Youth Addictions Counsellor

ADAPT and its health partners are dedicated to changing the face of addictions and mental health services.

We are hiring for one (1) **Youth Addictions Counsellor** role. The counsellor will provide rapid access to acute stabilizing interventions to youth up to the age of 24, through group and individual therapy and will facilitate active warm transfer and navigation to subsequent needed services across the region. This counsellor will want to put the patient and family experience at the heart of everything they do; they will get excited about being a part of industry-leading innovation; and they will believe deeply in ensuring that every person can access what they need to live well.

**LOCATION**: Halton region, including premises of Joseph Brant Hospital + remote work

**This position will be classified as a permanent 1.0FTE**

**WHAT'S THERE FOR YOU?**

You will work with a fun, cooperative and diverse team. This group will provide you many opportunities to learn from other professions and enhance your skills and abilities when providing services to your clients. It's an extremely interesting and unique role, with excellent work-life balance. This is a hybrid position consisting of working primarily out of the Burlington office/ hospital/ community and some days of remote work at home.

**SUMMARY**:Delivers clinical services to youth (up to the age of 24) with concurrent disorders. The incumbent will work closely with the partnering hospital’s multidisciplinary team (doctors, nurses, social workers etc. at Joseph Brant Hospital) when providing clinical assessments and developing and implementing clinically sound treatment plans, with specific attention to transitioning youth to mental health and addictions services in the community, including appropriate youth services at ADAPT. The counsellor works directly/cooperatively with members of the Joseph Brant Hospital multidisciplinary team as well as with a wide range of service providers, to increase service integration.

**JOB RESPONSIBILITIES**:
Primary responsibilities may include but may not be limited to:

- Liaising with health care professional teams at Joseph Brant Hospital.
- Addictions and mental health assessment, delivery of acute stabilizing interventions, evaluation of interventions and treatment of youth up to age of 24
- Providing screening, assessment, counselling, case management, and transition to appropriate community support services for concurrent disorders youth at Joseph Brant Hospital; identifying next stage services and facilitating navigation and warm transfer to these services; refers Clients to other appropriate support services and agencies according to the Clients’ needs, with specific attention to supporting referrals between youth and adult mental health and addictions services
- Creating and implementing treatment plans.
- Providing individual and family counselling to address the clients’ needs; family engagement, support and education
- Conducts group sessions as required
- Crisis Support.
- Data collection and reporting; clear and consistent documentation on youth’s health record.
- Attendance at staff and other community/hospital meetings as required.
- Supporting quality improvement initiatives.
- Community outreach and advocacy in the field of addictions/concurrent disorders where appropriate and required; community engagement.
- Inter-professional, inter-agency engagement, relationship building and collaboration.
- Completing statistical information in accordance with Ministry and Program requirements
- Assists in the promotion of ADAPT and its programs to other agencies and the general public
- Participates in committees as required participates in meetings as required
- Provides input into the operational and strategic planning related to ADAPT programs as required

**SKILLS**:

- Broad knowledge of addictions treatments and explanatory theories, mental illness, and community resources is required
- Strong communication and active listening
- Ability to: function independently, maintain effective working relationships with others, work effectively under pressure or deadlines and work outside regular office hours as required, use good judgement to make sound decisions
- Interpersonal skills that require an attention to detail and rapport building with clients
- Experienced sense and awareness of ethical boundaries and clinical reporting obligations
- Good organizational skills
- Active time management and scheduling
- Ability to communicate effectively with clients and employees at all levels of the organization
- Ability to effectively present complex clinical information in writing and verbally
- Proficiency with computer programs and electronic database(s)

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- University degree (Master’s level preferred) in Social Work/ Social Service and/ or Health related field plus Addiction Studies certification, or equivalent combination of experience and education is required
- Professional r