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  5. Social and Community Service Workers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Social and Community Service Workers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals administer social assistance and community agency programs. They intervene with individuals, families, groups, and communities facing social problems. They are usually employed by government and community organizations. They may also work for social economy and social service enterprises.

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Violence

Main tasks

  • Establish the history of individuals, prepare admission reports, and assess their strengths and weaknesses in terms of competencies.
  • Assist individuals in developing an action plan and implementing solutions.
  • Refer people to other social services and help them find and use them.
  • Counsel and supervise individuals who are living in group homes and transition houses and plan their release.
  • Organize workshops and develop community and social service programs.
  • Follow-up with individuals to assess their progress, encourage them, and discuss difficulties and problems encountered.
  • Provide crisis intervention and emergency shelter services.
  • Implement and organize the delivery of specific services in the community.
  • Supervise volunteers and co-workers as required.

Advancement and mobility

  • Experience and additional training enable these individuals to move into a variety of positions (marriage or family therapists, social workers, probation officers, etc.).

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2019 to 2021.
Minimum
$16.00
Median
$24.00
Maximum
$33.61

Job prospects for 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2022-2026

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2021

All of Québec

32,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
75.5% Female
24.5% Male

Not available.
  • 75.5% Female
  • 24.5% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2015

All of Québec

$41,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for men
  • None

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for men
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Social Assistance
    NAICS 624
    30% of jobs
  2. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    28% of jobs
  3. Other Services (except Public Administration)
    NAICS 81
    19% of jobs
  4. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    12% of jobs
  5. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    5% of jobs
  6. Others
    6% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Social Assistance
    NAICS 624
    30% of jobs
  2. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    28% of jobs
  3. Other Services (except Public Administration)
    NAICS 81
    19% of jobs
  4. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    12% of jobs
  5. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    5% of jobs
  6. Others
    6% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

College

ACS in Éducation spécialisée This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : JNC18
DCS in social Service This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 388A0

Placement rate: 66.4%

30.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DCS in special Care Counselling This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 351A0

Placement rate: 80%

17.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
ACS in techniques d'éducation spécialisée This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : JNC13

Placement rate: 82.6%

6.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DCS in techniques d'éducation spécialisée (Nouvelle version) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 351A1
DCS in youth and Adult Correctional Intervention This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 310B0

Placement rate: 67.5%

30.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
DCS in techniques d’intervention en criminologie (Nouvelle version) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 310B1
DCS in techniques de travail social (nouvelle version) This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 388A1
ACS in techniques en éducation spécialisée This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : JNC1E

University

Criminology
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 73.6%

24.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 86.5%

10.8% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université Laval
Multidisciplinary (Humanities)
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 55.7%

38.6% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 60%

40% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Concordia University
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
  • Université du Québec à Rimouski
  • Université Laval
  • McGill University
Psychoeducation
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 33.3%

64.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 91%

4.5% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
  • Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
  • Université Laval
  • McGill University
Psychology
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 35.3%

60.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 23.3%

69.8% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Bishop's University
  • Concordia University
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
  • Université Laval
  • McGill University
Sexology
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 59.5%

35.7% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 80%

20% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
Social or community leadership
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 69.9%

19.9% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 80.6%

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Concordia University
  • Université du Québec à Rimouski
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Social work
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 88.8%

7.9% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 84.4%

9.9% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
  • Université du Québec à Rimouski
  • Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
  • Université Laval
  • McGill University

