Program Overview

Community Mental Health – Honours Bachelor (Social Service Worker pathway to degree)

Program Overview

Designed specifically for graduates who hold an Ontario College Diploma in Social Service Worker (SSWK). This unique streamlined pathway to a degree allows students to enter directly into semester four of the Honours Bachelor in Community Mental Health program.

Through a comprehensive mix of theoretical, research and applied courses, students will apply their knowledge in a mandatory 14-week, 420-hour experiential work placement, bridging the transition from the classroom to real-world experience. Graduates will be equipped with the knowledge and concrete skills to successfully enter community mental health roles in areas such as case management, crisis counselling, mental health promotion, addictions counselling, housing and advocacy consultancy, peer support, and residential youth work.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate historical and contemporary scholarship to develop treatment approaches that integrate evidence-informed practice and support the needs of the client.
2. Consult with individuals and families to identify and engage them with community resources and services to support unique mental health needs.
3. Advocate with multi-disciplinary teams for the development of community supports and resources where gaps in service have been identified.
4. Develop, implement, and evaluate treatment plans aligning with the goals of clients and referring to community social support systems.
5. Analyze client circumstances and engage in safety planning to mitigate current or potential crisis.
6. Adhere to ethical, legal and scope of practice to work independently and collaboratively to deliver professional and coordinated services.
7. Counsel individuals and groups from a person-centred approach, with cultural humility and using principles of professional therapeutic relationships to empower capacity for self-efficacy.
8. Analyze and evaluate the impact of historical and current mental health policy on personal, cultural, and structural aspects of society.
9. Assess community needs to design, implement and evaluate mental health promotion programs.
10. Integrate critical self-reflective practice and ongoing professional development to maintain currency of practice in the field of mental health.

Admission Requirements

• Ontario College Diploma in Social Service Worker with a minimum average of 60 per cent to be eligible to receive block of transfer credits.

Courses

The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.

Semester 1

• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Healthy Promotion and Healthy Living (HLTH 22000)
• Psychotherapy Modalities (PSYC 22000)
• Personality Psychology (PSYC 22001)
• Social Psychology (SOCI 22000)

Semester 2

• Recovery-Oriented Practice (HLTH 31000)
• Applied Counselling Skills (PSYC 31000)
• Advanced Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 31001)
• Healthcare and Legal Systems (SOCI 11001)
• Statistics (STAT 26001)

Semester 3

• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Field Placement Preparation (FDPL 32000)
• Trauma and Resiliency (PSYC 32000)
• Crisis and Solution Focused Interventions (PSYC 32001)
• Quantitative Research Methods (RSCH 26001)
• Qualitative Research Methods (RSCH 32001)

Semester F

• Field Placement (HBMH 41000)

Semester 4

• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Analysis Of Language In The Clinical Conversation (LING 46001)
• Group Counselling (PSYC 41000)
• Advanced Social Psychology (PSYC 41001)
• Thesis Project: Research Proposal Seminar (RSCH 46001)

Semester 5

• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Reflective Practice, Professional Development and Interpersonal Collaboration (ETHC 46001)
• Advanced Psychotherapy Approaches (PSYC 42000)
• Thesis Project: Research Analysis and Summary (RSCH 46002)
• Advocacy and Community Needs Assessment (SOCI 42000)

Costs

The fees below are estimates only based on information available at the time of publication, and do not include the cost of textbooks. There may be additional costs; however, not all courses require textbooks.

Finances shouldn’t be a barrier to you achieving your educational goals.

DC’s Financial Aid and Awards office is here to help you navigate a number of financial aid programs to support your education.

Year 2 Costs

Semester 3 Tuition: $3,277.35 Program Fee: $0 Ancillary Fee: $474.19 DCSA Ancillary Fee: $430 Total: $4,181.54

Semester 4 Tuition: $3,277.35 Program Fee: $0 Ancillary Fee: $474.19 DCSA Ancillary Fee: $120 Total: $3,871.54

Career Options

• Family or marriage counsellor
• Social and community service worker
• Case manager
• Crisis counsellor
• Mental health promoter
• Addictions counsellor
• Housing advocate
• Peer support
• Residential youth worker

Experiential Learning

Students will have the opportunity to gain work-integrated learning experience in a supervised setting through a 14-week, 420-hour mandatory field placement between the third and fourth semesters. Field placement is an integral part of this degree program that allows the integration of field work with academic studies to enable students to better understand the practical application of methods and techniques for organizing activities and working collaboratively in the field.

Pre-Placement Requirements

• There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes.

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Students eligible for the pathway will receive the following transfer credits:

• Community Mental Health (PSYC 11000)
• Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 16002)
• Social Justice and Equity (SOCI 11000)
• Counselling Theories and Approaches (PSYC 12000)
• Developmental Psychology (PSYC 16005)
• Cultural Humility (SOCI 12000)
• Health Psychology (HLTH 12000)
• Therapeutic Communications Skills (PSYC 16003)
• Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 21000)
• Ethics and Professional Practice (ETHC 21000)
• Addictions (SOCI 36001)
• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)
• Breadth Elective Credit (BRTH 00000)

Meet Your Faculty Experts

• Negar Alamdar
• Jenny Andrus
• Lorraine Closs

Land Acknowledgement

Durham College is situated on the traditional lands of the First Peoples of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. These lands are covered under the Williams Treaties and rest within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who care for and, through the treaty process, share the lands on which we live, learn, teach and prosper today.