Overview of Field Placement

The Addictions and Mental Health Worker (AMHW) Field Placement is a cornerstone of the program, offering students a space to plant, grow, and bloom as professionals. It immerses students in real-world settings related to addiction, substance use, and mental health, fostering compassionate, competent, and reflective practice while honouring the lived experiences of the people and communities they serve.

The primary intent of the AMHW Field Placement is to:

🌱 Plant Your Seed: Apply knowledge, skills, and values in real-world settings, grounding your practice in respect and honour for the experiences of individuals and communities.

🎓 Nurture Your Growth: Develop as a “Professional in Training” under the guidance of experienced Agency Field Supervisors (AFS) and College Field Supervisors (CFS), cultivating confidence, skill, and self-awareness.

🏢 Stretch Your Branches: Explore diverse practice environments, gaining mastery of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for ethical, client-centered, and compassionate care in addiction, substance use, and mental health contexts.

💡 Open Your Bloom: Strengthen critical thinking about service delivery, practice challenges, and community needs, reflecting on your impact and responsibility as a professional.

Field Placement is a transformative opportunity for professional development. Students are placed in supervised, supportive environments where they engage in hands-on learning, apply their skills thoughtfully, and contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of individuals, groups, and communities.

The program offers diverse placement opportunities across agencies and community settings. The Field Placement Coordinator works with each student to match placements with their passions, learning goals, and interests, ensuring each experience is meaningful, personalized, and centred on community engagement.

Within each placement, students may:

• Work with Care: Engage directly with individuals, groups, and communities, honouring their lived experiences and fostering trust and compassion.

• Practice Mindfully: Participate in collaborative, hands-on learning, applying professional skills in real-world contexts.

• Reflect Deeply: Develop judgment, ethical decision-making, and self-awareness by considering the impact of your work on the community.

Through Field Placement, students strengthen their professional roots, cultivate their identity as helpers, and bloom into confident, compassionate practitioners. Each experience builds understanding of the lived realities of the people and communities served, preparing students to make meaningful contributions in the fields of addiction, substance use, and mental health.