Make a meaningful impact in your community by supporting individuals recovering from mental health and addiction challenges. Gain practical, hands-on experience to help clients access the care they need, promote mental health awareness, and strengthen continuity of care across healthcare, social services, and outreach programs.
This program prepares you to support individuals recovering from mental health and substance use challenges. You’ll develop practical, hands‑on skills and the confidence to provide meaningful, recovery‑focused support, apply trauma‑informed approaches, work effectively as part of a care team, and help clients make progress in their treatment and daily life.
You will learn how to:
When you graduate, you’ll be ready to fill crucial frontline roles, providing continuity of care where it’s needed most.
NorQuest College believes in the importance of on-the-job experience that provides an enriched learning opportunity.
Throughout the program, you’ll complete 100 hours of community volunteering integrated into your coursework and assignments.
This experience introduces you to a range of community services that support individuals affected by mental health and addiction challenges, helping you understand how wraparound supports contribute to recovery and wellbeing. Volunteer activities are instructor-approved and may take place in a range of community settings.
You’ll graduate from this program with 150 hours of work experience through one practicum placement.
In preparation for practicum placement, you’ll apply and test your skills through virtual-reality simulations developed in partnership with the Olson Centre for Health Simulation.
Your practicum may be in your community or close by. Your schedule may include day, evening, or weekend shifts. You will take part in a full-time practicum and must arrange your own transportation to and from the facility.
To support your learning experience, this program is offered in the following format:
In person
Classes are held in a classroom with face-to-face instruction and regularly scheduled meeting times.
Across Alberta, social service and healthcare sectors are expanding recovery-oriented, wraparound care programs, creating a demand for mental health and addiction support workers. This program equips you with the skills and knowledge needed for entry-level support roles in healthcare, justice, corrections, rehabilitation, immigration, and child and family services—across both public and private organizations.
Employment opportunities include:
This program also provides the flexibility to continue your education if you want to work toward a counselling or psychotherapy designation.
This program qualifies for a study permit, and a post-graduate work permit in Canada. Learn more about obtaining your study permit, and how to apply for a post-graduate work permit along with other important immigration information.
Have a question about the Mental Health and Addiction Support Worker program?
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Yes, send me the guideThe personal information requested on this form is collected under the authority of section 33(c) of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used to process your request for information, for internal statistical and enrolment management purposes and to provide ongoing information regarding our courses, programs or events. For information about the collection and use of this information, contact the Regulatory & Compliance Coordinator at 10215 108 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T5J 1L6, Tel. 780.644.6000.
We appreciate your interest in NorQuest’s Program name! However, this program is not open to international students at this time. For a full list of programs available to international students, please visit the Programs and Courses page.
If you’re not sure which program is perfect for you, NorQuest’s International Student Recruiters can help. Contact international.recruitment@norquest.ca or book a meeting.
