Social Service Worker Program (Accelerated) (C135)

Program Description

Leadership Claims

Preparing Social Service Worker graduates to be agents of and allies for change and social justice in diverse communities for nearly 20 years.

Program Overview

The Social Service Worker (Accelerated) program will provide you with the opportunity to learn theoretical models, group facilitation, mental health support, values, ethics and professional practice, and anti-oppressive practice.

Apply to this accelerated program if you have a diploma or degree related to the field of social or community work.

Full Description

If you apply to the 2024/25 intake for this program, you will start in May 2025. To begin your studies in May 2024, apply to the 2023/24 academic year.

The one-year Social Service Worker (Accelerated) (C135) diploma program is designed to guide you in developing the knowledge, values and skills to work directly with a wide range of people in need.

This accelerated program stream is a condensed version of the two-year Social Service Worker (C119) program and is available to college and university graduates with a diploma or degree related to the field of social or community work (e.g., social sciences).

If you have strong interpersonal skills and are committed to working toward a more just and equitable society and examining the dynamics of power, oppression, and social location, this program is for you. As a graduate, you will be prepared for roles in a variety of agency settings, including mental health, homelessness, poverty, substance use and addictions, long-term care, criminal justice, crisis supports, and settlement and immigration.

You will learn to identify and act upon the systemic barriers that can impede access to social and economic justice in today’s society and examine the expanding professional roles and responsibilities of social service workers in large urban centres and other communities.

In addition to studying the theoretical models, methods, and skills of social service work practice, you will learn about and develop skills in the following:

  • group facilitation
  • allyship and anti-oppressive practice
  • counselling
  • substance use and addiction
  • social change and proposal development
  • values, ethics and professional practice
  • mental health well-being

You will also gain real-world experience with a significant, supervised field placement. In preparation for the field or clinical placement, you will be required to work in multiple small and large groups within classes and community settings.

Many Social Service Worker program faculty have professional experience in the following areas:

  • marginalized communities
  • institutional health and social service organizations
  • federal, provincial, and municipal governments
  • research and initiatives in social innovation
  • a range of not-for-profit organizations and agencies
  • direct practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities

Apply to the Social Service Worker (Accelerated) program if you are a university graduate with a degree in a related discipline* such as:

  • psychology
  • sociology
  • women’s studies
  • environmental studies
  • education and cultural anthropology

* Students with degrees from other disciplines may be considered if they successfully complete a minimum of six relevant social science courses.

OR

A college graduate with a diploma in:

Find a complete list of degrees and diplomas considered for admission to the SSW (Accelerated) (C135) program.

As a student in this program, you will be required to successfully complete a mandatory six-week bridging program that begins in May prior to entering the fall semester. This bridging program is not eligible for additional transfer credits. 

Additional fees will apply for the spring/summer semester. 

Note: Students are not eligible for OSAP for the spring/summer semester.

George Brown College is a signatory of Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Indigenous Education Protocols, which reaffirms the importance of structures and approaches required to address Indigenous peoples’ learning needs and support the self-determination and socio-economic development of Indigenous communities. 

In response to this and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, the Social Service Worker program is committed to developing the capacity of its students to work with the Indigenous individual, families, groups, and communities. The Social Service Worker program would like to acknowledge the support of Indigenous Education and Services and the Negahneewin Council who have helped the faculty with this process. The Indigenous Learning Outcomes are guiding the integration of Indigenous learning into the curriculum.

Your Field Education Options

As part of the Social Service Worker (Accelerated) program, you will have the opportunity to participate in approximately 600 hours of supervised field experience.

George Brown maintains relationships with agencies operating in a wide range of institutional and community-based settings throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Assisted by our field placement co-ordinator and GBC Career Services, students are supported through securing their own placement experience that reflects their interest.

Vulnerable Sector Check Note:

In compliance with the requirements of our field partners, all students in this program are encouraged to complete a police vulnerable sector check before commencing their field placement.

These reference checks, which can take up to four months, are done to protect the clientele of these agencies who are considered “vulnerable persons” under the law.

The fees for the reference checks vary by region and must be paid by the student. Students are responsible for ensuring that the check covers appropriateness for “individuals being employed and/or volunteering who will be working with vulnerable person(s).”

The program will assist students in applying for the police vulnerable sector check once they begin the program.

Students without a clear vulnerable sector check may find that their choice of placement is limited. Students in this situation are encouraged to work with the field placement co-ordinator to identify placement opportunities that do not require the vulnerable sector check. Students are also encouraged to inquire and apply for Suppression and Destruction of Record or Record Suspension (formerly known as Pardon) at their specific regional police services in order to prepare for their future career or employment. For more information, please visit the Clinical Pre-placement website.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Graduates meet the educational requirements for registration as a Social Service Worker in the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

Social Service Worker (Accelerated) graduates may work directly with people in social services or be involved in community development or social justice and allyship initiatives. Previous graduates have found employment in a variety of places including:

  • mental health
  • homelessness
  • poverty
  • substance use and addictions
  • long-term care
  • criminal justice
  • crisis supports
  • settlement and immigration

Educational Pathways

Graduates of the Social Service Worker (Accelerated) (C135) program may apply to complete a second diploma in a related George Brown College program in a reduced time frame:

For further information on future study options, see Transfer Guide.

Social Service Worker (Accelerated) Graduates who successfully complete this program may qualify for advanced standing in:

The following Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs:

The Community Economic and Social Development B.A. at Algoma University also welcomes graduates of the Social Service Worker program.

These are just some examples of where graduates can pursue future study options.

For further information, see the Transfer Guide. For details, please follow the links above to program websites.

Alumni Impact

We are immensely proud of the contributions of our alumni in Toronto and around the globe.

From Michelin-starred restaurants to major construction, entertainment, community and financial organizations, our graduates are truly making an impact across a range of industries.

Latest Alumni Stories

“So much has happened since I left GBC. I got a job at a community centre right after I finished the program and I am now having my placement at Scarborough Women's Centre, And last week I signed a contract with a group practice that is specialized in psychotherapy for queer clients. I got registered as an RSSW, got liability insurance, have a supervisor working with me.!!! The only reason why this is all possible is that I have an SSW diploma. I am so happy, and I did not expect to be where I am so quickly. I am still one year away from being an MSW, but I am already doing the work I wanted. GBC was an important piece in all of this.”

— Carla Barbosa, 2021 Graduate, Master of Social Work Student & Registered Social Service Worker – Counselor Registered Social Service Worker - Our Landing Place

Carla Barbosa
Ontario College Diploma

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