Shelter Counsellor

**Posted: February 6th, 2024**

**Closes: February 20th, 2024**

**Posting #: 02062024**

**INTERNAL POSTING**

**SHELTER COUNSELLOR**

**RELIEF**

**CUPE Local 3521**

**OFFICE LOCATION**:Crossroads Shelter

**START DATE**: ASAP

**WAGE RANGE**:$25.04 to $28.12/hr (includes pay equity adjustments to March 2022)

**HOURS**:Relief, On-Call, Casual, Rotational Shifts

**POSITION PURPOSE**:
**MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**Shelter Counsellors, with the support and guidance of the Shelter Managers, are responsible for ensuring that the YWCA’s funder-mandated outcomes are met. These outcomes are based upon the premise that Crossroads and HERS exist to keep women, with and without children safe from harm.**:
**Specific mandated outcomes include (including MCCSS VAW emergency residential guidelines)**:

- Assist women who are fleeing violent / abusive relationships to increase safety for themselves and their dependents, prevent re-victimization and take steps to rebuild their lives.- Support women and their dependents to understand their rights, safety planning and violence prevention strategies.- Assist women in supporting their dependents to heal from the effects of witnessing violence.- Assist and advocate for women and their dependents regarding their health, safety and well-being.- Each woman who calls may have the opportunity to find out their level of danger by way of an initial lethality screening being done by the Shelter Counsellor.- Each woman who calls has a safety plan for themselves and their family co-created by them and a Shelter Counsellor.- Once a resident at the shelter, each woman co-creates a safety plan with staff created appropriate to their changed circumstances while living at Crossroads or HERS.- Upon discharge from Crossroads or HERS, staff will work with each woman to co-create a safety plan appropriate to their new living arrangements.
- Provide immediate crisis intervention, information, or referrals to callers on the agency’s 24-hour crisis lines in a non-judgmental manner.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Completed relevant post-secondary education (Social Service Worker diploma, Dual Pathways Program - Social Service Worker and Mental Health and Addictions, and/or Bachelor of Social Work) and at least 2 years relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience.- Completion of workshops and courses pertaining to mental illness, trauma, harm reduction, crisis de-escalation and anti-oppressive practice.- Demonstrated knowledge of harm reduction principles and practice.- Demonstrated knowledge of community resources and supports focused on mental health, addictions, individual and group supports.- Experience delivering culturally sensitive services in a multicultural environment.- Knowledge and understanding of mental health, substance use/addictions, advocacy, refugee and immigration issues and homelessness.- Demonstrates knowledge and ability to work with women and their families using brief solution-focused techniques.- Demonstrates knowledge, understanding, and ability to respond appropriately to women and their children as they deal with the short and long-term effects of surviving trauma including having lived in an abusive situation; having survived an abusive situation and dealing with the impact of leaving an abusive situation.- Incorporates knowledge and understanding of the impact of marginalization on women.- Women may be marginalized by: living in a rural and/or isolated location; housing / homelessness; poverty; physical and mental health status; use of legal/illegal drugs &/or alcohol; racialization; immigration status; sexual orientation; gender identity; family status; physical & mental health status of their children; differing ability/disability; language; culture; religion; education; employment; source of income; socio-economic status; literacy and numeracy skills; and so forth.- Demonstrates knowledge, commitment and ability to incorporate anti-oppression & antiracist understanding into daily practice.- Knowledge of, and proven ability to use, Crisis Prevention & Intervention skills in order to diffuse and prevent crisis situations.- Strong crisis intervention, de-escalating, conflict management and resolution skills.- Demonstrates ability to be self-reflective and self-aware in the role of Shelter Counsellor.- Demonstrates awareness of the personal impact of VAW work and creates and uses a personal well-being plan in order to deal with the impact of the work.- Demonstrates ability to adhere to professional standards in all facets of shelter work; with clients, with co-workers, and with the public.- Demonstrates knowledge, commitment and ability to create a healthy workplace environment for residents and co-workers.- Demonstrates the ability to incorporate training and professional development into day-today work.-
- A solid understanding of de-colonization practices and the impacts of colonization and de-colonization practices.- Food Handlers Certificate an