Personal Support Worker (PSW) Program
What: The PSW Program was developed to address the shortage of Personal Support Workers in our Simcoe Muskoka communities. This pathway enables students to graduate from secondary school as qualified Personal Support Workers, or for adults who already have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), to complete the program with a PSW certificate
Who: This program is open to students in Grades 11-12, recent graduates, and adult learners.
Cost: The 2024-2025 PSW courses are FREE. Students will be provided with scrubs (for placement) and all required books and materials for the program.
Incentives: Participants may be given up to $5,400 while completing clinical placement in long-term care or home/community care. Individuals who commit to 12-months in long-term care may be given $10,000, plus an additional $10,000 if working in a rural/remote northern location.
Students who begin the program but decide not to complete the qualification, can still earn the secondary credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Program Outline:
The SMCDSB PSW Program is designed to provide maximum flexibility while ensuring students meet all requirements for full certification. The program combines virtual learning with mandatory in-person evening sessions. Placements may take place during the day, evenings, weekends, or summer months.
To succeed in the program, candidates must reside in the Simcoe Muskoka area to access both classes and placements. Students must have their own transportation or arrange transportation for themselves to attend all in-person sessions and placements.
We proudly partner with Simcoe County Long-Term Care Facilities for our Living Classrooms, as well as other long-term care homes and healthcare providers.
Classes rotate across three main locations: Barrie, Bradford, and Orillia, with additional sites in Beeton, Collingwood, and Penetanguishene as the program expands.
Courses will be offered through the Brightspace remote learning platform at night and during the summer, with a combination of mandatory in-person classes. Program instructors will also connect with students in person during placement visits.
Courses:
TPJ3C: Health Care Technology/Anatomy (open to everyone that wants to investigate the PSW Pathway)
TOJ4C: Child Development and Genealogy (PSW Specific Course)
TPJ4C: Health Care Clinical Skills (PSW Labs and Learning skills)
4-Credit Cooperative Education: (Long Term Care Home and/or other PSW Placement)
Certifications:
In addition to the courses, students will earn:
- CPR/Emergency First Aid
- AED
- GPA Alzheimer's
- Elder Abuse in-service
- Acquired Brain Injury in-service/certification
- Other qualifications may be added
Potential Schedules 2024-2025 School Year
PSW program run from September 2024 - June 2025, with the possibility of a placement in the summer. We want to be able to give students a pathway to become a qualified Personal Support Worker by the end of the program. This schedule may evolve based on student enrollment.
All credit packages will be delivered via Virtual Night School with some mandatory Face to Face sessions.
The program begins with TPJ3C, followed by TOJ4C, and concludes with TPJ4C. After successfully completing all three mandatory courses, students may have the opportunity to participate in placements through Day School Coop or SHSM Night School. These PSW coop placements are supported primarily by PSW program instructors. PSW instructors will work in collaboration with Day School staff to ensure a successful experience for students still attending Day School.
How to Register: If you are interested in the PSW Program and would like to receive more information or register, please complete the online PSW Program Registration / of Interest Form Expression