Mental Health and Substance Use – Level 1

The UBC Micro-certificate in Mental Health and Substance Use provides a comprehensive understanding of mental health and substance use at a foundational level. It is targeted to frontline service providers, aiming to enhance their ability to work effectively and ethically with individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. The program emphasizes working with marginalized populations experiencing intersectional oppression, such as Indigenous, racialized, and sexual and gender minority groups, as well as the unhoused population, children, and youth.

By the end of the program, you will be able to:

• Identify and assess mental health symptoms and substance use challenges at a foundational level
• Develop foundational skills and strategies for effective and ethical engagement with individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges
• Describe and examine the social determinants of mental health and substance use, and methods to support holistic recovery
• Apply trauma-informed, strengths-based, and anti-oppressive approaches to engagement with individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges

This program will be of particular benefit to frontline staff in non-profit and government-funded social service programs or agencies that serve, or regularly encounter, individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

Specific examples of learners who could benefit from this micro-certificate program include:

• Housing and shelter support workers
• Child protection workers
• Health outreach workers
• Harm reduction workers
• Staff and volunteers at overdose prevention sites
• Peer-support workers
• Settlement workers and others supporting immigrants and refugees
• Sexual health and youth clinic staff
• Drop-in centre staff working with marginalized populations
• Community centre staff
• Staff and volunteers working with 2SLGBTQIA+ populations
• Teachers and staff in the school system

Each course is $750, with a total micro-certificate cost of $1,500.

All fees are in Canadian dollars, subject to change and to GST (where applicable). For details on forms of payment accepted, please see How to pay.

Find more details on refunds, cancellations, and transfers.

This program consists of two courses, each involving approximately 30 hours of learning activities divided into topic-based modules. Combined, the program will take approximately 60–70 hours to complete, including assignments to evaluate learning.

You can take the courses on their own, in any order. However, to gain the most value from the program, we recommend taking the courses in succession. You must complete both courses to obtain your micro-certificate.

Each course indicates a course start and end date. You will have 6 months of access to the course materials. This is a self-paced course with optional monthly real-time instructor-led online sessions.

Required courses

Required courses

Course name	Format	Next start date	Learn more
Mental Health (0514)	Online	Jan 1, 2026	Details
Substance Use and Addiction (0515)	See details	TBD	Details

This program is 100% online, self-paced, and instructor-supported with optional monthly real-time instructor-led online sessions. You progress through the course on your own time and at your own pace and can access course materials anytime for up to 6 months.

Course work is done independently and at your own pace within deadlines set by the facilitator. Log in anytime to your course to access the lessons as they become available.

Expected effort

You can expect to spend approximately two to three hours per week, or 30 total hours per course, in addition to any live sessions you might attend. The full micro-certificate can be completed in three to six months.

Course activities

Learners will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills using a variety of learning activities, including:

• Written content organized into topic-based modules
• Interactive exercises (e.g., matching terms to definitions)
• Video lectures and recordings with service providers and others with relevant experience in the fields of mental health and substance use practice
• Monthly opportunities to engage in a synchronous online discussion session facilitated by a facilitator with subject matter expertise, to allow for interactive learning
• Reflection and case-study-based evaluation activities

Assessment

Learners’ knowledge will be evaluated through the following assessment methods:

• Quizzes at the end of each module, meant to reinforce key content in that module — can be completed multiple times in order to progress to the next module
• Reflection exercises — reviewed by a facilitator, with feedback provided
• A final knowledge check (multiple-choice) — can be completed multiple times in order to achieve a passing grade
• A final case study-based written assignment — reviewed by a facilitator with feedback provided and graded as pass/fail (with an opportunity to redo the assignment if needed)

Learners will earn a digital badge upon successful completion of each course and a micro-credential badge upon successful completion of the two courses.

Courses were developed and will be facilitated by experienced mental health and substance use practitioners and educators.

Jack York, MSW, RSW, is Program Coordinator for UBC Social Work Continuing Education and a Sessional Lecturer. Jack has extensive experience in mental health and substance use practice and clinical supervision, completed the BC Centre on Substance Use Addiction Social Work Fellowship, is a PhD student researching substance use and housing, and led the development of the UBC Micro-certificate in Mental Health and Substance Use.

Jessica Tengco, MSW, RSW, RCC, is a social worker and clinical counsellor with extensive experience in mental health clinical practice, clinical supervision and counselling practice. She maintains a private counselling practice and developed course content for UBC Micro-certificate in Mental Health and Substance Use.

Jennifer Diamond, MSW, RSW, is a Clinical Specialist in Mental Health and Substance Use at Interior Health. She has extensive experience in substance use practice, harm reduction, research and education, completed the BC Centre on Substance Use Addiction Social Work Fellowship and developed course content for the UBC Micro-certificate in Mental Health and Substance Use.

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the UBC School of Social Work, and an accomplished research scholar in the fields of global mental health and addiction. He is also an experienced educator and clinician in mental health and substance use practice. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim was instrumental in designing the structure and content of the MHSU Certificate program.