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Gain specialized skills to work with newcomers to Canada

The Sheridan’s Social Service Worker– Immigrant and Refugee Stream is one of a very few postsecondary programs in Ontario to offer training that specializes in serving those immigrants and refugees who are new to Canada. Success in the program requires that you be accepting and open to those of different racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. A diploma in this immigration worker program is highly advantageous when seeking employment in government and community-based organizations such as:

  • Settlement agencies
  • Social service agencies
  • School and training-based environments
  • Government departments working directly with immigrants, refugees and their families
The first year of your program focuses on the foundational theories and skills essential to social service work. The second year of your training addresses the needs and challenges of working with immigrants and refugees, including:
  • Crisis intervention
  • Case management skills for working with diverse populations
  • Assessment and referral strategies
  • Aiding community assimilation
     

Professors with Innovative Teaching Strategies

 
Professors teaching in the immigration worker training program are highly experienced educators who employ innovative classroom techniques to prepare you for your Year-Two practicum experience and ultimately for the workplace. You'll learn through:

 

  • Role-playing activities in a lab simulation environment
  • Guest presenters from organizations serving immigrant populations
  • Coaching in simulated job interviews
  • Simulations of newcomer settlement counseling sessions with instructor feedback
  • Collaborative classroom activities that help you hone your skills in working with people from different cultures

 

Gain Real-World Experience as an Immigration Worker

 
During your second year in the program, you'll undertake a practicum in a social service setting. During this year, you'll complete over 600 hours of service in a community-based, settlement-related social agency, utilizing the skills you learned in the classroom. This real-world experience is highly valued by employers when you begin looking for a position working with immigrants and refugees.


Professional Registration Opportunity

When you complete the program, you will be eligible for admission to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. As a member of this regulating body, you'll be able to use the title “Registered Social Service Worker.” For additional details, visit www.ocswssw.org. 

University Linkage

This college diploma program maintains linkages with a number of universities, which offer further educational opportunities for our graduates.

The Social Service Worker–Immigrant and Refugee Stream Program is located at the Davis Campus in Brampton, Ontario and at the Trafalgar Road Campus in Oakville, Ontario. 

 

By the end of the program, graduates will be able to:

  • Develop and maintain professional relationships which adhere to professional, legal, and ethical standards aligned to social service work.
  • Identify strengths, resources, and challenges of individuals, families, groups, and communities to assist them in achieving their goals.
  • Recognize diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families, and communities to promote accessible and responsive programs and services.
  • Identify current social policy, relevant legislation, and political, social, and/or economic systems and their impacts on service delivery.
  • Advocate for appropriate access to resources to assist individuals, families, groups, and communities.
  • Develop and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and community partners.
  • Develop strategies and plans that lead to the promotion of self-care, improved job performance, and enhanced work relationships.
  • Integrate social group work and group facilitation skills across a wide range of environments, supporting growth and development of individuals, families, and communities.
  • Work in communities to advocate for change strategies that promote social and economic justice and challenge patterns of oppression and discrimination.
CODE TITLE CREDITS
*Terms 1 and 2 are common with Year 1 of Social Service Worker.
TERM 3
CSRV15738 Intro to Settlement Counselling 3
CSRV19599 Immigrant and Refugee Settlement Policies 3
CSRV28448 Group Work Methods: IRS 3
FLPL28823 Professional Practice Issues 1: SSW

11

Total: 20
TERM 4
CSRV39402 Settlement Couselling 2 3
CSRV16206 Special Topics in Immigrant and Refugee Settlement 3
FLPL24310 Professional Practice 2: IRS 11
GNED General Education 3
Total: 20

Note: Courses subject to change.

Sheridan — where employers find employees with the skills they need.   Immigrant and Refugee Settlement is one of the fastest growing areas in the social services sector regardless of changing trends in immigration policy and available funding.  This means there are enormous opportunities for you in this wide-open field.

When you graduate from the Social Service Worker-IRS college diploma program you'll be ready to work as a social service worker in a traditional setting. You'll have an advantage in gaining employment in the many Settlement Agencies in the region. Some of the potential job roles that may be open to you include:
  • Settlement counselor
  • HOST program coordinator
  • ISAP intake counselor
  • Language interpreter staff
  • School age youth settlement worker
  • Seniors' facilities
  • Services for abused women

 

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

 

Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, including these required courses: 

  • One English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or ENG4U)

or

Mature student status. (See "Admissions" section for details.)


 

APPLICANT SELECTION

 

Eligible applicants will be selected on the basis of previous academic achievement (the average of their six highest senior-level credits, including required courses).

Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements for this program will be assessed and advised individually and may be considered for other, related programs.

PREPARATION FOR APPLICATION

Related volunteer and/or part-time employment in a social service setting, immigrant settlement agencies, or with older adults is highly encouraged.

 

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK AND IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Sheridan field placement agencies may require a police record check for criminal offences, a vulnerable sector check and/or a current record of immunization. Students will be required to provide this documentation directly to their field placement prior to the start of the placement and at their own expense. Students who cannot meet these requirements may have limited field placement opportunities. Please refer to the Sheridan Health Services website at immunization.sheridancollege.ca for complete information, or come in to one of the campus health centres.

*Course duration for September starts is two academic years. Course duration for January starts is 16 months continuous. 

Program Offerings

Program Details

Faculty:
Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies
Program Code:
PSSWK
Duration:
2 Year Regular or 16 months continuous* (PSSWK)
Designation:
Ontario College Diploma
Campus:
Davis Campus
Trafalgar Road Campus
Start:
September, January