Choose a career as a Personal Support Worker!
The St. Louis PSW program will prepare students to provide supportive care to clients of all ages in various settings to improve the client’s quality of life.

We can teach you to become a Personal Support Worker !

• skill
• knowledge
• physical competence

The job also entails having characteristics that you bring with you.

• compassion
• dedication
• gentleness
• work ethic
• good communication

Professionally recognized PSW Educational Program

St. Louis’ PSW education and certificate program is recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Education, Ontario Ministry of Health, Ministry of Long-Term Care, meets all standards put forth by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and is recognized by employers in all sectors of the health care field.

Qualified Instructors

Program is delivered by Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses with solid understanding of best practices and approaches to adult education and skills-based training as well as the latest health safety protocols.

NO Cost

Tuition fees have always been paid from Ministry of Education funding. The government has recently confirmed that they will continue funding additional support to PSW Programs in Ontario School Boards until March 2026! 

This means that your tuition portion continues to be FREE, and the materials fees has been WAIVED (textbooks, basic uniforms, additional certificates, and first aid/CPR training are FREE).

International Student Fees apply and study permits are required for anybody who is not a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.

In order for us to have your tuition portion paid for by the government, consistent attendance is required. If you need assistance covering any other additional fees that are NOT COVERED such as shoes, medical notes, police records checks, child care subsidy, there are numerous social service and employment agencies under Serco Canada who can direct or support you.

Add Secondary School Credits to your transcript

Earn up to 7 elective Secondary School Credits toward high school completion OR to increase your grades on your transcript, a benefit for any future post-secondary pursuits.

No high school diploma (Ontario Secondary School Diploma – OSSD) required. Up to 7 elective secondary school credits can be earned and added to your high school transcript. If you have not completed your OSSD, or if you completed your education outside of Ontario, please complete a Guidance Intake Form to arrange a meeting with Guidance.  Guidance will let you know if these 7 elective credits means you have now completed all your Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements (including 40 hours of community activities).

Extra Certificates as part of the course: PSW Classes include approved Standard First Aid & CPR-BLS, as part of the course curriculum.  Students do not have to complete this additional pre-requisite training before beginning the St. Louis PSW Certificate Program, as this is now part of your in-class training.

Placement

The Ontario government has committed to continuing the incentive for PSW certificate programs to receive a stipend for work completed during co-op placements. Only Participating employers may honour clinical stipend.  St. Louis cannot guarantee students will be placed  with a participating employer for their co-op placement.

You will Get Hired when you complete the course!

St. Louis’ PSW program has existed since 2001 and each year the employability rate for our certificate program graduates climbs.  St. Louis PSW graduates consistently demonstrate high employment rates. It is from this combination of valuable placement experiences, solid lab skills training and intense knowledge base that employers continually choose St. Louis PSW’s to add to their health care teams.

Modules:

• Role of the Worker
• Safety and Infection Control
• Interpersonal / Communication Skills and Optimal Support and Care Planning
• Individuality of the Person
• Anatomy and Physiology / Assisting a Person to Manage Ongoing Conditions
• Household Management and Nutrition
• Cognitive Impairment and Mental Health Disorders
• Developmental Disorders and Developmental Disabilities
• Abuse, Bullying and Harassment Awareness
• Assisting a Person with Medications
• Assisting a Person with Personal Hygiene
• Assisting with Mobility
• Assisting the Family
• End of Life Care
• Lab Skills and Practice
• Job Skills (Resume and Portfolio Building, Interviewing)

Additional Care Certificates included in St. Louis PSW program:

• Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA®) in Dementia Care
• Fundamentals of Hospice Palliative Care Certificate
• Safe Food Handling Certificate
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
• Standard First Aid & CPR-BLS approved as part of the course curriculum.  Students do not have to complete this additional pre-requisite training before beginning the St. Louis PSW Certificate Program.

In-class theory and lab training totals approximately 460 hours, followed by 310 hours of Long-Term Care (LTC) and Community placements.

See below for full-time and part-time, day and evening options at St. Louis Main Campus plus TWO Living Classroom partner locations with onsite classrooms, labs and more hands-on training.

**  NEW  ** Sunnyside Home – 247 Franklin St N., Kitchener

Full-time Day PSW Living Classroom Program – Waterloo (Mon to Fri; 8:45am to 3:30pm)

• September 2025– June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• No onsite child care services available

**All co-op placement Days and Times will vary***

**  NEW  ** Parkwood Mennonite Homes – 726-730 New Hampshire St, Waterloo

Full-time Day PSW Living Classroom Program – Waterloo (Mon to Fri; 8:45am to 3:30pm)

• September 2024– June, 2025 (except holidays and March Break) – in session
• January 2025 – October, 2025 (no classes during school board holidays, March Break, or July and August) – in session
• September 2025– June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• No onsite child care services available

**All co-op placement Days and Times will vary***

St. Louis – Kitchener Main Campus – 80 Young Street, Kitchener 

Full-time Day PSW Program (Mon to Fri; 8:45am to 3:30pm)

• September 2024 – June, 2025 (except holidays and March Break) – in session
• February, 2025 – November, 2025 (no classes in July or August) – in session
• September 2025– June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• Onsite child care services are offered in coordination with these hours.

