Counsellor Counselling Services

**Join the Renewed Seneca, The Next Seneca.**:
Guided by _The Next - A Strategic Plan for Seneca Polytechnic_, we offer a working environment that is innovative, flexible and encourages risk-taking. Joining Seneca Polytechnic brings opportunities for professional development and career growth. We focus on health and wellbeing in all its forms to provide a great employee experience.

**Position Summary**:
Counselling Services provides emotional and mental health support throughout students’ post-secondary journey. Whether it is the pressures of school, or external factors, we are here to help students successfully manage their wellness, while thriving academically. We operate out of a wellness model, focusing on a strengths-based approach to care.

This role is part of a multi-disciplinary professional team who offers a variety of mental health supports to Seneca’s student population. Our team partners with students across the mental health continuum from helping to maintain wellness for those who are healthy and thriving, to provide clinical intervention for those experiencing implications to their functioning due to mental health related concerns.

The Counsellor, Human Skills Development - group facilitator, provides group intervention through a positive psychology and strengths-based lens - across the mental health continuum. As a key pillar of Counselling Services menu of options, we recognize the importance of group intervention in the stepped care model, and its unique opportunity for students to engage in peer support, human skill development, observational learning and gain multiple perspectives through a shared experience.
- one support. Evening hours may be required.

**Responsibilities**:
**Student Support**
- Able to develop and facilitate therapeutic intervention through formal and informal groups with students across the mental health continuum from prevention, intervention and post-vention.
- Knowledge of how groups function, including stages of group development, roles within groups, potential challenges like conflict or resistance and how to bring resolution.
- Strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills to effectively lead discussions, manage conflicts, and foster a supportive group environment.
- Strong knowledge of cultural sensitivity in the mental health context and what barriers exist for the diverse backgrounds and experiences of group members, navigating bias as it presents itself.
- The ability to listen empathetically and attentively to understand participants' perspectives and concerns.
- Able to work with students presenting with complex mental health needs.
- Able to successfully move students through a process of engagement and learning to meet group objectives.
- Accurately and responsibly maintains student files in an online clinical database and record keeping system.

**Administration**
- Able to use systematic methods for assessing the design, implementation, and outcomes of a program to determine its effectiveness and inform decision-making.
- Skills in designing, implementing and analyzing data collected from surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other data collection methods.
- Skilled researcher, ensuring our group programming is meeting best practice standards in the field.

**Collaboration**
- Able to work collaboratively with polytechnic staff, funders, and participants to ensure the group objectives and evaluation are aligned with their needs.
- Participates on committees and working groups relevant to the role, to support the mental health of students.
- Attends staff meetings and supervisory meetings while upholding the standards of confidentiality and respect.
- Ensures the Associate Director, Counselling Services is informed and updated on critical supports or interventions in a responsive and timely manner.
- Provides mentorship and learning opportunities for clinical colleagues interested in developing group facilitation skills.

**Other**
- Passionate about fostering belonging in a large post secondary community context.
- Thinks innovatively and creatively about the use of formal and informal groups in a post secondary context - across the mental health continuum.
- Skilled in creating group curriculum that achieves the outcome of human skills development and flourishing mental health.
- Ability to critically evaluate existing research, identify gaps, synthesize information from various sources and implement what is learned in a group intervention strategy.

**Qualifications**:
**Education**
- A completed Master’s Degree in Social Work, Clinical Counselling, or Clinical Psychology from a recognized post-secondary institution. If education is in a different field, please state how it is related. Ph. D preferred.
- Current member, in good standing, with a Regulated Health Profession.
- Certification in group therapy, would be an asset or equivalent experience.

**Experience**
- Minimum of three (3) years’ experience working with students in a