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Social Service Worker - Immigrants and Refugees (Accelerated) (SSIA)

Starts in May

Location
Duration
3 Semesters (1 Year)
Credential Awarded
Ontario College Diploma
School
School of Community Services

About the Program

This accelerated one-year Social Service Worker Immigrants and Refugees program prepares you to succeed as a social service provider working with immigrants and refugees from diverse backgrounds. Through its demanding requirements and fast pace, your success will be measured by your ability to grow, change and challenge your own beliefs, values and promote social justice, human dignity and equality. Learning from a framework based on equity, social justice and anti-oppression principles, this program will provide insight and understanding of pre-migration conditions and how to effectively aid clients with migration and the integration process.

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To qualify for this accelerated program you must have completed a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences or a similar undergraduate degree. This program consists of a seven-week intensive summer semester starting in early May each year, followed by a regular academic year commencing the day after Labour Day and concluding in mid-April.

Skills

Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

  • International and national migration policies
  • Settlement counselling
  • Case management 
  • Community development
  • Advocacy
  • Fundraising and proposal writing
  • Program planning
  • Development and evaluation

Work Experience

Field Placement

As a student of this program, if you meet all the academic requirements, you will have the opportunity to participate in a field placement. Field placements are similar in length to an academic semester and typically involves full-time work hours that may be paid or unpaid.

You can expect to spend 20 to 25 hours each week on assignments, as well as two days per week in field placement in semesters two and three. Beginning in semester two you will benefit from a supervised placement and have specific hours, duties and accountabilities to both the college and agency representative. Field work is a mutually agreed contract for which you will be evaluated by the field placement supervisor. The minimum commitment is the successful completion of specific periods as set out in the Field Placement Student Contract.

Your Career

As a graduate of this program, you may pursue future career options within:

  • Settlement agencies
  • Schools
  • Refugee shelters
  • Community centres
  • Criminal justice system
  • Women’s programs, shelters and agencies offering services for immigrant youth

Based on your skills, interests and professional background you will qualify to work as:

  • Job search workshop facilitator
  • Host program worker
  • Settlement worker
  • Housing worker
  • School settlement worker

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