Social Service Worker – Gerontology (SSWG)

This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

• develop respectful and collaborative professional and interpersonal relationships that adhere to professional, legal, and ethical standards aligned to social service work.
• record information accurately and communicate effectively in written, digital, verbal and non-verbal ways, in adherence to privacy and freedom of information legislation, in accordance with professional and workplace standards.
• integrate a practice framework within a service delivery continuum, addressing the needs of older individuals, their families and communities at micro, mezzo, macro and global levels, and work with them in achieving their goals.
• plan and implement accessible and responsive programs, services and activation activities that assist in maintaining or restoring function for older adults in all domains, recognizing the diverse needs of older individuals, their families and communities, and meeting these needs.
• examine current social policy, relevant legislation, and political, social, historical, and/or economic systems and their impacts for older individuals and communities when delivering services to the user/client.
• develop strategies and approaches that support older adult individual clients, their families, groups and communities in building the capacity for self-advocacy, while affirming their dignity and self-worth.
• work from an anti-oppressive, strengths-based practice, recognizing the capacity for resilience and growth of older individuals, their families, groups and communities when responding to the diverse needs of these marginalized or vulnerable populations to act as allies and advocates.
• develop strategies and approaches to implement and maintain holistic self-care as a member of a human service profession.
• work with older individuals, their families, groups and communities to ensure that service provider strategies promote social and economic justice, and challenge patterns of oppression, discrimination and harassment, and sexual violence with clients, coworkers and communities.
• develop the capacity to work with the Indigenous older individual, their families, groups and communities while respecting their inherent rights to self-determine, and to identify and address systemic barriers that produce ill-effects, developing appropriate responses using approaches such as trauma informed care practice.