Addiction Counsellor

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is

We are hiring for two individuals who are committed to strength-based, person focused care to join our team as Addiction Counsellors in either the HART (The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) transitional housing program or the HART mobile program. The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is a newly funded program aimed at addressing critical health and social needs in our community. The HART Hub will support individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction, offering services that include addiction treatment, housing support and collaborative care. The HART Hub Supportive Housing team will operate a co-ed 12-bed transitional housing program where the focus is short-term housing and tailored support plans for individuals experiencing housing loss, with the goal of fostering addiction recovery and housing stability. The Addiction Counsellor in the transitional housing program will focus on providing 1:1 counselling, goal setting, case management and working with an interdisciplinary team to support the participant's housing and addiction/mental health related goals.

The Addiction Counsellor in the HART mobile program will work in the HART program with the Community Healthcaring Primary Care Outreach Team in Waterloo Region. Professional registration, in good standing, is required (OCSWSSW, CRPO). Addiction Counsellors within this program can expect to meet with participants in the community and travel to different HART Hub locations within Waterloo Region. Time with participants may involve psychotherapeutic, supportive and skill-based counselling depending on the participants stage of change and individual goals. Motivational interviewing, solution focused therapy and harm reduction approaches may frequently be used.

*** This is a permanent, salaried, full-time (37.5 hours per week)**position with paid sick time, personal days, vacation time; group health benefits and defined contribution pension plan.**

**Schedule: generally Monday to Friday daytime hours (9am to 5pm) with some flexibility to meet program needs.**

**Valid G class driver’s license required.**

**A satisfactory**_Vulnerable Sector_** Police Records Check required.***

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Substance use assessments and program screening, intake, completion, discharge and referral
- Develop treatment plan collaboratively with participant, monitor and evaluate participant progress
- Develop accommodation plans for participants as needed
- Develop and implement evidence-based programming including creating and promoting specialized workshops that address the needs of the community
- Individual and group counselling delivered both in person and virtually using an eclectic therapeutic approach
- Case management including case consultation, treatment planning and working collaboratively with external and internal partners
- Assess complex situations and make appropriate decisions independently and as part of a team including crisis intervention, risk assessment and safety planning.
- Establish strong, therapeutic rapport and maintain appropriate professional relationships
- Complete documentation and data entry in accordance with agency and legislative requirements
- Maintain confidentiality in compliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
- Participation and involvement in other programs, Addiction Services and broader agency activities
- Work as part of a team including attending the team meetings, trainings and regular supervision meetings
- Support onboarding and training of new team members
- Commitment to ongoing professional development and training

**Job Specific Knowledge/Skills**:

- Sensitivity to and knowledge of issues relating to and impacting on all genders and all marginalized populations
- Commitment to stage matched, strengths based, person-centred quality psychotherapy services
- Knowledge of and training in substance use including associated health risks
- Knowledge of community resources and provincial addiction treatment services
- Demonstrated capacity for accurate and efficient documentation and computer data entry
- Demonstrated ability to calmly problem-solve in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment;
- Strong communication and listening skills
- Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team
- Experience working within a non-profit and/or social services environment
- Commitment to work with and support training of students, volunteers and new