Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor

**Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor**:
**PRIMARY PURPOSE**: To contribute to student success by addressing the mental health needs of students through the provision of timely and accessible mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions for students.

**NATURE OF WORK**: Counsellors report to the Director of Student Wellness Services and are supervised by the Counselling team Clinical Leader. Individual counselors vary in the primary focus of their work in areas of mental health counselling. This position is dedicated to serving students with substance misuse/addictions.

Counsellors are part of the Student Wellness Centre team, which offers urgent and non-urgent physical and mental health services to U of S students and their dependents. The Student Wellness Centre serves a diverse student population with diverse cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

The University of Saskatchewan values diversity and Indigenous engagement is a strategic priority. It is expected that counsellors will develop a solid understanding of the University’s Indigenous engagement and Indigenization priorities and will recognize and support the importance and value of diversity.

**ACCOUNTABILITIES**:Counsellors’ responsibilities include the following:

- Manage an appropriate caseload in a clinically effective manner (i.e., in accordance with professional expectations of the clinician’s respective discipline).
- Share in the responsibility to provide timely initial assessments and follow-up treatment to clients.
- Conduct intake interviews with new clients and assess their substance use patterns, mental health functioning, risk indicators, and treatment needs.
- Provide brief therapy, psycho-educational programs, administrative interventions, and referrals to health providers and community services.
- Perform urgent risk assessment of students who present in crisis, at risk of harm to self or others, and develop plans for risk and crisis management.
- May participate in the supervision and training of practicum students in individual and group counselling.
- Performs other duties consistent with the mandate of Student Wellness Services as requested.

**MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS**

**Education**: Master’s Degree in Social Work or Education preferred, Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work accepted. Must have additional education in Addictions. CCAC designation preferred. Registration with the appropriate professional association and eligibility for professional liability insurance is a requirement of this position.
- A minimum of five years of experience in clinical mental health counselling and have engaged in clinical counselling supervision throughout their career.
- Extensive experience working with people struggling with substance misuse and substance affected persons.
- A sound knowledge of adolescent and adult development and family systems theory.
- Demonstrated ability to work successfully with varied concurrent mental health presentations supporting client directed outcomes and services
- Experience performing urgent risk assessments, therapeutic and crisis interventions related to mental health and suicide
- **Expertise and experience in clinical treatment of a wide range of concerns that post-secondary and professional program students may experience including trauma, stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, relationship difficulties, eating/body image issues, transition issues and violence**.

**Skills**:

- Strong assessment and intervention skills particularly in the area of brief treatment with a young adult population struggling with substance use/misuse.
- Advanced abilities to conduct clinical interventions and treatment that are informed by a strong working knowledge of psychopathology, assessment, trauma, and addictions.
- Advanced ability to assess risk of harm to self and violence to others with capacity to facilitate a variety of brief and medium-term interventions.
- Demonstrates commitment to working respectfully on a team which values and draws on a breadth of clinical perspectives.
- **Commitment to serving the needs of a diverse student population. Demonstrated ability to provide services that are responsive and sensitive to the needs of specific populations including Indigenous students, international students, graduate students, racialized students, students with disabilities and LGBTQ2S+ students.**:

- Ability to handle interactions and maintain positive relations with diverse clients with tact, discretion, cultural sensitivity, and in a courteous, confidential, and professional manner.
- Ability to both work independently and coordinate services within an interprofessional mental health team in an efficient and effective manner.

**Department**: Student Wellness Centre
**Status**: Term 5 years with the possibility of extension
**Employment Group**: ASPA
**Full Time Equivalent (FTE)**: 0.5
**Salary**: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $64,107.00 - 100,169.00 per