Special Care Counselling Skills Set

Special Care Counselling is a three-year technical program designed to prepare students to become health technicians in a helping profession. Working as part of a health care team, Special Care Counselling technicians assist clients gain more autonomy as integrated members of society.

Special care counselling co-op students can work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions (preschool to higher education), short and long-term care facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, CLSCs, residences for the elderly, shelters, group homes, summer camps and other social services facilities. They can participate as an active member of a health care team with clients that have physical, mental, emotional and/or behavioral needs.

First-year student skill set

• Demonstrate effective and professional communication while being a part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Provide a list of different resources available to a client within the community, based on presenting need or risk.
• Create and implement rudimentary development activities and clinical tools.
• Identify and draw up a list of the client's support network and informal caregivers.
• Reflect and submit recommendations regarding a client's file.
• Understand the concept of role within the mandate and expectations of the position.
• Possess their first-aid certificate and be able to apply first-aid techniques.

Second-year student skill set

• Provide information about intervention approaches, objectives and techniques.
• Assess a client's behavioural or physical condition.
• Apply techniques for physically positioning and moving a client appropriate to the client's condition.
• Create and implement advanced development activities and clinical tools, with the support of a multidisciplinary team.
• Able to work with clients who demonstrate at risk behavior or who are particularly vulnerable due to a physical, neurological, behavioural or social difficulty.
• Provide support and intervention within a team during a crisis.

For more information about this program, consult the program profile.