The Cowichan Valley School District invites applications for the temporary role of Integrate Child and Youth Clinical Counsellor (ICY-CC) from ASAP to June 30, 2027.

The Region

Situated in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on southern Vancouver Island, the Cowichan Valley School District is located between Victoria and Nanaimo. The Cowichan Valley School District extends north to Saltair, south to Spectacle Lake on the Malahat and west to the Lake Cowichan region. We are honoured to be learning on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Quw'utsun, Malahat, Stz'uminus, Penelakut, Halalt, Ts'uubaa-asatx and Lyackson peoples. The District serves a student population of approximately 8,700 students of which 1,700 identify as Indigenous. The School District has 23 school sites and an annual budget of over $111 million. Further information regarding the School District can be obtained at www.sd79.bc.ca.

Overview of the ICY Program

Under A Pathway to Hope, the Province is implementing Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) teams in school district communities. This began in the fall of 2021, in five school district communities which are now operational. As announced in February 2023, ICY teams will now be implemented in seven additional school district communities. More information can be found here

ICY Clinical Counsellor Core Function:

Reporting and accountable to the Office of the Superintendent, the primary responsibilities of this position are to work as part of the multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional integrated child and youth team to provide therapeutic counselling services and school liaison support for children, youth and families experiencing mild/moderate mental health needs, and to manage and oversee the Youth Peer Support Worker position.

This role includes supporting children, youth and families in the Cowichan Valley including those from Public, Independent and First Nations operated schools within the Cowichan Valley.

This role is required to be available to perform time-sensitive work outside of regular school hours, e.g., outbound and outreach to children and youth and their families. This is a 12-month position.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Support the ICY team and schools to mitigate and address factors which may precipitate mental health and substance use challenges for children and youth.
• Provide child/youth and family therapeutic counselling.
• Liaise between school staff and the ICY team, to represent and advocate for the needs of all children and youth (birth to 19) within the Cowichan Valley with a focus on prevention/early intervention wherever possible.
• Attend and actively participate in integrated child and youth team meetings.
• As needed and as appropriate, attend school meetings, partner and community agency meetings.
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team decision making through a consensus building process.
• Deliver workshops and ongoing training to families, district staff and community agencies as determined by the ICY team.
• Lead counselling groups for children, youth and families as needed.
• Consult with and coordinate support services from outside agencies when needed (e.g., community services, RCMP).
• Perform the functions of a supervisor of Youth Peer Support Worker positions including:
• Participate in the recruitment, selection and hiring of Youth Peer Support Worker positions
• Provide orientation, coaching, training, mentoring and performance management of the Youth Peer Support Workers
• Provide oversight and supervision of the Youth Peer Support Worker to provide peer-based mentoring and emotional support to youth ages 12-19 with the following:
• to support systems navigation and resource distribution to youth,
• in facilitating or co-facilitating groups for children, youth and families as needed, and
• to encourage membership in the school community.

Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychology or a related field and must include a 300-hour supervised practicum or equivalent.
• Must be a Registered Clinical Counsellor and meet educational and training criteria to be a member of the BC Association of Clinical counsellors (BCACC) or a Registered Clinical Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW).

Experience:

• Preferred minimum of 3-5 years of experience working with families, children, and youth in a clinical counselling setting.
• Experience in clinical and/or educational interventions with children, adolescents, and families (including crisis intervention).
• Experience leading and performance management of employees in a unionized environment.
• Recent training in mental health initiatives and suicide prevention.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community agencies in the Cowichan Valley.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of the psychosocial development of children and youth.
• Abide by ethical principles and act with integrity, accountability, and judgment in the best interests of the child/youth, families, and available services.
• Knowledge of population-specific mental health and substance use care, including Ethno-culturally diverse and racialized communities, gender questioning/gender fluid youth, child/youth with disabilities or diverse abilities with behavioural diagnoses, neurodevelopmental disorders, or intellectual disabilities with co-occurring mental health needs.
• Understanding of Indigenous worldviews and approaches to healing.
• Knowledge of social determinants of health, health inequalities and intersectional analyses.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when sharing sensitive information to individuals on a need-to-know basis.
• Highly effective organizational skills and proven ability to prioritize work while simultaneously meeting the needs of a diverse caseload.

The salary range for this position is $98,067 to $122,584 per year including a comprehensive benefits package and Municipal Pension.

How to apply:

Applications should include a cover letter, a detailed personal résumé with three supervisory references, transcripts, and any other relevant supporting documentation. Please submit all documents in one PDF file.

Please apply via email to Jen Christenson, Manager of Human Resources, at jchristenson@sd79.bc.ca.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.