Mental Health Worker

**Position Details**:
**Posting #**: 31202
**Department**:Youth Wellness
**Employee Type**:Temporary, Part Time
**If Temporary, Number of Weeks**:6 months
**Union**:OPSEU
**Openings Remaining**:1

**Schedule**:
**Work Days**: Monday to Friday
**Time of Day**: Days, Afternoons, Evenings
**Shift**: 7.5 hour
**This position may be scheduled at any of the following sites**: Youth Wellness Centre (Hamilton Downtown)

**Application Dates**:
**Opening Date**: 22/05/2025
**Closing Date**: 29/05/2025 Applications must be received online by 12:00 midnight on the Closing Date

**Position Description**:
Temporary assignment for approximately 6 months

***
The primary responsibility of the Mental Health Worker will be to contribute to the achievement of the following core program functions: engagement and relationship-building; intake and screening; specialized assessment; care planning, clinical intervention and follow up; transition support, system navigation, advocacy and referral; consultation, education and support; program and system development; and service and program evaluation.

The role of the Mental Health Worker is to respond to racialized youth who are experiencing mental health and addictions concerns and who face barriers accessing MHA services.

The Mental Health Worker is a mobile position that is part of a small specialized interdisciplinary team that meets racialized youth in non-traditional and community-based settings.

**QUALIFICATIONS**
- Degree/diploma in nursing (RN) or Degree in Social Work or Occupational Therapy or a degree in related health or social science field (e.g. psychology) OR current registration in good standing with the College of Psychotherapists with a Degree in a health-related discipline
- Current registration with your college in good standing: College of Nurses (RN), Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario or College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
- Demonstrated knowledge and practiced skills in working with racialized youth with mental health and addiction difficulties.
- Knowledge and experience with anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice
- Minimum 3-5 years experience in a comparable role working with the defined population (e.g. racialized youth with mental health and addictions concerns) required

Lived experience of racism required
- Knowledge of and experience with youth-specific clinical interventions and approaches (eg. youth engagement and youth-centered care)
- Proven ability to perform comprehensive mental health and addiction assessment and establish rapport with target population (e.g. racialized youth)
- Demonstrated ability in conflict resolution and crisis intervention
- Demonstrated health-teaching and knowledge translation skills in the target population
- Advocacy, system navigation, and networking skill are critical
- Understanding of the use of psychotropic medications in youth, psychiatric diagnosis and formulation of a mental health assessment
- Knowledge of engagement strategies and proven ability to engage racialized and marginalized youth is critical
- Knowledge of both the child/youth mental health & addictions sector and the adult mental health & addictions sector
- Proven ability to work collaboratively and in partnership with a transdisciplinary team and partner agencies/organizations both on the team and in the community
- Thorough understanding of the issues impacting racialized youth from a social determinants of health perspective
- Ability and willingness to travel (e.g. be mobile) and work in various settings/environments throughout the day (e.g. office, schools, community, home, etc)
- Ability to communicate in other languages preferred
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Proven ability to work with mínimal supervision and able to prioritize work demands
- Basic computer ability/knowledge is required (e.g. typing assessments and data entry)

**RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Maintains an active clinical caseload providing comprehensive assessment, consultation, clinical interventions, follow-up and transition planning, as per the mandate of the Youth Wellness Centre. Through engagement and assessment, the worker strives to understand the needs and strengths of racialized youth. Works in collaboration with the youth and their family to define a support plan that connects youth to the services they require. Maintains an active clinical caseload providing comprehensive assessment, consultation, clinical interventions, follow-up and transition planning, as per the mandate of the Youth Wellness Centre. Through engagement and assessment, the worker strives to understand the needs and strengths of racialized youth. Works in collaboration with the youth and their family to define a support plan that connects youth to the services they require.
- Formulates client-centered treatment recommendations in alignment with the program goals. Reviews and evaluates the rec