Psychoeducator

Description and Responsibilities

Psychoeducators provide evaluation, counselling, preventive action and preventive rehabilitation to people who have psychosocial adjustment difficulty in order to promote their independence and to resolve or prevent conflict.

To achieve this, psychoeducators assess needs and establish plans and strategies, in addition to organizing and facilitating activities. They are committed to creating a climate of trust and to considering the strengths, limitations and vulnerability of people in order to provide assistance that promotes both social integration and learning new skills and behaviours.

To be a practicing psychoeducator and to use the reserved title, you must be a member of the Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec.

Education and Training Requirements

To be a psychoeducator, you must hold a master’s degree in psychoeducation, which in turn requires an undergraduate diploma in psychoeducation or a related discipline.

(See programs offered by each university). A master's program in psychoeducation is offered in 6 universities:

• Université Laval ; (in French only)
• Université de Montréal ; (in French only)
• Université de Sherbrooke ; (in French only)
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) ; (in French only)
• Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) ; (in French only)
• Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) . (in French only) (UQAT offers a masters with a dissertation and internship, a dissertation only or an internship only)

Required Interests, Skills and Personality Type

• Must be a good communicator and listener
• Must be able to adapt to all environments and clienteles
• Must be imaginative and creative
• Must be organized
• Must have excellent initiative and be able to work autonomously
• Must know how to observe and analyze situations and people
• Must love contact with the public

Personality Type (RIASEC)

SIA

• S - Prefers to be in contact with people and to help them
• I - Prefers studying, understanding and solving problems
• A - Prefers completing creative tasks

Work Environment

Psychoeducators in the health and social services network mainly work in:

• Rehabilitation centres (in French only)
• Integrated health and social services centres offering protection services and rehabilitation for youths in trouble of adaptation and their families (in French only)
• Local community services centres (CLSCs) (in French only)

Useful Links

• Le Réseau des CAVAC – Intervenir auprès des femmes – Video of a testimony  (in French only)
• Marriage and Family Therapists – Emploi-Québec 
• Ordre des ps.éd. du Québec : secteur des centres hospitaliers – Video of a testimony – Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec  (in French only)
• Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec  (in French only)
• Revue de psychoéducation  (in French only)