Social Worker

**Who we are**

Children are at the front and centre of what we do; they are the foundation of our purpose and the basis for our evidence-driven strategy. Our mission is to transform the lives of children, youth and their families by developing and delivering innovative, research-based mental health and early learning programs. At the Child Development Institute (CDI), we are passionate about helping our communities’ most vulnerable members and their caregivers. It motivates each of us to face what can be difficult situations while continuously finding the purest joy in play, in silence, in advice, and in the unbelievable strength and resilience of our young clients. Joining us now is a rewarding opportunity to be part of an organization that is built on a legacy of more than 100 years of helping children and families.

Recognized as a leader and model for measurement-based impact, we are client-centred, family-centred, and data-informed. We are a place where professionals grounded in mental health, care, and well-being of infants, children and youth, come together in collaboration, learning and inclusion. As a multiservice organization delivering social, emotional, and behavioural counselling services, early childhood education, learning disabilities and mental health services, and family violence services, we address the whole person from when they begin their life. Every child and family that reaches out to us is unique, and we value and embrace their individuality. We deliver the tailored support and tools they need to build life-long skills, positive mental health, and resilience. With their trust in us, we guide children and families along a supportive journey. It is an often difficult path and simultaneously the most rewarding experience for providers, children and families.

**Who we need**

Reporting to the Clinical Manager, Family Violence Services, we are seeking a compassionate **Social Worker** to join our Mothers in Mind® MIM team. Consistent with trauma-informed models of service, MIM is a 10-12 week program that provides a mother-child playgroup environment that emphasizes mothers’ choice, strengths and empowerment, and an awareness of the impact of trauma on the experience of parenting, child development, and the parent-child relationship. You will work with mothers and their young children up to age four in group settings, on-site at our CDI location, in a partner shelter, or at our partnered program at a Children’s Aid Society of Toronto location. As a member of our clinical leadership and children’s mental health treatment team, you will also take turns co-leading our Here to Help, 13-week group intervention program for mothers with children 4-18 years old who have experienced family violence.

Therapeutic interventions may be delivered to individuals, groups and families. You are willing and able to travel to other sites and can work flexible hours in the day or evening to meet client needs.

**Who you are**

As a Registered Social Worker, you are looking for a place to channel your commitment to making a difference in the lives of mothers who have experienced trauma and their young children. You want to leverage the expertise of a long-historied organization that operates at the cutting edge of evidence-based treatment for children, youth, and their families, a place where you will be supported in professional development and work-life balance.

**What's in it for you**

**_ Profound purpose._** You want to take mothers and young children along a healing journey, guiding them to connect after experiencing trauma. You will play a critical role in developing a treatment plan. You want to be a calming and secure presence, someone who is a caring and steady champion for the well-being of young, vulnerable clients and parents.

**_ Growth as a Social Worker and as a compassionate human._** You want to expand your knowledge, skills, and impact following our evidence-based practices and proven processes. You will be part of in-house professional development opportunities, guided coaching and mentoring. Through cross-functional collaboration and as a result of our broad scope of services, you will gain insights through interactions with other Social Workers, Psychologists, and Child and Youth Workers. You will support practicum students if capacity demands.

**As our new Social Worker, you will**:

- _ Foster a safe space._ With parents and very young children as your primary client group, you will prioritize comfort and security, empowering your clients to build strong and nurturing relationships. You will spend much of your time in a playful learning environment. The group is designed to feel more like a mother-child playgroup than a targeted intervention. You will work to help mothers more easily interact with their children and each other, promoting healthy patterns of connection and repairing any potential disconnection that may occur between caregivers and children after experie