Clinical Counsellor (2023-470-CC)

The Community Wellness - HATM team offers system navigation & service coordination, telephone, virtual & in-person clinical consultation, supportive & therapeutic counselling, short-term case management, assessment for acute/crisis needs and referrals to other appropriate services within the Taylor Massey and Oakridge region.
The Clinical Counsellor provides assessment, case management, short term clinical and supportive counseling, service coordination, crisis intervention, advocacy, and outreach within the CW-HATM team as well as other partner tables.

What You Will Do

DIRECT CLIENT SERVICE:

• Respond to referrals from clients, providers and community partners.
• Provide confidential and timely client intake to ensure a positive client experience. 
• Perform clinical assessments (psychosocial, psychological, and geriatric) to determine service needs and to formulate recommendations or treatment plans. 
• Identify appropriate and credible resources responsive to client needs taking into consideration culture, language, reading level, accessibility, and health literacy. 
• Account for each client’s values, preferences, and circumstances to support the development of client-centered goals. 
• Connect clients and/or their families/caregivers to a range of community resources and supportive services designed to promote economic, social, and health self-sufficiency. This may be done through active case management, service co-ordination, system navigation, short-term and long-term planning, and follow-up support.
• Provide supportive/therapeutic counseling to clients utilizing a wide range of approaches that best meet the clients’ needs and circumstances. 
• Provide settlement-related crisis intervention and practical assistance to clients.
• Encourage active communication between clients and/or caregivers and health care providers to optimize client outcomes. 
• Provide preliminary assessment of risk in crisis situations, consult, and devise an intervention and action plan, and provide crisis intervention.  
• Create, maintain, and update appropriate client records, in a timely, efficient manner.  
• Keep accurate and current documentation, including statistical data and reports, and enter data to relevant data management systems.
• Provide advocacy support and advocate with clients and/or their family or caregivers.
• Protect the privacy of clients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of service.
• Provide navigation services, follow up supports and warm connections to existing patients and clients of HATM providers and services, as well as to community members and HATM providers to ensure people get access to needed healthcare, community, and social care resources.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:

• Receive and process HATM referrals, including those for the East Family Practice Network IPC team.
• Identify and communicate opportunities to improve the intake and navigation processes to ensure efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Conduct data collection via relevant databases.
• Collect information related to health and social barriers and basic needs (including, but not limited to comprehensive primary care, food security, housing, finances, mental health and substance use, newcomer/immigration, and non-medical forms).
• Create collaborative relationships with HATM staff, providers and partners to promote collaboration and multi-system coordination. 
• Conduct needs assessment to determine the needs of community members and develop a service delivery plan to address needs.
• Work closely with primary care to support positive settlement and health-related outcomes.
• Ensure the coordination of services and a “continuum of care”.
• Facilitate and coordinate group programs, including online workshops, to provide information relating to settlement, health, and wellness.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate outreach plan that promotes the range of opportunities available to newcomers and their families. 
• Keep current about services available in the community and actively engage service providers in all areas to maximize community members access to resources and to enhance capacity for services. 

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Ensure the organization’s policies and procedures are carried out.
• Maintain all aspects of confidentiality relating to clients, volunteers, staff, programs, community members and community partners.
• Provide mentorship, training and/or supervision to student placements and volunteers.
• 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 supervisor.

• Maintain appropriate records and documentation in a timely manner and collect statistical data required for the accountability of the program.
• Represent the unit on internal and/or external staff committees as directed by program manager.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You Bring to the Team

• Postgraduate/Master’s Degree, preferably in Social Work or a related discipline. 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.
• Minimum of 3 years related experience in mental health, addictions, and/or social services. 
• Demonstrated experience supporting individuals with mental health and/or substance use issues, newcomers and individuals deeply affected by poverty from an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, harm reduction, trauma informed, and mental health recovery approach is required. 

What Will Set You Apart

• Demonstrated ability in supporting individuals who have complex mental health and/or substance use 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 addictions counseling and support is required.
• Demonstrated ability in supporting newcomers to address settlement related issues including trauma, mental health concerns, family dynamics, and labour market challenges. 
• Demonstrated ability in case management, system navigation, service coordination, planning, and implementation. 
• Demonstrated ability in working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team or as a team member in collaboration with other community professionals.  
• Strong assessment, intervention, and therapeutic counselling skills. 
• Comprehensive knowledge about needs and issues of newcomers, immigrants, and refugees. 
• Comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the mental health, addictions and health sector, social determinants of health, and 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. Ability to be self-directed, independent, flexible, and exercise good judgment.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and documentation skills.
• Applied computer skills (MS word, excel, Internet) and ability to use client information systems.
• Ability to demonstrate an anti-oppression approach to practice and work from a client-centered, anti-racism, harm reduction, and trauma informed approach is required. 
• Excellent oral and written English communication fluency. 
• French, Bengali, Urdu, Tamil, Hindi, Farsi, and Arabic or other second language(s) is a strong asset