Community Support Worker (CSW) – Assisted Living Program
Work in a role that truly gives back to the community.
Also see: Community Support Worker – Social Services
Community Support Workers work with social workers and health care professionals to provide care and assistance to the elderly and disabled. With our aging population, an increasing number of Assisted Living positions will be available in group homes, correctional facilities, shelters, and government agencies.
CSWs administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services. They assist clients in dealing with personal and social problems. They are employed as assistants by social service and government agencies, group homes, correctional facilities, and other establishments. The growing population of elderly persons, the mentally disabled, and the developmentally challenged will maintain the need for these workers.
Community Support Workers support and aid recipients of social assistance and pensions. They provide assistance to clients living in group homes and half-way houses by facilitating and supervising their activities. They may work in crisis intervention and emergency shelter services. They also can assist in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs by tracking (observing, reporting, and documenting) clients’ behavioral changes and responses to interventions. Community support workers maintain contact with other social service agencies and other members of a multi-disciplinary team involved with their clients to provide information and to obtain feedback on clients’ overall progress. This work is done under the supervision of social workers (licensed health care professionals – could be RNs, OTs, PTs, Mental Health Case Managers, Social Workers, doctors) or health care professionals.
This program gives the student the necessary skills to be a part of the interdisciplinary team working towards quality of life for the people that they assist. A second diploma as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) is also given for the successful completion of all of the Health Care Assistant courses.
Note: CPR, First Aid, Food Safe and WHMIS will be completed during the program.
Entrance Requirements
Grade 12/GED or mature student status. Applicants must successfully complete the admissions interview and entrance assessments.
Prerequisites
Applicants for this program must also have excellent communication skills (composition), sign a criminal/medical waiver, obtain a satisfactory certificate of health from a physician, submit a criminal record search, and provide evidence of clear TB testing prior to acceptance. All must be done no more than 3 months before the start date of the program.
Online Learning Components
One or more courses in this program have Instructor-led G2 Online Learning components. The inclusion of online learning tools varies by campus and instructor. *These courses are not online-only.
Total Program Hours: 1230 Hours.
Full-time Program Length: 49 Weeks (11.4 Months).
Clinical Placements: 300 Total Hours (4 Two-Week Placements) – Work Placement Overview.
Career Opportunities
Mental Health Assistant; Palliative Care Worker; Community Based Support Worker (Mental Health and Disabilities); Group Home Worker; Life Skills Coach; Care Aide
Program may not be available at all campuses. Program content is subject to change.
AD001 – 10 hours
Foundations of Technologies
- Computer basics/file management
- Internet/email/keyboarding
CS204 – 40 hours
Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Care Planning
- Models of psychosocial rehabilitation
- Supporting the family
- Working with children & youth
CS301 – 40 hours
Professional Skills for Fieldwork in Canada
- Income security
- Women’s and Aboriginal services
CS304 – 40 hours
Mental Health
- Mental health/mental illness
- Chronic pain/chronic illness
- Involvement of family
CS400 – 40 hours
Aging with Chronic Illness and Developmental Disabilities
- Changes associated with aging
- Functional health
- Social concerns/support systems
CS401 – 40 hours
Aging and Psychosocial Applications
- Cognitive issues
- Personality and ego development theories
- Work, leisure and retirement issues
CS402 – 60 hours
Counseling and Support Techniques for Adults
- Empathy skills
- Problem-solving approach
- Crisis counseling
CS501 – 40 hours
Self Care
- Stress management
- Self-awareness
- Assertiveness training
- Crisis Prevention and Management
CS502 – 40 hours
Families and Culture
- Family types and systems
- Multicultural issues
CS600 – 100 hours
Field Placement / Practicum II – Adult Care Services
- 4-week practical experience
GE001 – 10 hours
Foundations for Success
- Goal setting, note taking, problem solving, team work
- Overview of policies & procedures
GE121 – 20 hours
Career Planning and Management
- Interview techniques
- Create an employment package
HCA100 – 50 hours
Health and Healing: Concepts for Practice
- Concepts of caring and person-centred care
- Basic human needs and human development
- Family culture and diversity
HCA101 – 50 hours
Health 1: Interpersonal Communications
- Communication with clients families and colleagues
- Medical terminology, documentation and reporting
- Vital signs
- RAI, Crisis Prevention and Management
HCA102 – 50 hours
Health 2: Lifestyle and Choices
- Holistic components of health and healing (Health Wheel)
- Basic nutrition and Food Safe
- Self-care
- Stress management
HCA200 – 50 hours
Health Care Assistant: Introduction to Practice
- Health care system in BC and Canada
- The health care team
- Standard precautions, safety, WHMIS
HCA201 – 50 hours
Healing 1: Common Health Challenges
- Human anatomy and physiology
- Normal aging changes
- Common health challenges
- Practical skills used to manage common health challenges
HCA202 – 50 hours
Healing 2: Cognitive Challenges
- Physical, psychological and behavioural changes
- Promotion of independence and quality of life
- Gentle Care
HCA203 – 50 hours
Healing 3: Introduction to Acute Care Skills
- Develop skills that maintain and promote comfort, safety and quality of life
- Promotion of independence
- Wound care, IV, O2, Assisting with
- Medications
- Post-operative care
- Physical examinations
- First Aid
HCA204 – 50 hours
Healing 4: Hospice-Palliative Care
- Communication skills used in caring for the dying and their family
- Understanding Hospice and Palliative Care
- Personal awareness and self reflection and self care
- Practical skills used to help manage common challenges in end-of-life care
HCA205 – 50 hours
Healing 5: Mental Health Challenges
- Members of health care team involved in mental health
- Common mental health issues – depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders
- Communication, treatment and preventative strategies
HCA300 – 75 hours
Clinical 1 – Multi-level and/or Complex Care (Comp/Inc)
HCA301 – 75 hours
Clinical 2 – Multi-Level and/or Complex Care (Comp/Inc)
HCA400 – 75 hours
Clinical 3 – Multi-Level and/or Complex Care (Comp/Inc)
HCA401 – 75 hours
Clinical 4 – Assisted Living and/or Home Support (Comp/Inc)
Clinical Training Information
- Supervised clinical training may include any shifts other than day shift (i.e. evenings – 3 to 11pm or nights – 11pm to 7am and possibly weekends).
- Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical training sites.
- Clinical training is conducted in shifts of a minimum of 7.5 hours per day up to 12 hours per day for a total of 150 hours or 2 weeks at each clinical training.
- Placement sites are subject to availability. Clinical sites may require more current CRC and TB testing (to be done at student’s expense)
- Food Safe, Standard First Aid, CPR-C and introduction to WHMIS must be completed prior to going out on Clinical