Bilingual Counsellor Gender Based Violence - Achēv
At Achev, we believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to build a better life and a successful future. For more than 30 years, we have dedicated ourselves to helping diverse Canadians and newcomers achieve their full potential. Today, we are one of the largest providers of employment, newcomer, language, and youth services in the Greater Toronto Area. Our dedicated team of nearly 400 staff delivers a wide range of innovative, high-quality, and personalized programs and services that empower our clients to prosper and our communities to thrive.We thrive in a OneAchev culture where collaboration and an integrated service delivery will positively impact Achev’s resiliency, agility, success, and growth.
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SUMMARY
The Stronger Together: Gender Based Violence Prevention and Support Project aims to significantly reduce gender-based violence (GBV) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by employing integrated strategies that encompass education, community capacity building, early intervention, and economic empowerment for survivors. Its overarching goal is to create a supportive environment that addresses GBV comprehensively.
The Gender-Based Violence Counsellor (bilingual) aims to ensure women, women-identifying, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals who experience or at risk of gender-based violence and social & economic barriers stabilize their lives and embark on a path to healing and wellness, and gain the skills needed to gain economic self-sufficiency and security.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Complete intakes for individuals facing or at risk of facing gender-based violence.
- Carry a caseload of women, women-identifying, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, including providing individual counselling.
- Utilize a trauma-informed approach while providing therapeutic short-term, solution-focused, and transitional counselling.
- Respond to immediate needs and provide support during crises.
- Assess safety risks, develop safety plans, and assist women in carrying out their action plans by identifying challenges, assessing progress, and providing strategies to resolve difficulties in reaching their goals.
- Maintain accurate and confidential records of client interactions, including the gathering of statistics and other records to be used in internal and external reports.
- Provide a monthly update report to Manager.
- Provide information about and referrals to community resources, including advocacy for services on behalf of individuals as needed.
- Liaise with and collaborate with representatives of relevant community agencies/services.
- Provide education and training on GBV related issues and resources.
- Support Manager with program start-up including the development of resources.
- Assist with program review and evaluation by using a variety of tools and methods.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of client information.
- Maintain positive and clear communication with other team members to facilitate teamwork, successful target management and customer service.
- Perform other related duties, as required and as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Fully bilingual (English and French), including written and verbal communication
- University Degree in a related discipline, such as Social Work or similar
- Minimum of 3 years of work experience in the areas of gender-based violence, ideally within in a non-profit or community health environment
- Registered with the appropriate regulatory body, such as College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
- Experience with intake procedures, case management, and crisis intervention
- Excellent knowledge of violence against women issues, justice and social assistance systems, community agencies/resources, housing supports, child protection, family law, immigrant and refugee issues, and legislative issues
- Extensive experience working within a trauma-informed anti-racist/anti-oppressive and gender-based violence framework while establishing a psychologically safe environment
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship building skills with the ability to work and collaborate within a team environment
- Strong computer skills (i.e., MS Office)
- Excellent negotiation, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, mediation and active listening skills
- Experience with various administrative tasks such as data entry, tracking, data collection, report writing, etc.