Summary of Position:
Grid Level: 34, $25.40/hour
Work Locations: AVI Health Centre, 102-55 Victoria Road, Nanaimo
Hours of Work: 4 hours /week during clinic hours (9:00 – 5:00 Monday - Thursday)
Start Date: To be determined
End Date: March 31, 2021
To Apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@avi.org by 5pm on August 9, 2020
Job Summary:
The Wellness Counsellor will work in partnership with the Nanaimo Health Centre’s interdisciplinary team to provide trauma and violence informed, person-centered support. The Wellness Counsellor works in collaboration with clients to assess and develop client-directed goals and wellness strategies. This position reports to the Manager of AVI Nanaimo Health and Community Services.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Identifies and organizes counselling plans for clients referred from clinic and all AVI Nanaimo programs.
- Provides intake and assessment, capacity building education, motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief counselling, crisis counselling, harm reduction counselling, sexual health counselling.
- Advocates for clients, supports access to proper resources, and completes appropriate assessments, and referrals.
- Actively engages clients in therapeutic relationships with a strengths-based, trauma and violence informed, and person-centred approach.
- Works with Health Promotion Educators and Clinic staff to develop educational materials to meet clients’ needs, as required.
- Maintains confidential client files.
- Participates in ongoing team based collaborative care.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Education, Training, and Experience:
- University degree in Health or Social Services, Counselling, Social Work, Psychology, or equivalent combination of education and experience
This position will have a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience and will demonstrate the following minimum requirements:
- Relevant counselling experience.
- Direct service delivery experience in the community social services sector with a demonstrated working knowledge of community-based programs and related provincial and community support services.
- Understanding of issues that affect a diverse range of clients, including individuals who are actively using substances, living with significant health challenges, engaging in sex work, affected by colonialism, heterosexism, racism, classism, gender-based discrimination, HIV, HCV, and other co-infections.
- Knowledge of code of ethical conduct and standards of clinical counselling practice.
- Knowledge of relevant formal counselling and assessment techniques.
- Case Management skills including treatment planning, advocacy, and referral.
- Excellent interpersonal skills required to work effectively with co-workers, clients, community, and other service providers.
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to harm reduction principles and practices.
- Understanding of health promotion and person-centred, harm reduction models of social support and health care.
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to establish rapport with a diversity of people, including vulnerable populations.
- Ability to work independently and in collaboration with clients and colleagues.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both written and oral.
- Ability to problem solve with creativity, flexibility, and assertiveness in dealing with complex issues.
- Ability to keep confidential documentation.
We encourage applications from, but not limited to, Indigenous persons, persons of colour, persons living with disabilities, persons who use/d illicit drugs, persons with experience of sex work, and persons representing diverse genders and sexualities.