Assistant Director, Mental Health Services

About us Founded in 1960, the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) is one of the largest and most comprehensive non‑profit agencies in Ottawa and a registered charity. It provides mental health services, employment programs, emergency shelter, community, health and housing services, and justice programs to youth in the Ottawa area, serving between 2,500 and 3,000 at‑risk individuals aged 12+ and their families every month. YSB employs 400 caring professionals in a unionized environment in over 21 locations across Ottawa. What you will do Provide overall leadership and direction for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of counselling and psychotherapy services; Oversee operations of clinical programs, including the Bridges Program, Intensive Family Services, the Mental Health Walk‑In Clinic and Youth and Family Counselling Services. Participate in the development and implementation of strategic plans and priorities for YSB and the Mental Health service area; Work with counsellors and psychotherapists for the continuous improvement of clinical care, integrating a trauma‑informed approach to the delivery of mental health services; Adopt an inclusive perspective such that the diversity of youth and their caregivers is acknowledged, respected and included in the delivery of care and overall decision‑making; Remain knowledgeable and up‑to‑date with legislations, best practices, trends and initiatives in the areas of clinical counselling, mental health and addictions; Build and maintain partnerships with youth, caregivers, community members, healthcare agencies, funders, other YSB service areas and other external stakeholders to position YSB as a provider of choice for mental health services; Conduct recruitment & selection of staff, employee management and performance management through a developmental model of supervision; Monitor direct service hours, case load and activity levels within the programs and provide inputs for resource allocation decisions and the annual budget planning process; Provide inputs to address Ministry requests, develop service contracts and prepare funding applications; Support the preparation for accreditation or audits and participate in Quality Assurance reports; Complete Ministry and Funder reporting, in consultation with the Director of Mental Health Services and the Director of Quality Assurance; Oversee the integrity of client files and the accuracy of administrative documentation to ensure compliance with applicable Ministry and YSB standards; Participate in the Level 2 Leadership On Call Rotation; Assume other responsibilities within the Mental Health service area in the absence of the other Assistant Director or the Director of Mental Health Services. What this opportunity may be right for you if You hold a master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychotherapy or a related field; You are a registered member in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers; Eligibility to provide Clinical Supervision under CRPO guidelines is a requirement; You have 10+ years of demonstrated experience in delivering counselling or psychotherapy services to a high‑risk population including youth with complex mental health issues; You have 5+ years of experience providing clinical supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists; You are thoroughly knowledgeable of various mental health evidence‑based therapies and their application to therapeutic interventions with youth and their families; You have managed employees in a unionized environment; You are experienced in providing supervision or counselling services to racialized and marginalized communities with intersections of identities; You are familiar with other mental health and harm reduction services available in the community; You are passionate about creating partnerships in the community, and being an advocate for system change; You are able to work from a trauma‑informed, person‑centered, anti‑racist and inclusive approach; You embody trauma‑informed supervision in your management style; You are passionate and bring energy to the organizational culture; You are able to lead, motivate, inspire, encourage innovation and manage change; Your decision making, interpersonal, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills are sharp; You are able to self‑reflect on your practice and impact, and receive feedback in ways that promote collaboration and open dialogue; You have strong written and verbal communication skills; Bilingual skills in French and English are essential. Additional Requirements Successful applicants will be required to provide a Criminal Record Check or Broad Police check obtained within the past six (6) months, as a condition of employment with YSB. To confirm language proficiency required for this position, successful candidates may be requested to undergo an oral and written assessment conducted by a third‑party provider, arranged by YSB. Candidates must meet the minimum required linguistic profile before their employment start date. Formal education may be considered as sufficient demonstration of language proficiency, but is subject to review. Valid driver’s licence and access to a vehicle. What we offer An opportunity to join a vibrant team and be part of truly meaningful and rewarding work; 15 days of annual vacation + 5 days of management compensatory time + 2 personal days; Pension plan from Day 1; An evolving environment where we tackle new challenges and continue learning every day. Disclaimer This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required. Contact If you think this vacancy is a good fit, we would love to hear from you. Please visit the career section of our website to submit your resume and one‑page cover letter. Don’t just tell us what we want to hear, tell us your story and why you would make a great addition to our team. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as they become interested in this role. YSB reserves the rights to conduct interviews before the closing date. We know applying to a job takes time and thank all candidates for their interest. While we are not able to get back to every candidate, we will ensure shortlisted applicants are aware of their status and will do our best to provide feedback if that can be helpful. Please be advised that although ADP has embedded AI functions YSB does not use this AI function to make hiring decisions. All recruitment decisions including the screening of applications are made by our hiring team, who review each application with care and consideration. We value the individuality and potential of each applicant and strive to create an inclusive hiring experience. If you have any questions about our recruitment practices, we encourage you to reach out to our Talent Acquisition Coordinator. At YSB, we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ community and/or people with intersectional identities. Accommodation will be made available for applicants with a disability throughout the hiring process, kindly make your needs known in advance. Seniority level Director Employment type Full‑time Job function Health Care Provider Industry Individual and Family Services #J-18808-Ljbffr