Part-time Day PSW Program (Tues, Wed, Thurs; 8:45am to 3:30pm)

• September 2024 – June, 2025 (except holidays and March Break) – in session
• September 2025 – June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• Onsite child care services are offered in coordination with these hours.

Part-time Evening PSW Program (Tues, Wed, Thurs; 4:30pm to 9:30pm + 1 Monday evening a month)

• September 2024 – June, 2025 (except holidays and March Break) – in session
• September 2025 – June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• No onsite child care services available

***All co-op placement Days and Times will vary***

Fairview Mennonite Homes – 515 Langs Drive, Cambridge

Part-time Day PSW Living Classroom Program – Cambridge (Tues, Wed, Thurs; 8:45am to 3:30pm)

• September 2024 – June, 2025 (except holidays and March Break) –in session
• September 2025 – June, 2026 (except holidays and March Break)
• No onsite child care services available

***All co-op placement Days and Times will vary***

St. Louis’ PSW Certificate program will prepare students to provide supportive care to clients of all ages, in various settings, to improve the client’s quality of life.

Skill Lab

Students will practice and be evaluated by the instructor on best practices in hand hygiene and PPE in the lab.  Students also practice all aspects of Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) and are tested on their skills involving Bed Baths.

Prior to facility placement, efficient and comfortable methods to assist with mobility, lifts and transfer of clients is both taught and demonstrated. Students will apply knowledge of the musculoskeletal system, practice good body mechanics and consider factors affecting client function through the use of scenarios at the bedside, during lab practice and during demonstration of such skills. Practical skills, knowledge and professionalism will be evaluated by both the instructor and module specialist.

At our Cambridge & Waterloo partner locations, the Living Classroom model integrates skills lab hours and student-resident experiences.

Placement Assignments

St. Louis provides clinical and community placement opportunities for you to apply your learning, by arranging a blend of Long-Term Care facility and community agency placement experiences.  St. Louis teaching staff work closely with a team of students and preceptors at each site to ensure that techniques, and approaches to care are carried out in accordance with all of the professional standards expected of a PSW.  During placement, students are expected to demonstrate the skills taught in the classroom and lab and must follow the policies of the on-site training organization. Total hours of clinical experience is 310 hours (180 in long-term care + 130 in community settings). Length of each shift is predetermined.  Note there will be some very early morning or late afternoon shifts.

Professional Expectations

All professional expectations around attire, identification, professional conduct, attendance and who you report to etc. are all clearly explained during class, prior to placement and during placement.  St. Louis takes tremendous pride in the reputation and integrity of the St. Louis PSW program.  These expectations learned during the program as a PSW student, carry forward into placement and once employed in the profession.

Vision

St. Louis will be the leader of excellence in the education and development of PSW health care professionals within the communities we serve.

Mandate

The St. Louis PSW Program will inspire and engage our students in order to realize their full potential.  We will nurture hope, opportunity and success by:

• Providing accessible education to our students by removing barriers,
• Guiding students along their chosen career path so that they can support people’s needs to be healthy and independent according to the clients’ choices and capabilities,
• Following approved educational standards necessary to provide PSW students of excellence,
• Consistently demonstrating “Best Practice” Guidelines, and
• Collaborating with our Community Partners in order to serve the diverse and ever changing needs of the community.

St. Louis’ Personal Support Worker Instructional Staff are ALL Registered Nurses (RN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) , have years of coaching, training and/or adult education experience, and many staff have been with St. Louis for 5 years or more.  Some instructors may also be an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT).

Time and time again, our PSW graduates have valued their teacher’s approach to education, their expansive knowledge-base with practical experience to share, their model of professionalism and most of all, encouragement to all students to be focused and successful during the rigors of this program.

• • Colleen Bisson  RN
  • Aleah Cabral  RPN  OCT
  • Farrah Cross RPN
  • Cristina Curry  RN
  • Adrian Dragomir  RN OCT
  • Bianca Dragomir RN OCT
  • Jennifer Dutto  RN OCT
  • Claire Gache RN
  • Chantal Grundy RN
  • Nina Henley RN OCT
  • Gulzade Kelmendi RPN
  • Martha Leonard  RN
  • Marcie Partridge RPN
  • Raluca Paun  RN
  • Sarah Pottier RN OCT
  • Nicole Ritchie RN
  • Patricia Riddell  RN
  • Anna Smith RPN

PSW Administrative Assistant:  519-745-1201 x 288

PSW Program Manager: Ashley Voisin  RPN OCT

PSW Living Classroom Coordinator: Jill Corkery  RN

For more information contact: stlouis@wcdsb.ca