Community and Justice Services program a great start to a rewarding career
Dec. 2, 2020
Kim Corbett could see the toll her brother’s custody battle was taking on her young niece. She felt the child’s needs were not taken into consideration and her voice wasn’t being heard. The fact that her niece wasn’t getting the proper nurturing she needed with either parent helped Kim determine what type of career she wanted to get into. She knew she needed to choose a program that had something to do with justice.
“This was when I came across the Community and Justice Services (CJSR) program,” she recalls. “I learned that I would get the opportunity to work with at-risk and offender individuals, whether it was in the institutional setting or in the community through corrections programs. I knew this was the best field for me. I wanted to gain the knowledge and understanding of why individuals made the choices they made and to help influence them to make better life decisions not only for themselves but also their families.”
The CJSR program focuses on practical and hands-on knowledge that is related to the industry. Students learn from faculty who have worked in the field to gain knowledge and skills that meet the core competencies of the profession, including problem-solving, counselling and case management, diversity awareness, risk management and behavioural intervention.
Students also have opportunities throughout the two-year program to complete certificates that focus on topics such as Indigenous justice and training, emergency and incident management, as well as mental health and well-being. A field placement in the final semester supports their transition into the profession.
For graduate, Linzi Caldwell, her field placement was the stepping stone for a paid position at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Simcoe County. That, and the experience she gained in the program, got her a second position within the organization.
“When my placement got cancelled due to COVID, they asked if I would be interested in a job, which I was delighted to accept,” she says. “I was able to gain huge experience, not only in the community but the added experience of working during a pandemic. While I enjoyed the dynamic work environment of the shelter side, I wanted more. When a job came up as the South Simcoe Youth Worker, I applied and got it.”
Students have a broad range of career and continuing education opportunities after graduating from the program. They work in a variety of positions at provincial and federal institutions, within youth justice facilities and mental health treatment-based facilities, as well as in a variety of community residential settings such as halfway houses, and rehabilitation programs.
They also find employment in community-based justice and advocacy agencies, and organizations that provide intervention and rehabilitation programs to people who are at-risk or being diverted from the formal criminal justice process.
“Students who want to work in probation or probation and parole positions further their education through a number of degree programs that are offered at Georgian and other universities, as this role requires an individual to hold a degree,” says Joshua Barath, program co-ordinator. “In addition, graduates of the program have continued their education in post graduate certificate programs that offer specialization in areas such as mental health and addictions.”
Graduate Bailey Swanton says the CJSR program was a great starting point to further her education in a four-year degree in Social Science and Criminal Justice.
“With the CJRS program, I was able to pinpoint exactly where I wanted to go,” she says. “I knew that I had made the right decision with not choosing policing directly, as it just didn’t suit me. Being part of CJSR, I was able to connect with many professors with experience in other professions and it made it a lot easier to understand and get different perspectives on the justice system. I became really passionate about furthering my education.”
Like Bailey, Kim is also pursuing further education and is enrolled in Georgian’s Addictions: Treatment and Prevention graduate certificate program to further her knowledge and skills in that area. Further to her field placement at the Vanier Centre for Women, she has also entered into the recruitment process for a correctional officer position with the facility.
“The CJSR program exceeded my expectations,” she says. “A lot of the teachers were able to take the time to get to know us through assignments and conversations. They paid attention to our needs and thought processes when it came to figuring out the path we wanted to go in, in the corrections field. From this, they were able to guide and develop options that fit our interests.”