Youth and Family Counsellor

**Job Title**:Youth and Family Counsellor**

**Salary range**:Dependant on education and experience.

**Hours of work**: dependant on School District 61 FTE allocations

**Reports to**:Co-Executive Director, Vanya McDonell

**Overall Position Objectives**:
The role of the school based Youth and Family Counsellor is to provide identification and intervention in the areas of counselling, skill development, advocacy, and support services to vulnerable children and their families. Children who are vulnerable are those who are experiencing familial, emotional, behavioural, and/or cultural issues which significantly limit their capacity to function effectively within their family, school, and/or community.

Goals of the Youth and Family Counselling Service:
The Youth and Family Counsellor aims to have students: - Remain enrolled and connected with an educational program;
- Maintain, repair and encourage healthy attachments to family and other significant adults;
- Develop healthy social relationships and positive self-worth.

**Roles and Responsibilities**:
School-based Counselling Services
- To act in a non-curricular/non-teaching capacity in the school and in the community by providing counselling and support services to students and their families;
- To provide a range of formal and informal interventions and services in the school to students and their families;
- To provide individual, family, and group counselling for at risk students identified in the school - To be available for crisis interventions when identified as necessary by school based case management team;
- To provide services that support school outcome objectives and goals related to a student’s individualized Education Plan/Service Plan;
- To act as a consultant to teachers and school administration concerning behavior management issues;
- To act as a referral source to other community services for students and families;
- To assess student’s family, peer, emotional and community functioning and determine how it affects school functioning;
- To be an advocate and support, consistent with the outcome goals, for students and their families within the school environment;
- To participate in school based activities such as school-bases case management teams, case conferences, and staff meetings to keep accurate and current case documentation concerning assessment, client goals, service actions and case evaluation; Reviewed/Revised: September 2021
- Initiate preventative interventions (i.e. health promotion, mental health strategies, parenting, drug and alcohol education);
- Facilitate students’ transition to and connection with a new school or work placement;
- To carry a case load that is determined through partnership with the school, the FGCA and the District Community LINK Coordinator;
- Participate in other related activities when required and approved by the Executive Director;
- To recognize the legislated authority of the school Principal/School Board concerning services delivered to students within the School District.

**Communication**:

- Work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team of school administration, counsellor, teachers and other school staff ;
- To provide case management updates, including all information necessary to the plan, both to the FGCA and school administration;
- To act as a liaison with community professionals ;
- On-going consultation and liaison with administration, teaching staff, community professionals and resources involved with students and families (integrated case management);
- Keep the FGCA informed when a major incident or crisis in their school community is impacting their work;
- Participate in annual evaluations as outlined by the FGCA;
- Participation in YFC group meetings or Professional Development offered by the FGCA.

**Financial Management and Reporting**:

- Maintain documentation detailing service plans, outcome measures, community contacts and referrals;
- Safely store and shred documents containing private or confidential material which are kept in accordance with legislative mandates, including the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA);
- Complete interim and final statistical reports with the tools provided in an accurate, timely manner;
- Track expenses and stay within the program expense allowance.

**Qualifications (Education / Skills/ Abilities)**
- A degree in Child and Youth Care or Social Work (or equivalent), with related experience working with vulnerable youth and their families;
- The means and ability to do outreach to students and families;
- Will have a clear Criminal Record and Abuse registry check;
- Membership with the South Vancouver Island School Based Youth & Family Counsellors Association.

**Working Conditions**
- Working on-site in schools

**Job Type**: Part-time

Pay: $31.30-$32.20 per hour

Expected hours: 28 per week

**Benefits**:

- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Extended health care
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