Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Continuing Education
Credential Earned: Ontario College Certificate (1 Year)
Campus: Distance
Program Length: Flexible

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Program Codes
A219 (OL)

This program is offered through OntarioLearn.

Northern’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health certificate will allow you to empower the youth in your care and help them transcend their challenges. Complete this one-year program at your own pace. And along the way, you will gain an understanding of common emotional and psychological issues, including autism. You will also develop an appreciation for the broader impact that poverty, discrimination, addiction, and violence have on individuals – and society as a whole.

Working through case studies that promote self-care and cultural sensitivity, you will learn how to establish a strong foundation of trust and acceptance. You will also hone effective strategies for crisis intervention and conflict management. Finally, you will master critical techniques for working alongside parents and community agencies to achieve optimal outcomes. Individuals interested in studying part-time can be accommodated. Please contact the program assistant for more information about accommodations.

  • Students may register and take individual courses without meeting all program admission requirements if you do not plan to achieve the Ontario College Certificate.
  • In order to achieve the certificate students must have been accepted through OCAS prior to completing 50% of the courses.
  • Once registered into the program, students have five years to complete the program. Only courses taken within the five-year period may be applied towards the program certificate.

Contact Information

Lori Vachon, Program Coordinator/Faculty
vachonl@northern.on.ca
Phone: 705-235-3211 ext. 2141

Course Information

Course descriptions can be found below.

Please note, course information is based on our current offering and is subject to change. Current students can find more information on courses in their student account.

If you have questions or require program information for previous academic years, please contact the Program Coordinator.

Course Costs: Costs vary by individual course. Please see Course Descriptions for more information.

More information can be found in the Program Outline [PDF, 168 KB]. Program Outlines can also be found in the archives.

Program Outline [PDF, 168 KB]

Cost
Domestic $367.48
International $859.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Students will learn about the neurodevelopmental and behavioural aspects of people with autism spectrum disorder, previously labelled as five different syndromes under the autism spectrum disorder umbrella. Students will learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnostics tools, research-based interventions, and will cover autism spectrum disorder from birth to adulthood.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Building Family Supports is designed to introduce the students to the philosophy and practice of successfully engaging and working with families within a collaborative team approach. The intent is to assist family members to achieve optimal positive outcomes through partnerships and trust. This course will introduce students to the myriad of service options and service coordination responsibilities involved in delivering human services to families in Ontario. Its purpose is to demystify practices such as accessing services, making referrals, treatment planning, case management and case conferencing as they apply to families.

The student will explore several case studies in case conference services to illustrate each of the central tenets of the approach:A practice of unconditional care, A focus on individual strengths, A family-driven, family-strengths- focused process, An individualized approach, An emphasis on serving families within their communities,A commitment to culturally competent care, An emphasis on interagency collaboration, A net result of cost-effectiveness, An outcome-driven process.

Cost
Domestic $367.48
International $859.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
In this course, students will learn essential skills for success in college and the workplace. This course focuses on developing and strengthening oral and written communication skills, and critical thinking ability. During this course, students will engage in a variety of forms of communication with a focus on upholding the principles of academic integrity. Students will develop the skills necessary to create discipline-specific documents, practice business etiquette and professionalism, and apply critical thinking strategies to practical scenarios. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to plan and draft concise, coherent and well-organized writing assignments that are tailored to specific audiences and purposes.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Textbook: Highly recommended but not mandatory: Therapeutic Games and Guided Imagery Volume II: Tools for Professionals Working with Children and Adolescents with Specific Needs and in Multicultural Settings available at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Students will apply prevention and intervention strategies to appropriately respond to stressful situations in the infant, child and adolescent population. The focus of this course is on the effective application of communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills in a variety of situations.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
This course is intended to teach students how to effectively respond to clients who are exposed to stress and uncertainty within a helping profession. In this highly interactive course, participants will study effective strategies and techniques for the management of conflicts and communications in stressful situations. Best practices in care-giving situations will be studies along with the impact of personal values, intuitional settings, and other factors on dysfunctional behaviour. Self care and self-evaluation of the care giver is emphasized.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Students will examine the interconnectedness of family relationships and their effect on common abnormal psychiatric disorders in the infant, child and adolescent populations. This course will review the developmental stages, familial structures and family functions through the lens of family systems theory. Students will also explore the environmental effects and their influences on the family as a dynamic entity.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Many social problems have unfortunately withstood the test of time, continuing to threaten the health and well-being of Canadian Families and their children. Poverty, discrimination, family violence, addiction and crime are all serious social problems which affect quality of life of our children, families, communities and even society as a whole. This course will not only assist students in recognizing and understanding social problems but also encourage them to view these social problems in a theoretical and critical manner. Students will be challenged to recognize the multifaceted and broader impact of social problems and consider their own personal and professional duty to recognize when a child’s identified problems are potentially caused or exacerbated by one or more of these social problems. Students will gain a theoretical understanding of the paradigms which define social problems. They will learn to assess the impact of various social problems and consider appropriate ways of intervening in both the micro and mezzo systems. Students will learn to assess, identify, advocate for, and intervene with children who are impacted or at risk of being impacted by social problems. Student will further explore their role and reflect upon their skills for intervening in the lives of children who are impacted or at risk of being impacted by these social problems. They will explore the application systematic methods for assisting those who are impacted by social problems ranging from. Much of the course discussions will focus on understanding the impacts of social problems and empowering children and families affected by these social problems with helpful strategies for dealing with and overcoming their impacts. Students are encouraged to consider personal experiences as they explore and react to the worlds social problems. This will lead to a greater understanding of the concepts and assess how their own experiences and beliefs affect their practices in human services.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Students will explore and examine the many layers of diversity that surround individuals and identifiable groups in society and they will see how these many layers contribute to a rich, diverse Canadian cultural landscape. As part of this examination, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their personal attitudes, assumptions and views toward diverse population groups. As a brief introduction, students will begin developing their understanding of diversity by identifying, discussing, and defining core terminology like privilege, cultural competence, and cultural safety, Students will enhance their knowledge and understanding of diversity by looking at origins of differences among various population groups in Canada and by looking at society’s attitudes associated with Canadian Regionalism, demographic trends, First Nations peoples, immigration, and various other established minority groups. Also, learners will become aware of government policies and influence on certain segments of Canadian society and its role in dealing with social inequalities. Finally, students will look at and reflect on the media’s role in perpetuating stereotypes and swaying personal views of diversity in Canada.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
This course will introduce students to the basics of the helping process. Its purpose is to demystify the process and provide students with a framework as well as the basic skills for helping. The focus will be on understanding the foundation and values inherent in helping and developing the skills to empower children, youth and families through difficult times. Topics covered include the relationship building, interviewing skills and activity programming.