Sometimes required

  • Experience in the social-service community as a volunteer or in support services may substitute for educational requirements for some occupations.
  • Training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be required.
  • A Class 5 driver’s licence may be required.
  • Certification or diploma related to the duties of the position or industry may be required.
  • Membership in a regulatory body may be required, depending on the occupation.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Active listening
  • Data collection
  • Oral expression
  • Critical thought
  • Social perception
  • Reading comprehension
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Service oriented
  • Result evaluation
  • Solving complex problems
  • Coordination
  • Written expression
  • Time management
  • Negotiation
  • Persuasion
  • Information processing
  • Active learning
  • System analysis
  • Teaching
  • Learning strategies
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Verbal skills
  • Oral comprehension
  • Awareness of issues
  • Written comprehension
  • Written expression
  • Speech clarity
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Speech recognition
  • Information organization
  • Near vision
  • Classification
  • Idea generation
  • Originality
  • Selective attention
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Capacity to establish and maintain interpersonal relations
  • Capacity to influence and mobilize
  • Knowledge of customer and personalized services
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Capacity to be discrete
  • Availability
  • Capacity to facilitate a group
  • Open-mindedness
  • Knowledge of psychology
  • Knowledge of therapy and counselling

Interests

  • Draft, communicate, and inform
  • Watch, defend, and secure
  • Assist and advise

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Social
People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Enterprising
People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Investigative
People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 4212

Social and community service workers

Job titles

  • Social animator
  • Special education technician - social and community services
  • Mental health proctor
  • Youth worker
  • Social services worker
  • Veterans' affairs field officer
  • Native community worker
  • Financial assistance officer - social assistance
  • Social welfare officer
  • Community liaison worker
  • Income maintenance officer - social services
  • Rehabilitation officer - social services
  • Social rehabilitation officer
  • Community services officer - social services
  • Welfare and compensation officer
  • Settlement worker - community services
  • Veteran services officer
  • Community worker
  • Psychological assistant
  • Social services assistant
  • Case aide - social services
  • Community counsellor - social services
  • Life skills instructor
  • Residential counsellor - group home
  • Certified return-to-work co-ordinator - disability management
  • Social services volunteer co-ordinator
  • Youth hostel co-ordinator
  • Community centre co-ordinator
  • Native centre co-ordinator
  • Women's centre co-ordinator - social services
  • Hostel co-ordinator
  • Eligibility co-ordinator - welfare
  • Youth development co-ordinator
  • Return-to-work co-ordinator - disability management
  • Child life specialist
  • Welfare worker
  • Detention home worker
  • Group home operator
  • Certified return-to-work facilitator - disability management
  • Return-to-work facilitator - disability management
  • Personal skills development instructor - social services
  • Itinerant support service worker
  • Native outreach worker
  • Youth worker - social services
  • Halfway house worker
  • Child welfare worker
  • Peer support worker
  • Exceptional-child-care worker (except day care)
  • Drug addiction worker
  • Addictions worker - compulsive gambling
  • Shelter workshop supervisor
  • Help centre supervisor - social services
  • Shelter supervisor - social services
  • Women's centre supervisor - social services
  • Women's shelter supervisor
  • Women's shelter supervisor - social services
  • Women's centre program supervisor - social services
  • Welfare organization supervisor
  • Halfway house supervisor
  • Social rehabilitation technician
  • Registered social service worker
  • Hostel outreach worker
  • Meals-on-wheels worker
  • Rehabilitation service worker
  • Child and youth worker
  • Supervised access worker
  • Community centre worker
  • Drop-in centre worker
  • Neighbourhood worker - social services
  • Street outreach worker
  • Child-care worker (except day care)
  • Community service worker
  • Community and social services worker
  • Developmental service worker
  • Crisis intervention worker
  • Family service worker
  • Community organization worker
  • Substance abuse worker
  • Addictions worker
  • Financial assistance worker - social services
  • Intellectual disabilities worker
  • Community development worker
  • Group home worker
  • Disability management worker
  • Rehabilitation worker - social services
  • Community rehabilitation worker
  • Social rehabilitation worker
  • Mental health worker
  • Community mental health worker
More Less job titles

Skill type

Education, law and social, community and government services

Related occupations

  • Educational counsellors
  • Family, marriage and other related counsellors
  • Instructors of persons with disabilities
  • Managers in social, community and correctional services
  • Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
  • Social workers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: March 17, 2023

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