the mandatory degree work term regardless of success in securing a work position.

Seneca's King Campus is part of a provincially significant wetland complex and is a valued source of headwaters to the Humber Rivers watershed, which is part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. In this unique two-year diploma program, the majority of your outdoor training will take place on this land. You will study ecology, traditional types of landscaping, practical skills and receive an overview of the ecosystem allowing you to understand the impact humans have on the environment and how to protect and restore its natural landscapes.

The demand for environmental landscape management is growing within private and public organizations, therefore employers are in search of graduates who are committed, skilled and knowledgeable in the profession.

Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

• A blend of theoretical and applied practical skills valued in the environmental landscaping field
• Knowledge of the latest landscaping techniques, including fusion landscaping approaches
• Computer aided design techniques
• Business and marketing skills
• An advanced awareness of ecology and the interactions between humans, plants and the environment.

Optional Co-op
You will be given the opportunity to complete an optional co-op work term in a professional work environment. To be eligible, you must meet all academic requirements as well as have a passing grade on a communication assessment. Additional fees are required for those participating in the optional co-op. 

This one-year certificate program provides general education and the opportunity to explore and earn credit towards other college programs. A career-counselling component will help you choose and prepare for career-specific postsecondary education.