The Mental Health and Addictions Counselling program alllows you to study where you live. Upon graduation, you'll be equipped to bring knowledge in the specialty to communities across the province to assist with our growing addictions crisis in Saskatchewan.
Start date
September
Length
80 weeks
Location(s)
Online/Distance options availableLength and location notes
This program is delivered online; however, students will be required to attend a Sask Polytech campus (location to be determined) for one week in semester one, two, four and five. These residencies are mandatory. All costs associated with travel and accommodations are the responsibility of the student and are not covered through tuition.Some programs offered online or otherwise by distance (i.e., correspondence) include on-site labs, clinicals, practicums or work experiences. They may be offered course-by-course or full-time, or both, and deliveries may change over time.
Year 1 - 40 weeks; Year 2 - 40 weeks
This is a demanding program that requires a full-time commitment. Students who are studying in this hybrid format will be required to:
- Attend scheduled synchronous Zoom sessions each day for five to six hours.
- Have access to a stable Internet connection (in your home or community) to allow you to fully participate in the program activities.
- Ensure ongoing access to a reliable computer (desktop or laptop) and two standard size monitors to allow you to work effectively at home and participate actively in your Zoom classes.
- Have a web camera and have it turned on while you are participating in Zoom activities.
- Set up a private space for your studies (for classroom confidentiality).
- Ensure you have an ergonomically correct space for your studies.
- Attend a Sask Polytech campus (location to be determined) for one week in each semester one, two, four and five. These residencies are mandatory.
- Be available for applied learning activities through practicums in semesters three, five and six. You may be required to spend this time in a location away from your home and where addictions counselling services are provided. During this time, you will be assigned to a preceptor and will apply the skills you have learned throughout your program in an industry setting.
Upon graduation, you'll be able to apply some of your clinical practice education hours as recognized clinical supervision to achieve full CACCF certification as a mental health and addictions counsellor or prevention worker.
Hands-on learning
Get a degree
General courses that are transferable from other colleges, universities, or polytechnics include: ENGL 101, PSYC 102, and SOCI 171.
Career and salary information
Your career
Graduates of our program make a difference for clients in a variety of settings; here are a few of the areas and programs where our graduates work:
- inpatient and residential treatment
- intensive day-patient and outpatient
- community mental health and addiction services (integrated outreach services)
- indigenous treatment centres
- mental health crisis teams
- emergency departments
- rapid access to addiction medicine clinics (RAAM) and a variety of multidisciplinary teams
- partial hospital and day treatment
- detoxification: social and medical
- correctional facilities
- programs working with offenders under community supervision
- juvenile detention centres
- employee family assistance programs
- prevention and education community mobilization
For more information, contact the Student Employment Services at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus nearest you.
Potential careers
| Sample job title | NOC classification |
|---|---|
| Addictions counsellor | Therapists in counselling & related specialized therapies (41301) |
| Mental health worker | Social and community service workers (42201) |
| Crisis intervention worker | Social and community service workers (42201) |
Admissions
Admission requirements
- Grade 12 with English Language Arts A30 and English Language Arts B30
- English Language Requirement specific to Mental Health and Addictions Counselling (see Program-Specific ELP Requirements section)
Note:
- Current certification in the following must be provided prior to the commencement
of semester 2 of the program. The cost of this certification is your responsibility:
- Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR®)©
- Advanced Professional Assault Response Training (PART)
- Standard First Aid
- Basic Life Support Provider (formerly CPR Health Care Provider 'C' AED) or equivalent
- 2015 WHMIS Globally Harmonized System (GHS) certification. Recertification will be required every three years to remain current.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide current immunization records.
- Admitted students are required to provide evidence of a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search and must be received by July 1 of the year of expected entry to the program.
- The cost of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search is your responsibility.
- A student may be declined access to a clinical placement based on the contents of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search. A student must complete the clinical practice education experience to graduate from the program.
- Based on the results of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search, a student may not be eilgible for a practicum/clinical and will not be admitted into the program.
- If you have a criminal record for which a record suspension (pardon) has not been granted or a matter that is currently before the courts, you may not be able to enter the program.
- Program readiness is vital to success in the program. If you have experience(s) with a substance use disorder(s), you will need to have reached a level of stability and functionality that will allow you to undertake this program of studies and to counsel others. Because of the nature of the program, students must be one year free from substance use disorder (in full recovery) to enroll. It is strongly recommended that you consult with a Saskatchewan Polytechnic academic program advisor if you have questions about your preparedness for the program. An interview and/or letter of intent may be required to support your readiness.
Alternative admission
Applicants who do not possess the academic qualifications for a program may be admitted if evidence of probable success can be established through an alternative admission assessment. Applicants are automatically considered for alternative admission. However, some specific admission requirements may still need to be met.
ACCUPLACER©
Refer to the ACCUPLACER© cut scores for this program below, and review additional details concerning Alternative Admission using Accuplacer.
- 250 Reading
- 245 Writing
- 4 Writeplacer
Post-secondary
Some programs allow applicants to meet the admission grade level requirement using 15 approved post-secondary credits. Review additional information.
If the program applied to has specific course requirements, they may be met through alternative post-secondary courses. Review already approved courses that may be used for admission purposes for your programs.
Admission method
First Qualified/First AdmittedThe First Qualified/First Admitted (FQFA) process is used for the majority of Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs. When we determine that you meet the program's admission requirements, you will be offered admission based on the date you fully qualify for the program. The earlier you provide the appropriate documents and information that qualify you for admission to the next intake, the earlier you might begin your studies. Your application, once qualified, is always considered for the next intake.
Applicants to programs with multiple intakes in an academic year remain in the application pool until the last intake for that academic year has begun. Programs using the FQFA process receive applications year round and maintain an application pool for each academic year. Qualified applicants who are not offered a seat must reapply for the next academic year.
Sponsored programs or programs targeted to specific groups do not accept applications year round or maintain an application pool.
See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.
Tuition and fees
Estimates are based on current rates and are subject to change. Amounts for a program may vary by campus. Totals shown here include all mandatory fees as well as approximate cost for books and supplies. Visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a complete breakdown of tuition and fees for this program.
2025-26 academic year
Year 1 - $10,670
Year 2 - $9,880
Courses
Get credit for what you know
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.
See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.
Transfer credit
Many Sask Polytech students benefit from transferring course credit. You may be eligible to transfer credit to Sask Polytech or to another college or university.
| Institution | Details |
|---|---|
| Lethbridge Polytechnic | Graduates of this program may be eligible for block transfer into the third year of the Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree program at Lethbridge Polytechnic. Students will be required to complete specified bridging courses prior to their entry into the third year of the BCJ program. |
| Thompson Rivers University | Graduates of this program may be granted a maximum of 69 transfer credits into the Bachelor of Health Science. |
| University of Lethbridge | Graduates of this program may qualify for admission into the Post-Diploma Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree program in Addictions Counselling for completion of their Bachelor of Health Sciences degree. |
Student awards
Thanks to the generosity of donors and alumni, Saskatchewan Polytechnic gives away more than $2 million in student awards during the academic year.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers student awards for every certificate and diploma program at every campus. Not all student awards are based on marks - some are based on financial need or things like community or volunteer involvement.
Accreditation
Canadian Addictions Counselling Federation (CACCF)
The program is sanctioned by the Canadian Addictions Counsellor Certification Federation (CACCF). It also exceeds national workforce competencies developed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA). This means your training is relevant in today’s job market.
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Additional information
