Relief & Part Time Emergency Shelter Counsellors

At **Valora Place**(formerly Violence Against Women Services Elgin County) our doors are always open - 24 hours a day. For **safety** when you need it. **Community** you can count on. **Connection** where you feel understood.

We serve women and their children who are experiencing harm in their relationships or struggling with how they’re feeling. We support family, friends, and co-workers too. Care is immediate, respectful, and compassionate. Each year over 2,000 people find the help they seek.

**24-Hour Services**are deliveredthrough our Community Help Line, Drop-In Support, and Emergency Shelter to offer immediate support; right when it’s needed most. No appointment is needed.

**Community Based Services** are delivered in person by appointment to support women who have experienced abuse; women who have experienced sexual assault; women who are looking for support with housing; women who are navigating family court; and children who have witnessed abuse.

We are hiring both **Relief and Part Time Emergency Shelter Counsellors.** **Work is in person and** **on site at our 24-Hour location in St. Thomas.**

**Pay commences at $25 an hour** **with 6% vacation pay to start.**

As a Relief or Part Time Emergency Shelter Counsellor, you will play a vital role in providing safety, support, and guidance. Your responsibilities will include:

- **Building working relationships** of connection and trust
- **Facilitating dynamic risk assessment and safety planning** with women seeking safety from harm and navigating the effects of abuse
- **Providing emotional support and counselling** via the 24-Hour Community Help Line, the 24-Hour Drop-In Support Program, and within the 24-Hour Emergency Shelter residence.
- **Sharing information and resources** with women who have experienced hurt as well as well as supporting people reaching out looking for information & ways to be supportive to someone being abused.
- **Maintaining a trauma-informed environment** that is confidential, secure, clean, organized, and always ready to welcome the next person who calls or walks through our door.

Given the nature of 24-hour service delivery, the ability to work flexible hours is required. **Your work will include the necessity to work awake overnights shifts and weekends**. A night shift premium is paid for overnight work. There will be scheduled shifts and call-in shifts as necessary to ensure continuity of 24-hour services. If you are called in for an unscheduled shift on a day you were not already scheduled to work and receive less than the applicable notice period, your pay rate will be time-and-a-half.

You’ll bring empathy, compassion, and discernment along with the strong desire and ability to build and maintain working relationships in a 24/7 direct care environment. To do so, you’ll have:

- An understanding of the societal issue of gender-based violence including the effects of coercion and control in the lives of women and children.
- Support the values, purpose, and vision of Valora Place
- Strong interpersonal skills necessary for in person care, phone-based support, and collaboration with team members
- Sound judgement and the ability to assess risk coupled with experience facilitation of safety planning, emotional support, and counselling.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills necessary to facilitate teamwork & accountable care within a 24 hour service delivery model.
- A nimble spirit with the flexibility and problem-solving capacity necessary to adapt to evolving priorities in a crisis care setting.
- The ability to self-regulate and manage own emotions to maintain openness, composure, and a steady presence in uncomfortable, challenging, complex, or emotionally charged situations
- Strong skills in the management of sensitive and confidential matters with attention to boundaries, discretion, and safety needs.
- An approach to your work that holds curiosity, reflection, and a commitment and openness to ongoing learning and growth.
- A commitment to fostering a hope-centered workplace rooted in direct, open, and solution-focused communication and collaboration.
- A post-secondary education and related work experience, ideally in social services or a similar field.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Outlook, and Excel.

You will also need to be able to lift up to 30lbs, provide a current and clear Criminal Reference Check and Vulnerable Persons Screen, have current CPR/First Aid certification, and have daily access to reliable transportation.

To provide reliable and effective 24/7 support for women and children and work in partnership with our community our team must be steadfast, connected, and supported.

We provide:

- Immediate access to the Employee & Family Assistance Program Valora Place offers. There is no cost to you.
- Support for your clinical skill development and future career path.
- Opportunities for connection and celebration.

**Job Type**: Part-time

Work Locati