Building community through advocacy and social responsibility
Apply an interprofessional approach to the provision of services and support for individuals with mental health and substance use challenges in contact with mental health, social services, and the criminal justice system.
Eight months at Camosun can prepare you for a rewarding career in the expanding field of mental health and addictions and criminal justice and set you up for entry into an in-demand human services field.
Are you passionate about social justice?
Operating from a social justice perspective, the Mental Health, Addictions, and Criminal Justice program emphasizes the values related to and importance of social responsibility, advocacy, community-capacity building, and interprofessional practice. The program provides a basis to build an environment where students in health, social services, and the criminal justice fields can develop collaborative, cooperative, and coordinated practice for providing client-centred care.
What to expect
The Advanced Certificate in Mental Health, Addictions, and Criminal Justice has been designed with working professionals in mind. The program is an interprofessional fully online eight-month program consisting of a series of four 7-week courses
Academic Term 1
In your first term, you’ll critically examine the intersection between the criminal justice and mental health systems and addictions, and apply an interprofessional approach to reviewing existing systems and organizations that service these populations.
Academic Term 2
In your second term, you’ll develop evidence-based approaches to support people facing mental health, substance use, and criminal justice challenges; develop approaches to address service barriers and challenges and explore contemporary social issues and perspectives through a social justice, human rights, advocacy and practice lens.
We’ll help you succeed
Upon completion of the program, you'll have an enhanced understanding of and ability to provide integrated services and supports, as well as to advocate for change in the systems and structures that individuals with mental health or substance use challenges and the justice system experience. You'll also have an increased understanding of the impact of systems, colonization, decolonization, including information related to the systemic racism of Indigenous peoples and communities.
Employment opportunities
As a graduate, you will have systemic level awareness and skills to navigate and support individuals with mental health and/or addiction challenges in residential and community. You will enhance your existing skills to support you in the workplace to better advocate, support, and serve clients. Our graduates may be currently working or wanting to pursue a career with a variety of mental health, addictions, community, and criminal justice agencies.