Wellness Counsellor & Coordinator

The Health & Wellness Centre provides inter-professional health and counselling services in a safe, accessible and culturally responsive environment to optimize the students’ personal, academic and overall well-being. We strive to enhance services to students through collaborative partnerships on campus and in our community.

The Wellness Counsellor and Coordinator is an integral member of the embedded mental health care team in the Health and Wellness Centre (HWC) at the University of Toronto Scarborough with a joint appointment to the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre (SVPSC).  As a member of the embedded mental health care team, and under the direction of the Manager provides personal counselling using a trauma informed approach, solution/ goal focused psychotherapy to students at the University in accordance with the University of Toronto Scarborough HWC, vision, mission, and strategic plan, and is expected to demonstrate quality and effectiveness in work habits.

The Tri-Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre (SVPSC) is mandated to conduct intake, accept disclosures and reports of sexual violence, and to provide support to individual members of the University community who have experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment

Reporting to the Director, SVPSC the incumbent spends approximately 30% of their time providing case management support to the SVPSC. The incumbent acts as a consultant to faculty, staff, and students on counselling and related matters, conducts workshops and relevant training. 

The Wellness Counsellor & Coordinator provides triage services to support and stabilize client, referrals to internal services (e.g. accessibility services, health services, housing, etc.), and to external services (e.g. financial, legal, police, hospital, community organizations, etc.) for members of the entire University community in accordance with the provisions set-out in the Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy.

The Wellness Counsellor & Coordinator maintains a dual role, ensuring confidentiality of FIPPA information within the scope of their case management activities in SVPSC and PHIPA information within the scope of their clinical activities at HWC.  Inherent in this role are the knowledge, skills and attitudes specific to critical thinking and decision making, ability to analyze and assess presenting mental health concerns, triage cases requiring sexual violence support through the intake stream of HWC office, and collaborate with the medical team in the management of these mental health concerns, and flexibility and decision making in fluid situations with unpredictable outcomes.  

The Wellness Counsellor and Coordinator will be responsible for conducting screening/intake assessments; case management; facilitating discharge planning; developing and facilitating community referrals and referring to the university community; providing brief counselling to individuals; and running psycho-educational workshops.

Qualifications:

Education: Master's degree in counselling/psychotherapy or social work and/or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must be in good standing with professional college.

Experience: Minimum five (5) years related experience.   Related experience should be in a Community Mental Health Setting, and/or Outpatient Mental Health Unit where the incumbent has performed client intakes/assessments, crisis counselling, brief or short-term counselling to individuals, and psycho-educational workshops.  Trauma informed counselling experience, life coaching, mindful based therapies and alternative evidenced based therapies considered an asset.  Extensive experience with mental health and illness, behavioural issues, anger management, and conflict resolution.   Experience in sexual violence crisis response, prevention and case management.  Experience working with post-secondary students and knowledge of university and community mental health resources is an asset.  

Skills: Keyboarding skills and working knowledge of relevant software is required (e.g. Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint); Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

Other: Good judgment and sensitivity, flexibility and resourcefulness.  Ability to communicate effectively with staff and senior academic administrators about issues facing students in crisis and make recommendations.   Knowledge and competency in maintaining confidentiality of client information according to FIPPA and PHIPA legislation.  Must have strong knowledge of community resources. Able to exercise patience, tact, judgment and discretion.  Demonstrated ability to relate to students, staff, and faculty in ways that build confidence and trust.  Able to work in a highly diverse community with students from varied backgrounds and a variety of age groups, presenting with a range of difficulties and personal issues.

Travel: None 

Notes:

This is a term position effective January 2019 until January 2020.

The hours are as follows:

3-4 days per week: 8:45am - 5:00pm 

1-2 days per week (Wednesday/Thursday): 11:45am - 8:00pm