Child and Family Therapist - Kuumba

A look at your duties and responsibilities

• Client Service Responsibilities
• Assists in promoting and supporting the Mission, Vision, and Values statements, ensuring adherence to operational and service policies and procedures while maintaining ethical conduct.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of ethical behaviour and professional conduct, including contributing to ensuring ethical standards are upheld and participation in quality improvement standards.
• Provides outreach, youth engagement, and community-based mental health services to children, youth and families from the African, Black and Caribbean community in a variety of settings such as the home, school, or in the community.
• Actively develops positive rapport with clients to create psychological safety and trust through relationship-building activities and observation of the client’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
• Works collaboratively with children, youth and their families, including cross-sector service provider partners (e.g., school boards, children’s mental health services providers and other community organizations) in developing effective, strengths-based, anti-racist, anti-oppressive and culturally competent service plans.
• Provides single session and/or rapid access psychotherapy services.
• Actively manage full case load of files for clients using agency-endorsed therapy models, such as Attachment Theory, Neurobiology, Trauma, Child Development and Family Systems Theory, including family therapy and navigating referrals to internal and/or external programs.
• Ensures the use of evidence-based and evidence-informed treatments to maintain fidelity in practicing with clients and families/caregivers.
• Ensures data entry and written documentation for each file is consistently up to date, such as completing initial client assessment, ongoing recording, and administering assessment tools following a pre-determined timeline.
• Supports the development and implementation of well-formulated assessment reports and treatment plans for clients and families that reflect the consensus of the treatment team and program goals and service plans.
• Develops and facilitates workshops, including accessible knowledge exchange activities for children, youth, families and service providers on the topics of Mental Health, Racial Trauma, Anti-Black Racism, and capacity building.
• Advocate on behalf of children, youth and families to address gaps in service identified through clinical work and demonstrate an understanding of structural racism.

• Program Support Responsibilities
• Collaborates within a multidisciplinary team to ensure effective communication pertaining to client treatment plan development, progress and integration.
• Participates in regular team meetings to discuss administrative, clinical and learning concerns that impact the team and/or clients, including problem-solving and providing knowledge-based sharing of industry best practices.
• Provides timely provision of reports according to internal policies and procedures, including licensing requirements and accreditation standards.
• In partnership with the Manager of Clinical Services, support in the development, implementation and maintenance of program procedures and guidelines that meet the highest standards of practice.
• Supports the implementation of quality assurance and evaluation processes that involve the monitoring, collection, and recording of clinical and service data, including submitting data in a timely manner and in accordance with internal policies and procedures.
• Participates in advisory committee(s), team-based projects as required to build greater capacity in resources for Black children, youth and families in York Region.

• Administrative and Organizational Responsibilities
• Maintains a system of documentation and reporting that is consistent with quality assurance standards and procedures, legislation, accreditation and best practices.
• Ensures client files are maintained in accordance with quality assurance standards and procedures, legislation, accreditation and best practices.
• Works with Human Resources to ensure memberships, licenses, background checks and certifications are up to date via submission of required documents on ADP.
• Participates in regular supervision with the Manager of Clinical Services and engages in ongoing professional development as it applies to the role and agency policies.
• Builds and maintains interactions with colleagues focused on individual, team and organization success.
• Performs work in a safe manner and adheres to the established health and safety measures of the organization.
• Actively supports Equity, Diversity and Inclusion drivers, including fostering a welcoming and safe space, where people can expect to be treated fairly, equitably and in culturally responsive way.
• Attends and participates in required training and meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

What we are looking for

• Completion of a post-secondary diploma or degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counselling and/or a combination of education and experience.
• Membership in a relevant professional regulatory body such as the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and/or College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
• Minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience.
• Identify as a member of the Black community, with experience in delivering culturally competent interventions, including supporting black children and youth who have experienced oppression and racism.
• Knowledge of child and youth mental health legislation and regulations, including child welfare and education systems.
• A willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekend work.
• Competence in modelling professionalism and maintaining a high level of confidentiality.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including editing skills with attention to detail.
• Knowledge of child and youth development, family systems and neurobiology, including community and agency programs and services to support the transition of age youth and adults.
• Strong knowledge of evidence-based and evidence-informed treatment modalities, including but not limited to; Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Emotion Focused Skill Training, Emotion Focused Family Therapy, Trauma-Informed and Attachment-Based Therapy.
• Experience working with children and youth living with depression, anxiety, strained social relationships, eating disorders, self-inflected behaviour, trauma, psychiatric diagnoses, learning disabilities and difficult family dynamics.
• Demonstrates sound judgement related to the development of collaborative approaches working with children, youth and their families, including high-risk circumstances and safety planning.
• Experience utilizing suicide risk assessments and intervention skills.
• Demonstrates versatility in the ability to work independently and collaboratively to support agency and program goals.
• Excellent organizational, solution-based problem-solving and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience facilitating groups, webinars and workshops utilizing evidence-based practices.
• Functional technological skills (e.g., Office 365, MS Office, SharePoint, software applications).
• Awareness and appreciation for the dynamics of equity issues (diversity, equity and inclusion) especially as it relates to gender, ethnicity, race, and economic status.
• Identification with the strategic mission, vision and values of the organization including inclusion, collaboration, people centred, knowledgeable and courageous.
• Driver’s license and clear driver’s abstract, including proof of automobile insurance.
• Must possess a satisfactory Police Record Check.

Don’t check all the boxes? We encourage you to apply anyway

Nice to haves

• Applicants with fluency in another language are encouraged to apply.
• Fluency in American Sign Language.
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) certificate.
• Mental Health First Aid certificate

On-Boarding requirements

• Police Vulnerable Sector Screening Check (VSS), within the last 180 days
• Valid Ontario Driver’s License and access to a reliable motor vehicle.
• Completion of a Driver’s Abstract.
• Proof of automobile insurance.

How to apply

York Hills is strongly committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the populations we serve. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including applicants from all cultures, racialized communities, abilities, diverse sexual and gender identities and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

York Hills is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, accessible and respectful workplace. We believe in cultivating a selection process and employment environment without discrimination or harassment, that is inclusive and barrier free.

York Hills is an Equal Opportunity Employer and in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, should you require a code-protected accommodation, through any stage of the recruitment and selection process, please contact Human Resources.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used in the applicant screening process by our applicant tracking system (ATS) based on job-related criteria. Our recruitment team reviews all applications and decides which candidates will move forward in our process.

We encourage you to reflect upon the diversity you would bring to this role within your application.

Please submit your cover letter and resume to our online portal [https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=d83141fd-7aa8-44c6-9601-a2a79b936093&ccId=19000101_000001&type=MP&lang=en_CA]. This role is open until filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those under consideration will be contacted.