Certified Indigenous [1] community support workers offer front-line assistance to those who are caught up in the gaps in the social determinants of health resulting from the colonial process and the ongoing impact of the current dominant sociopolitical system. They assist clients to deal with personal and social problems, sometimes working with communities as a whole, but also focusing on specific groups, such as youth, women or the homeless.
Inuit, First Nations and Metis community support workers are the skilled professionals who work alongside members of troubled communities, inspiring them, supporting them, and offering them guidance and opportunities for initiating social change and making improvements to their own community. They promote safe, inclusive, and nurturing environments where their clients’ abilities can shine. Essentially, they help individuals, families and communities to help themselves.
The ICBOC horizontal laddering certification system allows certified members who are changing job or their career orientation, to have the accumulated knowledge and skills that is recorded in their ICBOC certification records, transferred to an application for a different certification. Many standards and requirements across the ICBOC range of certifications are transferable. Please contact ICBOC’s Registrar if you are contemplating a certification switch.
ICBOC’s vertical laddering certification system allows Certified Community Support Workers at level I to upgrade to level II. This is the next higher level of certification to reach for, as more years of work experience, and a more substantial portfolio of education and training are accumulated over time. It is, however, mandatory to satisfy all the standards and requirements of the higher certification, in particular in terms of the requisite length of work experience, the education/training requirements, the cultural and professional competencies, and core functions proficiencies.
Once you have decided on the type of certification you are applying for (Inuit-specific or indigenous), we recommend you select and download the relevant summaries of standards and requirements (for level I and for level II) so you can determine which certification level fits your situation. This will guide you as to which application package you need to download and complete. All these clickable documents are listed below:
Inuit Specific Certifications
Summary of Standards and Requirements – Certified Inuit Community Support Worker at Level I
Summary of Standards and Requirements – Certified Inuit Community Support Worker at Level II
Application Package – Certified Inuit Community Support Worker at Level I
Application Package – Certified Inuit Community Support Worker at Level II
Indigenous Specific Certifications
Summary of Standards and Requirements – Certified Indigenous Community Support Worker at Level I
Summary of Standards and Requirements – Certified Indigenous Community Support Worker at Level II
Application Package – Certified Indigenous Community Support Worker at Level I
Application Package – Certified Indigenous Community Support Worker at Level II
Recertification Documents:
2023 Community Based Diabetes Recertification Application
Other Documents
ICBOC Workforce Capacity Development Model
2023 ICBOC Global Certification System
[1] ICBOC offers Inuit-specific community support certifications as well as Indigenous community support certifications for First Nations and Metis workers. These latter certifications are also offered to mainstream or other workers provided they are employed in an indigenous setting