Brief /assessment Counsellor

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers legal services and representation, trauma-informed counselling and multilingual interpretation to diverse women (self identified), non-binary, intersex, and Two-Spirit people who have experienced violence. We cultivate skills and resilience by fostering safety, dignity and equality and we amplify voices to create individual and collective change. Together with our donors and volunteers, we are active in changing the conditions that create environments of violence and oppression.

We are hiring for a Brief /Assessment Counsellor who will provide counselling, safety planning and group facilitation for clients who have experienced gender-based violence.

**Duties and Responsibilities**

All duties and responsibilities will be carried out in accordance with Barbra Schlifer Clinic's Mandate, Mission and Values Statements.
- Provides short term counselling (6-12 sessions) with a focus on trauma-informed, brief solution focused therapy, and psychoeducation around trauma
- Supporting intake and counselling department with safety planning and crisis situations
- Prioritizes response based on safety, date received and crisis situations
- Screens requests based on the Clinic’s mandate
- Conducts telephone and in-person intakes which include assessing client, needs and safety
- Assesses the personal, legal or social needs of clients; provides options related to safety protection and referrals pertaining to legal rights
- Implements risk assessments and safety plans by delivering timely interventions and supports for clients in immediate need
- Provides information and referrals, identifies services for referral, and advocates on behalf of clients
- Provides counselling, de-escalation, containment and grounding interventions
- Assesses needs and goals for counselling
- Conducts assessments to determine program match to clients
- Provides referrals to other organizations when a request does not fall within the Clinic’s mandate or there is no space in the Clinic’s programs
- Offers client-centered, trauma-informed brief counselling
- Supporting groups, facilitates groups as a leader and as a support to external facilitators
- Provides supportive counselling for clients in a group and facilitates discussion around issues of violence and trauma
- Encourages clients to connect with their feelings and understand the impact of violence
- Maintains up to date client records on client management system (EMHware)
- Alerts appropriate department management to emergency client situations, as necessary
- Initiates consultation with the Director of Counselling Services or her designate on complicated, high-risk cases
- Participates on agency committees and contributes to events which include participating in clinical meetings and staff meetings
- Communicates with team members to share information, provide debriefing opportunities and resolve problems
- Represents the Clinic and volunteers on a variety of committees or at events to promote the Clinic
- Complies with Clinic and funder policies and procedures
- Performs other tasks as assigned by management

**KEY RELATIONSHIPS**
- The Brief /Assessment Counsellor will be a collaborative and supportive member of the Counselling Department and will work collaboratively with other staff as appropriate
- The Brief /Assessment Counsellor will report to and be supervised by the Director of Counselling Services or designate

**MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS**
- Degree in field related to Counselling (BSW, MSW, M.Ed, social service worker, etc)
- Minimum 2 years’ experience with the following:

- Risk assessment and safety planning for clients with a high level of potential lethality
- Experience facilitating closed and open groups for clients who have experienced gender-based violence using a trauma-informed approach; assessment of program match and individual /group readiness
- Experience working with clients with addictions, mental health and trauma
- Experience counselling survivors of gender-based violence and clients who are survivors of sexual abuse (childhood, adult)
- Experience counselling racialized /religiously marginalized clients including newcomers
- Experience in brief counselling with knowledge of somatic resourcing and interventions, such as containment and grounding
- Must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the issues and dynamics related to the provision of counselling services for survivors who have experienced violence, consistent with a trauma-informed, feminist, anti-racist, anti-oppression analysis, framework and approach
- Must demonstrate excellence in client record keeping on a digitized software program; knowledge of EMHware would be considered an asset
- Strong communication and listening skills
- Demonstrated knowledge of safe and effective use of self in the counselling relationship
- Fluency in French or a second language or cultural affiliation with visible minority groups would be considered assets

**COR