The Capstone Consolidation course is the final course for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Certificate Program. The course is designed to allow students to demonstrate the knowledge they have attained throughout the program. The course consists of three (3) project options of which student must complete one (1). Each project option requires a high base level of knowledge in the field of child and adolescent metal health and represents a significant amount of work. At the completion of the project, students should demonstrate a mastery of the requisite knowledge and a high level of competency in terms of the content and presentation of the project.

Cost
Domestic $367.48
International $859.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
Using a developmental psychology lens this course focuses on providing students with an opportunity to improve understanding of self. Through personal reflection students will examine the human lifespan from conception and prenatal development through old age and death. Students will gain understanding and perspective of their development across physical, cognitive, social and personality contexts. Examination of fundamental theories, historical arguments/perspectives and current issues provide opportunity for critical thinking and application of influences to one’s development within the student’s life.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
To understand complicated mental health disorders common to infant, child and adolescents, students will review a variety of abnormal cognitive and behavioural disorders. This course will emphasize an understanding of the behaviours and the daily effects and challenges on the mental health of the infant, child, and adolescent population.

Cost
Domestic $386.35
International $913.30

Plus required textbook to be ordered at www.textnet.ca

Course Description
This course educates students about drug and alcohol use and the abuse of various substances in the body and how it affects ones Behaviour. An introduction to the science of Pharmacology is included and students will study a number of drugs such as: alcohol, nicotine, prescription drugs, hallucinogens, cocaine, narcotics and marijuana, inhalants and steroids. They will also examine concepts of clinical practice and program design and learn how and when to apply them.

Career Ready Graduates

Articulation Agreements

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program coordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program may find employment opportunities as a Mental Health Worker.

Explore labour market information for related careers and employment trend data from the Government of Canada Job Bank.

  1. Identify characteristics, treatments, and causal factors of various emotional and psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.
  2. Manage aggressive behaviours in children and adolescents by using current crisis theory and employing effective intervention strategies.
  3. Employ evidence based intervention techniques when dealing with individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  4. Work collaboratively with children and adolescents who are taking psychotropic medications, their parents and other community agencies.
  5. Collaborate with other service providers and form professional relationships in order to enhance the quality of service for children, youth and families.
  6. Identify barriers faced by those working with social, cultural, language gender and sexual orientation differences as well as techniques to overcome these barriers.
  7. Use the concepts of case management, wraparound and treatment planning in the provision of client treatment.

Admissions Information & Requirements

Admission Requirements

You are able to register and take individual courses without meeting all admission requirement if you do not plan to achieve the Ontario College Certificate. To earn the full post-secondary certificate for Child and Adolescent Mental Health you must have the following requirements:

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with Grade 12 English (C, U) or equivalent.
  • Or mature student status (an applicant who does not have a high school diploma or equivalent, and will have reached the age of 19 years on or before the start of the program).

 

Option 1 Mature students can choose to undergo academic testing prior to admission into a program. Call the Admissions Office at 705-235-7222 for more details. Academic prerequisites for this program may be obtained free of charge through Academic Upgrading.

Option 2 Mature students may choose to successfully complete the Child and Adolescent Mental Health CM1323 – Professional Communications with a minimum grade of 60% or higher. Please Note: Computer proficiency is highly recommended.

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Alternative & Flexible Learning

We have been providing high-quality distance education for over a decade.

Our distance education programs allow you to complete scheduled lectures and discussions live online or complete unscheduled learning exercises and resources at any time convenient to you. This “virtual campus” allows us to provide great support from professors, facilitators, student services, advising and accommodations are all available to you to assist you through your program.

If you are interested in completing post-secondary education, but cannot commit to full time studies, our alternative and flexible learning opportunities through Continuing Education allows you to select from hundreds of courses and programs, with the ability to study on your own time. Some classes are part of full programs, and some are single courses. We also deliver Micro-credentials to help you specialize your expertise.

Distance EducationContinuing Education

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