Addiction and Mental Health Worker, Withdrawal and Crisis Services

Addiction and Mental Health Worker, Withdrawal and Crisis Services

Direct Service - (OPSEU)

Full-Time, Contract (End Date: March 31, 2027)

This posting is the result of a current vacancy

St.Thomas, Ontario (Elgin Zone)

- Application Deadline: October 20, 2026 -

The Addiction and Mental Health Worker will support individuals accessing services by providing a psychosocial response in order to promote crisis resolution and empowerment for the individual.

Staff will actively support individuals who are experiencing withdrawal from substances in a community setting.

Staff will work collaboratively with individuals to assess and identity their needs and link them with community services to provide coordinated, community-based health and social services. This position will work within a multi-disciplinary team framework throughout St. Thomas & Elgin County.

WHAT WE'RE OFFERING:

• What you'll be making - Starting rate for this role is $27.14 per hour (Level 1 – Direct Service), with a wage differential, based on regulation ($30.01 per hour for Level 1 – Direct Service, Regulated):
  1. Successful candidates who are registered with one of the designated professional colleges (e.g. OCSWSSW, CNO, COTO, CRPO, CPSO, or CPO) will receive the wage differential for regulation
  2. Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8 ($34.41 per hour for non-regulated, and $37.26 per hour for regulated); for internal applicants, grid level placement will occur as per the Collective Agreement
  3. Premiums of $2.00 per hour will be applied for eligible Evening/Night (8:00pm – 7:00am) and Weekend Shifts.
• When you'll work -70 hours biweekly; Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm with a 30-minute paid meal break.
• Your pension plan –Immediately eligible for optional enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
• What your benefits will be – 9% in lieu of benefits

HOW YOU WILLBE MAKINGA DIFFERENCE:

Crisis Assessment and Counselling Supports:

• Establish a working and supportive relationship with the client
• Assess clients’ mental, physical and emotional functional abilities and needs
• Investigates client’s current resources through complete psycho-social history and domains collections, and collateral information
• Provide client assessment, intervention, and counselling via telephone and in person supports
• Complete mental health and addiction assessments based on theory of crisis management including rapid response to identify:
  1. the impact of psychiatric symptoms on functioning,
  2. risk factors related to safety of client and others
  3. opportunities for de-escalation and stabilization
• Provide mental health assessments to Emergency Departments (St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital -STEGH) upon request.
• Support individuals as requested by St. Thomas Police Service and Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police
• Provides counselling support to those attending at one of CMHA TVAMHS Elgin County based Crisis Services at STEGH and 110 Centre as well as mobile
• Provide first contact functions and system navigation support for clients.

Withdrawal Supports:

• Provide client-centered care from a harm reduction approach
• Responsible for screening and assessment for individual’s referred to the program
• Acquire and maintain a high level of current knowledge about substance use disorders and trends as well as treatment options
• Provide education, referrals and support for people using substances and related needs
• Capacity and comfort level dealing with street-involved clients who may exhibit behaviours consistent with their distress, intoxication or other circumstances
• Collaborate with addiction and mental health service providers to support the needs of clients who may be in crisis and needing supervised withdrawal management support
• Supporting intake services, regular monitoring of withdrawal symptoms and discharge planning.
• Coordinating access to addiction medicine supports
• Providing support to clients in taking their medication as prescribed

Crisis Intervention:

• Provide short-term, psychotherapeutic intervention to assist individuals in gaining insight and improving coping skills within the framework of the crisis model
• Perform in a calm, competent and efficient manner in an emergency situation acknowledging the individual’s need for privacy and dignity
• Teach, using a variety of approaches, life skills and adaptive techniques to help enable individuals to function more effectively on a day-to-day basis
• Utilize harm reduction principles to identify,