Women's Counsellor

Reporting to the Director of Programs and Services, the Women’s Counsellor is one of two clinical counselling therapist positions at Alice House and works collaboratively with housing, court, and administrative support staff to deliver programs and services. The primary objective of the Women’s Counsellor is to provide assessment, professional counselling and recovery support to women recovering from the impacts of intimate partner violence.

**About Alice House**

For 41 years, Alice House has provided safe second-stage housing, counselling and support services for women/fem-identifying individuals and their children recovering from intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia. In addition to 18 safe-housing units, we offer a suite of wrap around services including family counselling, court support, housing support and more. Alice House operates with a team of 11 staff and management under a volunteer Board of Directors with an annual budget just under $1.5 million.

**Job Accountabilities**

**Assessment and Counselling**
- Assesses the emotional, physical, and mental needs of women to determine their counselling and psychosocial needs and provides comprehensive trauma counselling services.
- Delivers one-on-one trauma informed/specific, counselling sessions to women virtually, in office and/or in pre-approved safe locations offsite, utilizing a range of evidence-based clinical approaches.
- Facilitates and maintains client safety plans and risk assessments in conjunction with Housing Case Manager.
- Ensures barriers to access counselling are reduced including transportation to and from appointments or services.
- Liaises with community supports (ie. Physicians, mental health care practitioners, etc.) on behalf of the client when requested; provides advocacy as needed,
- Implements various goal-oriented, time-limited counselling and psychoeducational strategies, including modalities such as CBT, solution-focused therapy and other trauma-specific approaches.
- Facilitate referrals to other services.
- Provides therapeutic crisis intervention services when required.
- Consults with Alice House staff and Management Team in providing supports and contributing to a collaborative decision-making process.
- Participates in the review of clinical issues, program policies, procedures and client case management.

**Outreach Counselling Services**
- Pursues opportunities to provide victims of DV trauma counselling services through AH by being on the CIC list of counsellors, developing relationships with government and community service providers.
- Works collaboratively to develop and deliver therapeutic programming and/or social activities; ensures programming and education is responsive to the needs of service users while grounded in research and best practices.
- Provides coaching and leadership to staff members delivering facilitated counselling groups, as capacity allows.
- Other duties as assigned; including but not limited to Case Management assistance, organization-wide activities and miscellaneous job-related duties.

**Administration**
- Participates in operational protocol development and team decision making as directed.
- Tracks and records client interaction, feedback and outreach services in Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) and reports to team or Manager.
- Compiles and tracks client service access in HIFIS.
- Supervise clinical practicum students when required (if eligible)
- Maintains good review of all case notes, good working relationships with Safe Housing clients and proactive/reactive support to women throughout their housing transition into and out of Alice House programs.
- Works with Operations Director to ensure counselling hour billing to CIC are up to date.

**Professional Development**
- Maintains and develops professional competence through ongoing professional development.
- Stays current and aware of opportunities to implement new, evidenced based methods of trauma assessment and treatment for women.
- Participates in self-directed learning to ensure that her practice remains relevant by attending professional conferences, e-learning and journal reviews; maintains ongoing tracking of study commitment during and outside of work hours.

**Qualifications**
- Master's degree in social work, counselling, education (counselling) or equivalent clinical counselling designation.
- Current registration and in good standing as a Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT or RCT-C) with NSCCT, or as a Clinical Social Worker (RSW with clinical designation) with NSCSW
- Demonstrated experience working with women in a counselling capacity.
- Certification in First Aid + CPR, NVCI, and ASIST or a commitment to secure these within 3 months of hire.

**Skills**
- Reliability, accountability and high ethical standards.
- Must be cognizant of the issues, concerns, and psychosocial implications experienced by women and their children who have experienced family violence.
- Ability to de