NOC 42201: Social and community service workers

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies, mental health agencies, group homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, school boards, correctional facilities and other establishments.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

• Healthcare and social services

  At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 42201

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Review client background information, interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
• Assess clients' relevant skill strengths and needs
• Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
• Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
• Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, day care and other services
• Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses, supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
• Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
• Implement life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programs, behaviour management programs, youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
• Meet with clients to assess their progress, give support and discuss any difficulties or problems
• Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs by tracking clients' behavioural changes and responses to interventions
• Advise and aid recipients of social assistance and pensions
• Provide crisis intervention and emergency shelter services
• Implement and organize the delivery of specific services within the community
• Maintain contact with other social service agencies and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall progress
• Mobilise and coordinate volunteer resources and activities for a range of organizations such as human service agencies, health care facilities, arts and sports centres, etc.
• May maintain program statistics for purposes of evaluation and research
• May supervise social service support workers and volunteers.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• Aboriginal outreach worker
• addictions worker
• child and youth worker
• community development worker
• community service worker
• crisis intervention worker
• developmental service worker
• drop-in centre worker
• family service worker
• group home worker
• income maintenance officer - social services
• life skills instructor
• mental health worker
• rehabilitation worker - social services
• social services worker
• veteran services officer
• welfare and compensation officer
• women's shelter supervisor
• youth worker

Employment requirements

• Completion of a college or university program in social work, child and youth care, psychology or other social science or health-related discipline is usually required.
• Previous work experience in a social service environment as a volunteer or in a support capacity may replace formal education requirements for some occupations in this unit group.
• Social service workers may be required to be a member of a provincial regulatory body in some provinces.

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