Family Violence Counselor

_**Welcome to Willow Place**_, The heart of our work is healthy relationships. Willow Place provides inclusive, no-cost family violence prevention services, 24-hours, every day of the year to anyone in need of support with situations of family and interpersonal violence (women, men, youth)._

Are you seeking rewarding and challenging work? Willow Place has full-time, part-time and casual entry level employment opportunities available. We welcome diverse skill-sets, experience, and backgrounds including students, semi-retired and retired persons

**Our Approach**
- Trauma Informed
- Harm Reduction
- Strength-Based
- Client Centered

**Sound Good So Far? We’re Hiring**
- 1 year Full-time Term available_

**JOB SUMMARY**

Responsible to the Executive Director and supervised by the Willow Place Clinical Supervisor, the Family Violence Counselor is responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating programs designed to provide holistic services for individuals experiencing or using family violence/abuse. The family violence counselor provides individual and group counseling to residential and non-residential clients. The counselor maintains a current and broad network of community-based and public sector services and stays current with best and emerging practices in the field. The counselor provides immediate crisis stabilization services as well as longer term support to assist clients achieve stable housing, economic stability, positive community connections and healthy relationships.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Undergraduate degree in the Human Services sector (or an equivalent combination of education and experience). Completion of the Applied Counseling Certificate Program may be considered in combination with other education and work experience.
- Demonstrated knowledge of family violence, gender-based violence, oppression and its impact on women, men and children.
- Ability to incorporate current best practices in the field including harm reduction, strength based client-centered approaches and working with trauma.
- Minimum one year supervised counseling experience, including individual and group counseling.
- Excellent inter-personal communication, written communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Excellent problem solving, decision-making and analytical skills.
- Ability to work under pressure in a team environment and balance competing demands for time.
- Good time management and organizational skills.
- Knowledge of community resources.
- Current Emergency First Aid and CPR Certificate.
- Current Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Certificate/ Abuse Registry and Criminal Record Check
- Flexible to meet the needs of a 24-hour care facility.
- Must have reliable vehicle and driver’s license

**MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES**

**COUNSELLING**:

- Completes a structured comprehensive written intake and assessment for each women requesting services.
- Ensures each residential client receives one hour counseling each day they are in shelter. Meets with a minimum of 3-4 clients per shift.
- Empowers women to make informed choices by providing information, resources and opportunities to understand family and gender-based violence and by supporting them in developing and implementing a client-centered plan. Provides a progressive goal-oriented, holistic and multi-modality process for accomplishing this. Reinforces or expands the problem-solving capacity of the client.
- Ensures each residential client (and clients calling the crisis line whenever possible) has an up to date protection plan. The protection plan should include but not be limited to internet safety.
- Facilitates group counseling for residential and outreach clients which may include staff, students and volunteers as co-facilitators.
- Provides information and counseling support to crisis line callers.
- Completes a departure interview with each client.

**ADVOCACY**:

- Provides information regarding community supports and opportunities. Where necessary acts as a liaison, advocate, referral agent and in some cases the case manager with outside agencies to provide coordination of services for clients.
- Provides education and information on abuse to outside agencies to improve services to women and children as required
- Maintains a broad and current network of community agencies and services and represents Willow Place in a professional manner.

**CLIENT RELATIONS**:

- Proactively creates a space of unconditional positive regard that allows clients a safe space to focus on their own mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.
- Models healthy relationship behaviors in all interactions in the work environment.
- Competently, respectfully and appropriately deals with aggressive or inappropriate behaviors without personalizing the behavior.

**PROGRAMMING**:

- Develops and maintains the content, process and materials for facilitating a minimum of two groups monthly.
- In conjunction with the Supervisor(s) and the Director, ensu