Indigenous Human Service Worker Certificate

Northern Lights College offers the Indigenous Human Service Worker Certificate. The program prepares graduates for employment as a Human Service Worker, with a focus on serving Indigenous people on- or off-reserve. Students acquire culturally appropriate knowledge, skills, and values while working with individuals, groups, and communities through Indigenous-focused human development, family and parenting, wellness and healthy practices, and social and health issues in Indigenous communities.

The certificate is delivered online. It is a one year program taken over two semesters with a minimum of 15 credits per semester. The program totals 30 credits (450 hours) minimum and includes a Community Helping Project. Students complete coursework with Northern Lights College and must meet minimum grade requirements for courses considered for transfer within the program requirements framework.

Modules

• HDEC 100 – Essential Skills for Human Service Workers
• HDEC 101 – Human Development I
• IHSW 101 – Introduction to Human Service Work
• SSWD 120 – Ethics and Practice
• SSWD 215 – Interpersonal Communications
• HDEC 104 – Human Development II
• IHSW 102 – The Indigenous Family and Parenting
• IHSW 103 – Indigenous Wellness and Healthy Practices
• IHSW 104 – Social and Health Issues in Indigenous Communities
• IHSW 105 – Community Helping Project

A. Domestic students and students from countries that practice Standard Written English (see Appendix A) must have official transcripts demonstrating that they have met the English Requirements: One of the following with a “C” grade or higher: English 12 or English Literature 12 or English First Peoples 12, ENGL 050, or ENGL 099. Alternatively, any university-level English course with a “C” grade or higher. Students who do not meet one of the above English requirements must complete the NLC Writing Assessment for appropriate course placement.

B. International students who do not meet the requirement A. above, and domestic students who received their secondary education in French or another language, must show that they have met the NLC English requirement: see Appendix A (General Academic English Language Proficiency Requirements)

C. Dual-credit students who do not meet the requirement A above may submit secondary school transcripts indicating successful completion of English 11 and enrollment in an acceptable Grade 12 level English course with a minimum interim grade of ‘C’.

Note that some course options have specific prerequisites. Meeting the program entrance requirements does not ensure course prerequisites have been met for all available courses.

• Band Social Worker
• Community Wellness Worker
• National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) Workers
• Aboriginal Patient Liaison Worker or Aboriginal Patient Navigator (APN)
• Native Courtworker
• Youth and Cultural Worker
• Cultural Connections Coordinator
• Aboriginal Support Workers
• Certificate graduates may also ladder into NLC’s Early Childhood Education and Care, Education Assistant, and Social Services Worker diploma programs.