Mental health and addictions counsellor
Government of the Northwest Territories’ Health and Social Services Authority Department based in Fort Good Hope, NT is inviting applications from suitable candidates for the position of Mental health and addictions counsellor. Government of the Northwest Territories’ Health and Social Services Authority Department manages healthcare and social services in the region. It offers a range of services including primary care, mental health support, and social programs. The HSSA operates facilities across the territory and partners with local organizations. Its focus on integration and prevention helps improve residents’ overall well-being. The candidates selected for the vacancy will be required to start the work as soon as possible.
Job Description:
Employer Name: Government of the Northwest Territories
Department: Health and Social Services Authority
Division: Mental Health and Addiction Services
Position: Mental health and addictions counsellor
No of Vacancies: 3
Salary: $95784.00 – $114426.00 yearly
Employment Type: Full Time/Temporary
Location: Fort Good Hope, NT, CA
Job ID: 25061
Position Number: 87-11282
Requirements:
Languages: Candidates must have knowledge of the English Language
Education: Candidates should have completion of Bachelor degree in social sciences
Experience: Candidates should have three years of counselling experience in a scope of practice
Physical Requirements:
- The candidates should be prepared to provide mental health and addictions services primarily in an office or clinic setting but also in remote locations client homes, coffee shops) and adapt to various weather conditions, including Arctic temperatures
- The candidates should expect to spend approximately 60% of their day providing direct counseling services, utilizing all senses (touch, sight, smell, hearing) during assessments and counseling and willing to travel by small planes and on ice or winter roads as required when traveling to or from the isolated northern community
- The candidates should be attuned to various communication methods used by children, including body language, play, stories, energy level, tone of voice, and other verbal and non-verbal cues
- The candidates should be equipped to handle competing urgent priorities and highly emotional situations, such as suicides, and possess excellent self-care skills to manage potential trauma from repeated exposure to clients’ traumatic stories
- The candidates should be prepared for the unique challenges of working in a small community, including interacting with friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who may be receiving services, and dealing with both victims and perpetrators outside of work
- The candidates should be comfortable with some level of uncertainty in their work environment, be available for calls outside of work hours for traumatic events, and manage situations involving mandated clients or those who may be dangerous and unpredictable, including potential verbal or physical aggression
Other Requirements:
- The candidates should work collaboratively with the Primary Community Care team and serve as the key provider of a full range of mental health and addictions counseling services within the Community Counselling Program (CCP)
- The candidates should play an important role in ensuring clients’ needs are met by providing appropriate screening, intake, assessment, mental health, addictions, and family violence counseling, treatment services, planning, and aftercare
- The candidates should hold a Master’s degree in social science with one (1) year of relevant counseling experience in the scope of practice or experience in addictions, mental health, and family violence, or possess a Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing with five (5) years of relevant counseling experience in the scope of practice or experience in addictions, mental health, and family violence
- The candidates should have experience that includes clinically supervised education or work experience, totaling at least 500 hours, with at least 120 hours being direct client contact, and additional hours spent in face-to-face supervision, educational activities, documentation activities, and professional development
- The candidates should have knowledge of current trends and apply best practices for addressing risk factors related to addictions, mental health disorders, and family violence
- The candidates should be able to apply the NWT Mental Health Act, the Child and Family Services Act, the Protection Against Family Violence Act, and other relevant NWT legislation
- The candidates should adhere to a professional code of ethics and possess knowledge and understanding of community demographics, values, culture, and history
- The candidates should have the ability to network resources within and outside the employing Health and Social Services Authority to ensure support for clients and their families
- The candidates should be able to communicate effectively in a cross-cultural setting and capable of drafting written documents that are clear, concise, and easy to understand by both professionals and non-professionals
- The candidates should be able to work as part of a team, as well as be self-directed, meet deadlines, prioritize workloads, and manage several tasks simultaneously and ability to operate a desktop computer with a basic software package
Responsibilities:
- The candidates should be able to conduct screening, intake, and bio-psycho-social assessment protocols with various client groups, including elders, adults, couples, families, adolescents, and children, for a variety of conditions and disorders, including but not limited to addictions, DSM-IV conditions depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia), family violence, trauma, the impact of residential schools, FASD, concurrent disorders, victims of sexual or physical assault, and problems with work, school, family, or other important areas of function
- The candidates should be able to provide short and long-term outpatient treatment through client-centered therapeutic counseling services in individual, family, or group formats using treatment modalities that best fit the client(s) situation, including but not limited to solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, stages of change, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and art and play therapy models
- The candidates should be able to provide aftercare and follow-up counseling following inpatient treatment for addictions, family violence, or mental health, addictions-related hospitalization, including participation in discharge planning, medication monitoring, regular checks on clients, and ongoing therapeutic counseling
- The candidates should be able to take a lead role in case management and case planning for mental health, addictions, and family violence clients, including taking a lead role on the Primary Care Team in service planning for clients with mental health, addictions, and family violence issues
- The candidates should be able to conduct care coordination, planning involving necessary professionals, traditional healers, services on a regular basis
- The candidates should be able to make referrals where required, including making all arrangements both within and outside of the community for travel and admissions to hospitals
- The candidates should be able to provide consultation to physicians when determining the need for hospitalization and possible medevac for mental health issues
- The candidates should be able to provide leadership and advocacy with clients in working with other agencies
- The candidates should be able to complete documentation, clinical notes, referral letters, and other documentation as required in the format set out by the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
- The candidates should be able to provide reports and case management notes to assist clients in understanding treatment protocols or treatment plans and participate actively in community interagency meetings and collaborations
Benefits:
- The candidates will get an annual Northern Allowance of $27443.00
How to apply:
If the position is fit for you and the basic requirements are fulfilled then you can now apply directly to the employer (along with your resume) through the below-mentioned details.
We thank all the applicants for showing their interest and trust in us, however, only the most eligible candidates will be selected and conducted for further procedure directly from employers, in between no charges/fees or original documents will be asked from any applicant. All the best!