Clinical Mental Health Counsellor

UNION JOB POSTING #786

Position Title:

Clinical Mental Health Counsellor

Vacancies:

1

Workgroup:

Urgent Support Services

Posting Date:

October 15, 2025

Status:

Full time-Regular

Start Date:

Immediately

Hours:

35 hours per week

Salary Range:

$29.35-$36.69

About CMHA Niagara

CMHA, Niagara is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to promoting mental wellness and to improving the lives of people in its service area who have mental illness as well as their families. CMHA Niagara achieves its mission through a number of programs and services.

CMHA, Niagara is committed to a recovery philosophy which focuses on the potential for people with mental illness to lead full, productive and engaged lives in their communities. The Branch works in partnership with many others who share in the commitment to supporting the broad determinants of health.

Position Summary

The Clinical Mental Health Counsellor provides psycho-social assessment, brief crisis counseling and treatment, and community connection to services for individuals presenting with mental health and addictions concerns. The intent is to ensure client safety, to encourage empowerment, and provide crisis resolution and prevention, within a recovery framework which integrates the client into their community with supports. The Clinical Mental Health Counsellor will act as a resource for other Niagara Crisis Services (including NHS Crisis Services, COAST, and CMHA Safe Beds) and the community at large involving non-medical crisis. This position evaluates clients' progress in resolving identified problems, provides public education to community and referral agents and assists in facilitation of supportive group work.

Essential Job Functions

• Responds to individuals in non-medical crisis situations in person, over the phone or OTN, at the hospital site or in the community
• Individuals may be referred by NHS Emergency Department/Crisis nursing directly, or other Crisis services (i.e. COAST, Urgent Care, Safe Beds)
• Completes psycho-social assessments on individuals referred to program services
• Working knowledge of components of Mental Status Exam required
• Identify areas of need and respond by developing or reviewing a care plan, which may include providing short term crisis counseling and treatment, case management, and connection with appropriate community services
• Conducts cross service/sector linkages and act as a liaison by consulting with family members and other professionals (e.g. psychiatrist, Emergency Department physicians, nursing/allied staff, and community agencies), in direct collaboration and with the consent of the individual being served for the purposes of promoting positive change and independence.
• Provides interim clinical intervention with a sound knowledge of: crisis intervention, recovery based practice, severe and persistent mental illness and substance use issues, clinical therapeutic interventions (i.e. motivational interviewing, brief solution therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and trauma informed care), community resources and services, and safety assessment tools
• Provides psycho-education on future options for managing crisis
• Assists in referrals to other community agencies and/or resources (i.e. Safe Bed program, crisis case management)
• Ensures accurate documentation; spelling, grammar, punctuation
• Files are maintained and up to date for each individual. Ensures accurate and timely reports, data entry and documentation in relevant systems (i.e. Meditech, CRMS)
• Requires participation in support service initiatives for the program; assist in developing and maintaining linkages and building networks with community agencies, groups and resources, as appropriate
• Promote good public relations and healthy community partnerships and alliances

Essential Job Requirements

• Successful completion of a graduate university and or undergraduate degree program in the human service field or accredited community college diploma in the human service field.
• 3-5 years of employment experience in the mental health field.
• Sound Clinical skills in Counseling Therapeutic Technique, including brief solution, cognitive behavior therapy, Dialectic Behaviour Therapy, Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Mental Status Exam, Safety Risk assessments
• Adaptability/Flexibility, Analytical Thinking and Decision Making, Client-centered Change, Client Service Orientation, Continuous Learning, Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness, Effective Communication, Ethical Conduct and Professionalism, Interpersonal Rapport/Savvy, Self Care, Self Management, Teamwork and Cooperation
• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, First Aid and CPR, Suicide Intervention (ASIST). Fire Safety, Infection Prevention and Control, Disclosure of adverse events guideline, Incident/Injury reporting, Mental Health First Aid, Concurrent Disorder support, Trauma Informed
• Access to a reliable personal vehicle
• Current valid class 'G' drivers license
• A satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening (Police Check)

CMHA Niagara is a culturally competent organization and is committed to building an inclusive community that respects the dignity and independence of candidates with multicultural and diverse backgrounds, multilingual abilities, and experience with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Candidates with this background would be considered an asset.

CMHA Niagara is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. Please see the AODA section of our website at, for further details or contact our Human Resources department for any information in an alternate format.

Our Mission

Our purpose is to strengthen mental wellness in the Niagara community.

Our Vision

A Niagara where mental health is recognized, supported and optimized.

Our Values

Our core values will be embedded in everything we do. They will guide and define how we work with each other, our partners, and our clients and their supports, to enhance access to mental health and addictions supports in Niagara: adaptive, collaboration, ethics and integrity, people-centered, safety and belonging, social justice.

Preferred

• College Diploma or better in Social Work or related field

Required

• ASIST
• First Aid/CPR/AED
• Crisis Intervention
• Police Check
• Driver's License