Dawson Creek residents can now train for a career in mental health without leaving the Peace Region. Northern Lights College and Selkirk College have partnered to offer a new Mental Health and Substance Use certificate program for students in the Peace Region, with eight seats available, as announced on August 31, 2026.
The six-month program is delivered online by Selkirk College, allowing northern students to attend lectures from home before completing an in-person practicum in their own communities. The program is tailored to rural areas, with an emphasis on hands-on skills, cultural safety, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Graduates will be prepared to go straight into frontline roles or continue their education in health and human services.
This is the second partnership between the two colleges. Earlier in 2026, they announced a Pharmacy Technician program with 12 seats for Peace Region students. Both initiatives grew out of NLC’s community consultations, which identified pharmacy technicians and mental health workers as the most in-demand allied health professions in the region.
The new program responds to significant gaps in mental health services across northern British Columbia, where geography, workforce shortages, and vast distances between communities often limit access to specialized care. “In many northern and rural communities, access to specialized mental health services can be limited due to geography, workforce shortages and vast distances between communities,” according to UNBC.
The Mental Health and Substance Use certificate is part of NLC’s broader NLC Cares initiative, launched in 2023 when construction began on the new Dawson Creek and District Hospital. The college asked the Peace River Regional District to help fund the project, recognizing its role as the training provider for the region. “We felt a deep responsibility to do what needed to be done to meet some of these health-care needs,” said Dr. Tara Hyland-Russell, vice-president of academic and research at Northern Lights College.
With eight seats now open, the program gives local residents a chance to build careers in mental health while staying close to home, strengthening the workforce that serves communities across the Peace.
