Addiction and Mental Health Worker

Program Description

Credential: 2-year Ontario College Diploma

Delivery: Full time

Program Length: 4 Semesters

The Addiction and Mental Health Worker program provides students with evidence-based knowledge and skills in screening, assessing and responding to people with mental health, substance use and other addictions from diverse cultural and community perspectives.

Graduates will be prepared to analyze multiple and intersecting causes and impacts of addiction and mental health issues from a multidimensional framework that integrates an Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP) lens, inclusive of Indigenous and traditional approaches to healing. The focus of this approach will prepare students to work with individuals and family members experiencing addiction and mental health issues and challenges, as well as to intervene in an advocacy role at organizational and systems levels to promote equitable access to supports and services, including health promotion and prevention/harm reduction.

The field placement component of this program provides students with the opportunity to work in inter-professional teams to gain direct practice experience providing support to clients and families/kin through case management, assessment and referral and navigating systems of care.

Career Opportunities

Professionals with training in addictions and mental health are highly sought after by social service employers. Graduates of the Addiction and Mental Health Worker program can find employment in shelters, drop-in centres, hospitals, correctional facilities, recovery or rehabilitation homes and crisis support agencies in roles such as Case Manager, Harm Reduction Worker, Street Outreach Worker, Short-Term Crisis Bed Worker, Front-Line Shelter Worker, Withdrawal Management Counsellor, and others.

With respect to employment prospects for individuals trained in mental health and addictions work, Service Canada (2013) notes that the labour market and demand for community and social services workers will remain high in the coming years, particularly in the addiction and mental health sector.

Graduates of the Addiction and Mental Health Worker program will be prepared for practice with individuals, families/kin and small groups who are impacted by addiction and mental health issues in a variety of community health and human services settings such as social and advocacy organizations, residential care facilities, outpatient care centres and community-based food, housing, emergency and other relief services.

Start Date

September, January

Tuition Fees

Tuition fee for international students is $16898/year including ancillary fees and medical insurance.
Total number of in-class subjects for 4 semesters is 22 which is condensed into the first 3 semesters in order to make the semester 4th term only for fieldwork placement.
From September 2024, tuition fee for international students is $17063/year including ancillary fees and medical insurance.

Tuition fees as stated are subject to change for each academic year.