Clinical Counsellor - Integrated Child and Youth Team

Clinical Counsellor Integrated Child and Youth Team

The School District

The Pacific Rim School District covers much of Central Vancouver Island's rugged, picturesque West Coast and serves a regional population of approximately 31,000 residing in the communities of Port Alberni, Tofino, Ucluelet, Bamfield and other remote communities. The schools are situated on the ha-houlthees of the cıšaaat, hupačasath, tla-o-qui- aht, Yuułuiłat, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations. The school district respectfully acknowledges that it works alongside all Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, other First Nations, and Metis and Inuit of British Columbia to serve all children and youth of the Alberni-Clayoquot region.

The district is home to 4000 students, 35% of whom are of Indigenous ancestry, in two neighbourhood secondary schools, eight elementary schools, and one K-12 school. The district has a successful alternate learning centre, a strong French Immersion program, a thriving international student program, and a busy continuing education program.

The District has childcare programs in seven elementary schools with plans to build two separate stand-alone childcare buildings on school district property. The District is also piloting two sites running Before and After childcare programs run by support staff.

The District is part of the next wave of ICY team implementation. These multidisciplinary teams deliver wraparound mental health and substance use services and supports for children and youth (birth to 19) and their families. The service delivery will be flexible and outbound, reflecting the preferences of children, youth, and families. Each ICY team will support a cluster of Public, Independent and First Nations-operated schools and will include all children and youth within the geographic region.

Clinical Counsellor Integrated Child and Youth Team

Reporting and accountable to the Director of Instruction Inclusive Education, the primary responsibilities of this position are to work as part of the multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional integrated child and youth team to provide therapeutic counselling services and school liaison support for children, youth and families experiencing mild/moderate mental health needs, and to manage and oversee the Youth Peer Support Worker position.

This role includes outreach work with the community to support a cluster of Public, Independent and First Nations operated schools within the geographic region.

This role is required to be available to perform time-sensitive work outside of regular (9-5) working hours as required, e.g., emergency counselling to children and youth and their families.

This role does not follow the school calendar and works 12 months of the year.

Specific Duties

• Support the ICY team and schools served to mitigate and address factors which may precipitate mental health and substance use challenges for children and youth.
• Provide child/youth and family therapeutic counselling through a lens of intervention and/or prevention support. Monitor the progress of child/youth on their case load.
• Perform the functions of a manager of employees in the Youth Peer Support Worker positions as a part of the ICY teams including:
• Responsible for recruitment, selection and hiring of school-based employees assigned to the portfolio within the program
• Provide orientation, coaching, training and mentoring to direct reports
• Manage employee conduct related matters including conduct employee relations related investigations with the human resources department, issues discipline and discharge of the employee when necessary
• Manage employee attendance including informal and formal discussions with employees when absenteeism is continuously impacting service delivery; provides consideration to all applicable leave of absence requests
• Manage employees including routine informal performance feedback, the development of employee work plans, and conduct staff performance review and related development plans reviews.
• Interpret and comply with applicable collective agreements, participate in the grievance and arbitration process, and consult with human resources to provide feedback on collective bargaining initiatives necessary to support to the program and community
• Manage assigned budget including staffing budgets allocated to the portfolio
• Liaise between school staff and the ICY team, to represent and advocate for the needs of all children and youth (birth to 18) within the geographic area with a focus on prevention/early intervention wherever possible.
• Provide support for the Youth Peer Support Worker to participate as a core ICY team member.
• Attend and actively participate in integrated child and youth team meetings.
• Provide oversight and supervision of the Youth Peer Support Worker to provide peer-based mentoring and emotional support to youth ages 12-19 with the following:
• to support systems navigation and resource distribution to youth;
• in facilitating or co-facilitating groups for children, youth and families as needed;
• to encourage membership in the school community.
• As needed and as appropriate, attend school-based team meetings, partner and community agency meetings.
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team decision making through a consensus building process.
• Deliver workshops and ongoing training to families, district staff and community agencies as determined by the ICY team.
• Lead counselling groups for children, youth and families as needed.
• Cultivate a collegial atmosphere with case supervision and case consultation.
• Work in collaboration with school and school district counsellors.
• Consult with and coordinate support services from outside agencies when needed (e.g., community services, RCMP).

• Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychology or a related field and must include a 300-hour supervised practicum or equivalent. Preference may be given to a candidate with school- based practicum experience.
• Must be a Registered Clinical Counsellor and meet educational and training criteria to be a member of the BC Association of Clinical counsellors (BCACC) or a Registered Clinical Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW).
• Preferred minimum of 3-5 years of experience working with families, children, and youth in a clinical counselling setting.
• Experience in clinical and/or educational interventions with children, adolescents, and families (including crisis intervention).
• Experience leading and managing employees including hiring, coaching and mentoring, performance and attendance management, and applying corrective discipline preferably in an unionized environment.

Interested applicants should forward their resume with cover letter and any supporting documentation, before 10:00am, January 3, 2025. Application packages may be submitted electronically to Trisha Wilson, Manager of HR at twilson@sd70.bc.ca

In submitting an application package, candidates consent to SD70 Pacific Rim contacting individuals or supervisors for the purpose of shortlisting and/or reference checking other than those provided as references in the application package.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants but advise that only those selected for interviews will be contacted.