CharityVillage

Competition: (2024-492-CC): Clinical Counsellor
Employment Type: Contract Salary, Bargaining Unit (1 Vacancy)
Work Hours: 35 hours/week
Work Setting: Onsite with limited opportunities to work remotely
Salary: J - $63,516.20

Application Deadline:December 23, 2024, by 11:59 pm

Program Overview – Relocation Program
The Clinical Counsellor is a member of the Supportive Housing (SH) department and is accountable to the Manager of Housing Supports.   The Supportive Housing Department provides a variety of housing, community and supports based services to adults & seniors who have struggled with homelessness, mental health and/or addiction related challenges. The Team aims to support from within anti-oppressive, trauma informed, harm reduction and mental health recovery frameworks.

What You Will Do

• Interact with individuals in the program in person, providing emotional support and feedback and encouraging and facilitating their participation in the program.
• Perform psychosocial and/or psychological assessments.
• Develop and implement service plans and/or coordinated care plans.
• Provide service/care co-ordination, system navigation, short-term and long-term planning and follow-up support.
• Provide preliminary assessment of risk in crisis situations, consult and devise an intervention and action plan, and provide crisis intervention.
• Provide clinical and/or supportive counseling to clients utilizing a wide range of psychotherapeutic approaches that best meet the clients’ needs and circumstances (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, etc.).
• Provide case management services to both short-term and long-term clients, through the development and implementation of a care plan to address their priority, goals and emerging needs.
• Participate in case conferences and clinical meetings in order to ensure the coordination of services and a continuum of care, as well as maintaining relationships with partner organizations
• Provide advocacy support and advocate with clients and/or their family or caregivers.
• Link clients to various community resources and facilitate appropriate referrals to other support services as required.
• Support clients with navigating health systems (hospitals, community health centers, primary care)
• Accompany clients as required to appointments that may require therapeutic support, such as medical appointments, court hearings, community engagements etc…
• Facilitate or lead therapeutic and/or psychosocial support groups as required, including DBT Skills group.
• Provide clinical support to individual group participants, as appropriate/required.

• Provide service that is responsive and culturally and linguistically sensitive to the individual and caregivers' needs.
• Uphold and consistently incorporate into practice harm reduction, trauma-informed, anti-racism and anti-oppressive principles.
• Engage in ongoing outreach to ensure access to the program.
• Keep current about the range of services available in other agencies.
• Stay abreast of current clinical intervention approaches and best/promising practices.
• Provide mentorship, training and/or supervision to student placements and volunteers.
• Maintain a client caseload as assigned by program manager.
• Provide services through home and office visits, emails, phone calls, etc.
• Work flexible hours based on the needs of the clients.
• Participate in team and unit meetings regularly and promote the healthy functioning of the team and unit.
• Participate in ongoing training and education.
• Participate in supervision sessions and annual performance appraisals with program manager.
• Collect and report statistical data required for the accountability of the program.
• Complete file documentation and data entry in a timely manner to ensure client information and program activities are accurately captured in accordance with funder and agency requirements and professional practice standards.
• Represent the program/unit on internal staff committees as directed by program manager or unit director.
• Be prepared to work in environments where they might be pest control and hoarding issues
• Be prepared to work in environments where there may be death and dying
• Be prepared to work in environments where there may be drug use and smoking
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What Will Set You Apart

• Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) or post graduate degree in a relevant field.  Registered Social Worker (R.S.W.) in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and/or Member in good standing with a Professional College in Ontario. Or be a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
• Minimum of 3 years related experience in addressing homelessness, mental health, addictions, and/or social work.  Demonstrated experience offering therapeutic and psycho-social counselling (both short term and long term) and supporting individuals with significant mental health and substance use issues from a harm reduction, trauma informed, and mental health recovery approach is required.
• Demonstrated ability in supporting individuals who have complex mental health and/or addiction issues, history of trauma, violence/abuse, chronic physical health issues, etc.
• Proven working knowledge of theories of addiction, evidence-based treatment models and best practice approaches.
• Knowledge of, experience with, and demonstrated ability in providing therapeutic interventions, such as Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed approaches, etc.
• Knowledge and experience providing individual and group-based counseling and support is required.
• Demonstrated experience in group facilitation and family/couples counseling.
• Knowledge of and experience with short-term psychotherapy
• Knowledge of and experience with facilitating DBT-focused therapeutic groups is required.
• Demonstrated ability in case management; system & community resource navigation; service planning, implementation and coordination.
• Demonstrated ability in working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team or as a team member in collaboration with other professionals. 
• Strong assessment, clinical, and crisis intervention skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and documentation skills.
• Effective interpersonal, time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to be self-directed, independent, flexible and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to work from a client-centered approach.
• Proven ability to minimize barriers through service delivery for low income individuals with array of mental & physical health related challenges
• Comprehensive understanding and knowledge of mental health, addictions & health sectors; in addition to TO community resources.
• Demonstrate knowledge of issues affecting marginalized communities, policies, legislation, programs, and other issues related to scope of practice and social determinant of health.
• Applied computer skills (MS word, excel, Internet) and ability to use client information systems.
• Ability to demonstrate an anti-oppression approach to practice is required.
• Ability to communicate in a second language is a strong asset.
• Capable of fulfilling the physical and psychological demands of the job as per the attached Position Demands Analysis. 
• Travel in the community is required