Community services courses online
Ready for a career in community services? Find out which online course is right for you with our guide.
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Does becoming a social worker or health and welfare services manager sound like something you want to pursue? From what courses are available online and subjects you'll cover to career prospects and course durations - this is your guide to exploring a rewarding career in community services.
Where can I find community services courses online?
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What online courses are available for community services?
Community services courses give you the option to study for a certificate, diploma or degree.
This is just a small sample of the online courses you can study in Australia.
Certificates
Best for: Piqued interest and entry-level careers
| Course | Course Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III in Community Services | Course duration: 12 months. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Community care worker, caseworker, community services worker, neighbourhood centre worker, youth worker, recreational activities officer, early intervention worker, social welfare worker, juvenile justice officer and welfare support worker. | Kirana Colleges via Training.com.au |
| Certificate IV in Community Services | Course duration: 12 months including 120 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Case worker, community services worker, health education officer, outreach officer, welfare worker and family support worker. | National College of Australia via Training.com.au |
| Certificate IV in Youth Work | Course duration: Up to 18 months including 120 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Community development youth worker, Indigenous youth worker, recreational youth activities worker, residential support worker, youth and family services officer, youth case worker, youth housing support worker and youth worker. | Open Colleges |
| Dual Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs & Certificate IV in Mental Health | Course duration: Up to 24 months including 160 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Case worker, community support worker, detoxification worker, drug and alcohol worker, family support worker, mental health intake officer, mental health outreach worker, mental health worker, outreach worker and support worker. | Open Colleges |
| Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs | Course duration: 12 months including 80 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Accommodation support worker, community support worker, residential care worker, disability service officer, support worker and mental health worker. | Upskilled via Training.com.au |
Diplomas
Best for: Career
| Course | Course Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma of Community Services (Mental Health) | Course duration: 12 months including 100 hours of supervised work experience. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Case coordinator, caseworker, community services worker, group facilitator, alcohol and other drugs worker, client service assessor, early intervention worker, social welfare worker, support facilitator and coordinator family services. | Kirana Colleges via Training.com.au |
| Diploma of Community Services | Course duration: Up to 24 months including 160 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Case coordinator, case management supervisor, case worker or manager, community services worker, manager community services, program coordinator and team leader. | Open Colleges |
| Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) | Course duration: Up to 24 months including 100 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Community worker, welfare worker, case manager, early intervention worker, family support worker and youth worker. | Upskilled via Training.com.au |
| Diploma of Community Services (Statutory and Forensic Child, Youth and Family Welfare) | Course duration: 12 months including 120 hours of work placement. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Youth worker and family support worker. | Upskilled via Training.com.au |
Degrees
Best for: Career
| Course | Course Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Community Health | Course duration: 3 years full-time. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Welfare support workers and health and welfare services managers. | University of South Australia via Open Universities |
| Bachelor of Arts (Community Development) | Course duration: 3 years full-time. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Social professionals and policy and planning managers. | Murdoch University via Open Universities |
| Master of Social Work | Course duration: 2 years full-time or 3.5 years part-time. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Social workers and health and welfare service managers. | Griffith University via Open Universities |
| Master of Social Work (Graduate Entry) | Course duration: 2 years full-time. Recognition: Nationally recognised. Career prospects: Social workers and health and welfare service managers. | Flinders University via Open Universities |
Who should take an online community services course?
Online courses in community services are designed for aspiring social workers, youth workers, case managers and outreach officers. With such a wide range of certifications, diplomas and degrees available, improving employability or upskilling in areas such as drugs/alcohol or mental health can be achieved in a few years.
For those of you looking to start out in community services, consider a certificate or diploma. This will make you eligible for an entry-level position such as a worker in community care or recreational youth activities. If you're already working in community services or hold a bachelor's degree and want to upskill, we suggest looking into a masters of social work.
What topics may be covered in an online community services course?
Depending on the qualification level, you can expect any of the following subjects to be covered in a community services course:
- Foundations of social work practice
- Interdisciplinary professional ethics
- Critical reflective practice in social work
- Working collaboratively
- Promoting and facilitating self advocacy
- Providing interventions
- Working with clients with mental health issues and/or alcoholism
- Responding to client needs
- Safe work practices
- Managing personal stressors
- Workplace communication strategies
- Workplace debriefing and support processes
- Personal reflection
- Budgeting and financial planning
- Implementing service programs
- Analysing sociological factors
- Promoting diversity
- Legal and ethical compliance
- Developing research skills and methods
How long does an online community services course take to complete?
An online course in community services takes between one to three years. You can expect certificates and postgraduate courses to be shorter, around the one year mark. However, diplomas, bachelor's degrees and masters sit at upwards of two years.
What are the career opportunities after taking a community services course?
After completing community services course you could become qualified for these roles:
- Case coordinator
- Caseworker
- Community services worker
- Group facilitator
- Alcohol and other drugs worker
- Client service assessor
- Early intervention worker
- Social welfare worker
- Support facilitator and coordinator family services
- Health education officer
- Outreach officer
- Welfare worker
- Family support worker
- Community development youth worker
- Indigenous youth worker
- Recreational youth activities worker
- Residential support worker
- Youth and family services officer
- Youth case worker
- Youth housing support worker
- Youth worker
- Accommodation support worker
- Community support worker
- Residential care worker
- Disability service officer
- Support worker
- Mental health worker
- Case management supervisor
- Manager community services
- Program coordinator
- Team leader
What equipment and software will I need?
For an easy online learning experience, you'll need:
- A stable Internet connection.
- Laptop or computer.
- Recent version of Windows or MAC OSX.
- Allocated textbooks.
- Adobe Reader (or equivalent program) for multimedia resources.
- Zoom, Google Hangouts or Skype for classes that need video chat. This may not be the case for all online courses.
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