Seneca launches first Child and Youth Worker program in York Region

“York Region is a growing community and with this growth there are issues that affect us all,” said Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges – Markham. “The education and training of students in fields that seek to assist our most vulnerable are essential for healthy communities. The addition of the Child and Youth Worker program to Seneca College’s curriculum is an important step in helping students gain the valuable skills needed for their achievement and for our well-being.”
 

The program, which is still accepting applications for September 2009, is the only Child and Youth Worker program in York Region. Curriculum for the program has been designed with the unique needs of York Region children and families in mind, as well as the needs of children and families across the province and nationally. The program will provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to work with children, adolescents, and families with a wide range of emotional, social, behavioural and/or mental health needs.
 

Graduates of the three-year advanced diploma program will become active and valuable members of multi-disciplinary teams that include educators, medical and social work professionals, mental health workers, correctional officers and family organizations dedicated to implementing a range of intervention, prevention and treatment strategies for children and their families. 
 

“This program provides another avenue for people who want to work with children, but not necessarily in a classroom setting,” said John Struthers, Academic Chair, Seneca’s Faculty of Applied Arts and Health Sciences. “Having worked with children and adolescents as part of their field placements, graduates of this program will be prepared for careers in a range of work environments including group homes, Children’s Aid agencies and counseling offices in primary and secondary schools.”
 

Along with a minimum of 1200 hours of field placement, students will gain experience while learning about developmental and abnormal psychology, non-violent crisis intervention, child and youth management, therapeutic activities, counselling theory and practice, health wellness and medication, group work and facilitation, and family work.

“Poverty, homelessness, and mental health stress are growing challenges in an increasingly complex world. Service agencies throughout Ontario need ongoing access to skilled workers with specialized training in the helping professions,” said Bill Hogarth, Director of Education, York Region District School Board. “Seneca’s new Child and Youth Worker program will help meet the growing demand for qualified personnel and advance the development of consistent standards of practice.”

More people choose Seneca than any other college in Canada. With eight campuses across the Greater Toronto Area, Seneca provides internationally and nationally recognized polytechnic education, training, and academic pathways key to graduate career success in the global economy. Every Seneca diploma, certificate and degree program is developed to a high academic standard, in consultation with industry, integrated with information technology, combined with technical and transferable skills, and reinforced by opportunities for ongoing education and re-training.

Find out more at www.senecac.on.ca
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