Counsellor

Position Type:
Permanent

Closing date:
2025-07-27

Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Medavie Health Services (MHS) that manages and operates ground ambulance, air medical transport and the medical communications operations in Nova Scotia through a performance-based contract with the provincial government's Emergency Health Services (EHS) Operations division and the Department of Health and Wellness. As well, EMC operates TeleHealth/811 medical communications for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for the Department of Health.

We access all communities in Nova Scotia in a timely and efficient manner with our fleet of more than 180 ambulances and support vehicles operating out of 60+ stations. We respond to 165,000+ calls annually across the province, which are actively managed through the EHS Operations Medical Communications Centre, the hub of all emergency (911) and non-emergency (hospital transfers) medical calls.

The EHS Operations LifeFlight program provides even greater accessibility by responding to patients on scene or through inter-facility transports by our critical care team via helicopter, fixed wing, or ground ambulance.

In addition, paramedics in Nova Scotia participate in various programs both urban and rural such as community-based paramedic programs, collaborative emergency centres, and emergency preparedness and special operations, to name a few.

Reporting to the Mental Health and Addiction Services Supervisor, the Counsellor, Mental Health and Addiction Services provides professional Tele and E-counselling and information services for individuals and their families through the use of evidence informed clinical practices and communication technologies. The Tele-Counsellor will provide professional services not limited to clinical assessment, treatment planning with the client, psycho educational services, resource counselling, warm referral and ongoing evaluation the client's strengths and needs. The Counselor will provide early identification and counselling related to various addiction issues such as problem gambling and tobacco use. The Counsellor will also provide front line support to other services within Telehealth Services as required. This position is governed by the NSGEU Collective Agreement.

Responsibilities
- Provides counseling within the standards defined by professional counselling organizations, regulatory agencies, relevant legislation and the company's approved policies and processes.
- Provides professional counselling using clinical judgment, computer-based assessment tools, information/communications technologies and appropriate evidence-based clinical guidelines and other relevant databases and resources.
- Applies clinical processes which are client centered and focus on self-care strategies to support clients in meeting their individualized goals.
- Demonstrates compliance with all programs specific performance metrics, participates in the evaluation and/or measurement of these metrics, and plays an active role in improving personal, team and program performance.
- Manages the call queue within the decision support software and in accordance with established policy.
- Provides information about community resources or other scripted health related information as requested to the people who access the call centers services and within prescribed scope of position.
- Completes satisfaction and other general public surveys from users of the Telecare service or from lists provided by the Department of Health, as requested.
- Navigates the software and applies established policies and guidelines to assess with the client; their strengths and needs, intervene appropriately, and document on the client's clinical record in a timely manner, throughout and immediately after the call.
- Liaises effectively between caller and other health care providers in all and critical situations, such as the need for ambulance transport and/or police assistance.
- Participates in the monitoring, review, improvement and revision of Mental Health and Addiction Services, with particular attention to clinical practices and processes.

Qualifications
- You must belong to a relevant professional association and be licensed by the regulatory body in Nova Scotia to practice. You must provide a photocopy license to practice each year and maintain good standing with the regulatory body.
- You must have one (1) to two (2) years post-secondary clinical experience (addictions counselling experience preferred)
- Excellent communication, telephone and customer service skills
- Excellent critical thinking, clinical decision-making and problem-solving skills
- Strong knowledge and competence in the use of computers keyboarding and systems navigation
- Ability to communicate orally and written in both French and English languages are preferred. Fluency written and oral in the Mi'kmaq language is also considered an asset.