Mental Health and Addictions Counselling

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is pleased to announce the launch of our redesigned Mental Health and Addictions Counselling (formerly Addictions Counselling) diploma program, which began August 2021. With the new delivery format, students will be able to study where they live and bring their new knowledge in the specialty to communities across the province to assist with our growing addictions crisis in Saskatchewan.

Note for Returning Students:
Students who exited the Addictions Counselling diploma program prior to completion will be provided with a transition plan utilizing a combination of transfer credit and PLAR courses from the former program. Returning students will graduate with an Addictions Counselling diploma credential or with the new diploma, depending on when they exited the program. 

Our redesign supports flexible learning and focuses on innovation and building a strong learning community. This program will continue to be employer-driven and learner-focused. Key highlights of our relaunch include:

• responding to emerging mental health and addiction trends in partnership with individuals, families, groups, communities and stakeholders;
• a dynamic and innovative curriculum that integrates theory, evidence-based practice, trauma-informed care, and experiential learning for the distinct profession of mental health and addictions counselling;
• the option for students to learn and study where they live; (access to stable Internet in the student's home or community is required);
• four one week long on-campus residences (sites to be determined) during the program that will allow students to hone their counselling skills and connect with other students;
• a continued prioritization of Indigenous ways of knowing; emphasizing the importance of relationships, exploring the truth and reconciliation process, and with a renewed focus on Indigenization, intersectionality, and culturally reflective care; and
• enhanced applied opportunities (at suitable employer sites) throughout the province where students can apply the skills they have learned in the classroom and labs.

Students who are studying in this new hybrid format will be required to:

• attend scheduled synchronous Zoom sessions each day;
• 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 2 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 and ergonomically correct space for your studies;
• attend a Sask Polytech campus (location to be determined) for one week in each of semesters 1, 2, 4, and 5, to practice and hone your counselling skills and to meet and study with other students who are enrolled in the program, and
• be available for applied learning activities in each of Term 3, 5, and 6. 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.

Applied (hands-on) learning is the cornerstone of Saskatchewan Polytechnic's vision for education and allows you to hone the skills you've obtained throughout the Mental Health and Addictions Counselling program. It is made possible by our strong relationships with our industry partners, and they are excited to work with and mentor our students. You'll work alongside them and work directly with clients in a supervised setting; you'll have the opportunity to better understand the 'real world' role of a mental health and addictions counsellor and make important connections for your upcoming career. At times some travel is needed during these experiences to ensure you are able to meet the competencies of the program.

Get a Degree

Our program works closely with Lethbridge College, the University of Lethbridge and Thompson Rivers University.

General courses that are transferable from other colleges, universities, or polytechnics include: ENGL 101, PSYC 102, and SOCI 171.

Nationally Recognized Training

The program is aligned to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) technical and behavioral competencies and the Canadian Addictions Counsellor Certification Federation (CACCF) core functions of clinical practice. This means your training is relevant in today's job market.

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.

For more information about this program, contact Joy Friesen, program head, Mental Health and Addictions Counselling, at joy.friesen@saskpolytech.ca.

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.

September 

Year 1 - 40 weeks; Year 2 - 40 weeks

• Online/Distance options available



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.

• This program is delivered online but students will be required to attend a Sask Polytech campus (location to be determined) for one week in each semester 1, 2, 4, and 5.

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 evidence of a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search prior to commencement of the program. (When you are accepted to the program, you will be further advised of the required timelines for submission of the related documents. Please await further notice).
• Accepted applicants are required to provide current immunization records.
• 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. 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

The 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.

2022/23 Academic Year

Year 1 - $9,815
Year 2 - $8,940

Year 1 - Semester 1

ENGL 101

Critical Reading and Writing

3

MHA 103

Roles, Responsibilities and Ethics

4

MHA 104

Introduction to Pharmacology and Psychobiology

3

MHA 105

Phenomenology of Substance Use and Disorder Patterns

4

MHA 108

Mental Health First Aid

1

MHA 148

Professional Practice

3

PSYC 102

Introduction to Psychology 1

3

SOCI 171

Culture and Diversity in Canadian Society

3

Year 1 - Semester 2

MHA 101

Introduction to Counselling Skills

4

MHA 102

Conflict Resolution

3

MHA 106

Models of Detoxification Processes

3

MHA 107

Family and the Healing Process

3

MHA 143

Concurrent Disorders

3

MHA 144

Poly-Addictions

3

MHA 149

Mental Health and Psychological Considerations

3

SEM 109

Seminar

2

Year 1 - Semester 3

MHA 109

Trauma-Informed Practice

4

PRAC 131

Allied Services Practicum

5

PRAC 247

Detoxification Practicum

5

Year 2 - Semester 4

COUN 241

Counselling Modalities

3

MHA 200

Case File Management, Screenings, and Intake Procedures

3

MHA 201

Assessments, Motivational Interviewing and Recovery Plans

4

MHA 202

Individual Counselling Skills (Theory)

4

MHA 203

Individual Counselling Skills Lab

4

SEM 202

Individual Counselling Seminar

4

Year 2 - Semester 5

COUN 245

Group Facilitation

4

MHA 204

Practice Considerations for Diverse Populations

3

MHA 205

Contemporary Interventions

3

MHA 206

Group Counselling

4

MHA 207

Community Engagement, Partnerships and Prevention Programs

4

MHA 208

Transition to Professional Practice Seminar

3

PRAC 220

Consolidated Practice Education A

5

Year 2 - Semester 6

PRAC 221

Consolidated Practice Education B

21

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.

• Candidate Guide
• More 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.

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.

More about scholarships

• Personal Readiness

• Justice Studies
• Youth Care Worker