Transitional & Housing Support Program Counsellor

Job description

**Transitional & Housing Support Program Counsellor**

**12-month contract**

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal services and representation, counselling and multilingual interpretation, and drives system transformation to support women and gender-diverse people who have experienced violence. Rooted in the foundations of intersectionality, innovation, and a client-centered approach, we foster the skills and resilience of the people we serve and amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.

The Clinic’s Counselling Department is seeking a full-time Transitional and Housing Support Program Counsellor for a 12-month contract.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**1. COUNSELLING**:

- Assess client needs and complete safety assessments and planning with clients
- Provides crisis counselling, de-escalation counselling and grounding interventions
- Offer trauma-informed support
- Develop plans and sets goals with clients
- Facilitate/co-facilitate groups and Housing Information sessions

**2. CLIENT SUPPORT**
- Facilitate support assistance with agencies such as Legal Aid, Access to Housing, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program
- Provide practical and emotional support and accompany women to court, other community agencies or to assess housing options
- Match clients with desired locations, connect them with resources in the area and ensure safety and adjustment in the new community
- Provide information and support to clients as they navigate through social services and justice systems
- Work in partnership with landlords from the public and private sector to ensure clients maintain their residence
- Conduct case conferences with clients and involved agencies to support client needs
- Advocate on behalf of clients with lawyers during the court process

**3. AGENCY AND TEAM SUPPORT**
- Participate on agency committees and contribute to events which include participating in clinical meetings and staff meetings
- Communicate with team members to share critical information, provide debriefing opportunities and resolve problems
- Represent the Clinic and volunteers on a variety of committees or at events to promote the Clinic, share information and resolve problems
- Utilize an anti-oppressive approach with clients and colleagues

**4. ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL**
- Advocate on behalf of clients to provide support and warm referrals
- Assess client needs and provide information and referrals
- Conduct research to identify services for referral and makes referrals
- Conduct telephone intake, which includes assessing client needs and safety
- Consult with Counsellors and Legal Department regarding available services and client needs
- Follow up with clients to see how they are and receives feedback related to referrals
- Prioritize calls based on safety, date received and crisis situations

**5. ADMINISTRATION & OTHER**
- Enter information into system to document calls in the agency database
- Take intake notes, and enter requests and referrals into client management system EMHware
- Compose support letters for clients
- Comply with Clinic and funder policies and procedures
- Perform other tasks as assigned by management

**MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Graduate or post-graduate in relevant field with a minimum of two years’ experience delivering transitional and housing support from a trauma-informed approach to survivors of gender-based violence
- Experience with intake, risk assessment and safety planning; thorough knowledge of social service and social welfare systems
- Experience providing information and referrals specific to the needs of women fleeing violence
- An understanding of the issues and dynamics related to the provision of transitional and housing support services to women who have experienced interpersonal violence consistent with a trauma[1]informed feminist, anti-racist, anti-oppression analysis
- Experience working with human trafficking survivors
- Strong advocacy skills are a must-have for this position
- Experience working in a diverse work setting and with a diverse client population
- Intermediate computer skills
- Excellent administrative and letter writing skills
- Be a self-starter and highly motivated
- Excellent communication and conflict management skills
- Fluency in a second language would be considered a tremendous asset

**CORE COMPETENCIES**
- Commitment to working collaboratively with and supporting women of diversity within the context of a diverse agency
- Engagement in a self-reflective, ethical, and collaborative practice that is non-judgmental and empathic and reflects the vision and mission statements of the Clinic
- Incorporation of principles of diversity and equity in responding to the service needs of women
- Commitment to working toward removing systemic barriers to women’s independence and wellbeing
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, time-management and problem-solving skills; wr