A community support worker is someone who provides care to people who are physically or mentally facing challenges and need help to live a normal life. If you are somebody who likes to help people and make a difference around you, then having a career as a community support worker is a good option for you.
What Does A Community Support Worker Do?
Community support workers help people of the community who are at risk with their everyday tasks. They provide a range of services, including cooking meals for the community, helping members of the community with tasks, and offering emotional and mental support. Community support workers also assist those in need who are typically at risk of experiencing personal and societal issues. Additionally, they assist individuals in enrolling in social welfare programs so that the state-run programs can better serve them.
People who are vulnerable in their community, such as the elderly or those with impairments, receive care and support from community support workers. A career as a community support worker can be a good fit for you if you enjoy helping people and have empathy. These are some of the main duties that a community support worker or community service worker usually does:
- Community support workers counsel clients living in group homes.
- They obtain clients histories, review client information, and prepare reports.
- Interview patients to review their needs and strengths.
- Coordinate and mobilise resources to provide sports services and other such facilities to clients.
- They also assess which kind of social benefits are needed by the clients.
- They provide assistance to people who are facing problems due to substance abuse.
- They refer clients to social services and support people in housing, transportation, etc.
- Community support workers also help clients in relocating and emergency shelter services.
Community support workers usually work in social service agencies, government agencies, correctional facilities, substance abuse centres, mental health organizations, school boards, women’s shelters, addictions and counselling centres, group homes, etc.
Community Support Worker Salary Range
The median wage of a community support worker or a community service worker in Canada is $25.00 per hour, according to Job Bank. Whereas the low and high wages are $18.50 and $35.00, respectively. Some provinces and territories offer higher salaries while others are on the lower side. For instance, Nunavut offers the highest median wage of $33, while Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories offer $32 and $31, respectively. Among provinces, Ontario and Prince Edward Island offer higher median salaries of $26 each.
Job Prospects Of Community Support Workers
When it comes to job prospects of community support workers, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Yukon Territory have ‘good’ job prospects. Whereas Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan have moderate job prospects. However, British Columbia is the outlier where the job prospects are limited, according to the Job Bank.
The supply and demand of community support workers from 2019 to 2021 remained balanced in the country. However, from 2022 to 2031, up to 59,100 new jobs are expected to be created while 51,300 new job seekers are expected to fill these jobs, according to the Job Bank. This means that there will be more jobs and a lower number of people to take up those jobs.
Join Edison College’s Community Support Worker diploma
Edison College offers a 30-week diploma in Community Support Worker: Addictions & Mental Health Specialization. This diploma is completely online, and it provides a solid understanding and skills to effectively manage clients who need help in substance abuse and other such services. The graduates of this diploma can work in shelter homes, mental health organizations, substance abuse centres, school boards, and other such areas. The health care industry in Canada is growing, and the job opportunities for community support workers are also expected to increase in the future. To support its graduates, Edison College also offers career support, including job placements.
Conclusion
Community support workers are an integral part of the health care industry in Canada because they link different arms of this industry with each other. As discussed above, there will be a significant growth in the new job openings of community support workers from the 2022-2031 period. The demand for community support workers is on the rise because the population of Canada is not only growing but also getting old quite fast. It is not just that the demand for such jobs is growing; the overall health care industry in Canada is expanding because of the rising health awareness and because more people need health care facilities than ever before. Contact us today to learn more about this program.
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