School-Based Mental Health Specialist

YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth. We are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces. YouthLink works towards equitable outcomes for youth in our community and, as such, is committed to equity-based hiring practices.

 

We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, and racialized people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences.  We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma-informed lens.  We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and will embrace working outside of Euro-centric practices.

 

YouthLink Benefits are Top of Class!

 

• Competitive pay
• Health & dental coverage for you and your family with 100% premium cost paid by employer.
• Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of 20 working days per year.
• 5 ‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
• 3 paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months’ service.
• Maternity / parental /adoption leave top-up payments (to top-up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).
• 100% premium cost for long-term disability coverage paid by employee.
• Eligibility to participate in pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with generous matching contribution from employer.

 

 

 

School-Based Mental Health Specialist

(Permanent Full-time, 35 hours/week)

Bargaining Unit Position

 

This position is responsible for providing intake, assessment, crisis intervention, and referral for students presenting with complex needs in high need schools. This position is also responsible for developing and delivering prevention and intervention programs and for providing training to school personnel on early identification and understanding of mental health issues. This position also has responsibility for developing and implementing a range of culturally relevant school and community engagement initiatives and developing resource materials on mental health issues for school staff, students and parents. In addition, this position supports the WUWI clinic and One Stop Talk by providing single session counselling and works closely with the pathways to education team.

 

Your Role

 

• Facilitates weekly group meetings for a select number of Grade 8 and 9 students in several high need schools and parents; interviews referred students and parents; plans and prepares materials for each group session.
• Plans and Designs social emotional learning focused groups for students and parents/guardians
• Supports the facilitation of agency-wide parenting programs
• Meets with co-facilitator before and after each group session to consult and debrief.
• Completes Partnership Agreements, monthly team and agency requirements and organizes student consents.
• Responds to service requests from schools by meeting with school administration to determine service delivery plan.
• Engages in counselling and case management with youth and families. 
• Supports community wide initiatives; participates in annual Mental Health Week activities; attends relevant community information fairs.
• Maintains service statistics, fulfills data collection and program evaluation requirements and utilizes EMHware as the data base for case notes and data collection
• Actively contributes to the Agency’s Strategic Plan by participating in initiatives and committees to support the overall Plan.
• Takes all reasonable and necessary precautions to protect his or her own health, safety, and that of co-workers by complying and demonstrating knowledge of the policies, procedures and safe practices established by YouthLink.
• Any other duties as assigned.

 

Equity, Diversity and Belonging:

Proactively stays updated on best practices as it relates Equity, Diversity and Belonging.  Works collaboratively with ABR Committee and Director of Anti-Racism, Equity, Inclusion and Community to embed best practices into all operational goals and processes.

 

Supports Organization’s Strategy:

Actively contributes to the organization’s Strategic Plan by participating in initiatives and committees to support the overall plan.

 

What You Bring

 

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology or directly related discipline.
• Full member in good standing with a relevant governing body or RP (qualifying).

Experience:

• Experience working with mental health assessment and counselling at risk youth, diverse youth populations, vulnerable communities and school system.
• Group facilitation.
• Experience with program planning/design resource development and parent education.
• Knowledge of mental health issues and issues faced by newcomer and marginalized youth.
• Demonstrated commitment to stay current in the field regarding best practices in working with youth, social media, and changes in the educational system and their impact, awareness of relevant research findings and program evaluation.

Skills:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Operates using and ABR/AOP lens.
• Familiarity with suicide/risk assessment and crisis support services.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be able to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Police Check.
• Proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 is required.
• Proficiency in French is an asset.

 

Full COVID-19 vaccination and Vulnerable Sector Check required.

 

Full job description available here: https://youthlink.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/JD-School-Based-Mental-Health-Specialist-August-2023.pdf

 

Work Hours:

• This position works full time 35 hours a week, Monday through Friday and requires evening hours of 2 evenings per week. There are some risks involved in this position such as crisis management.
• Minimal travelling required.

 

Salary Range: $59,063 - $67,043

 

How to Apply

• Submit application to counsellingposting@youthlink.ca -Please quote posting #1394 in the subject line.
• As an organization committed to equity and justice in our community, we believe lived experience and knowledge of equity, diversity, belonging and anti-Black racism is a critical component in our recruitment process.  If you have a disability and require accessibility accommodations with the application process, please contact accessibility@youthlink.ca.
• Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.