JOB OPPORTUNITY - Child & Youth Counsellor, Secure Unit (5 months Contract)

Position Summary

The Child & Youth Counsellor is responsible for providing a therapeutic and safe

environment for the children and young people in Youthdale’s programs on a day-to-day basis. A member of an inter-professional team, the Child & Youth Counsellor is responsible for carrying a primary care caseload.

Reporting to the Clinical Operations Manager – Secure Unit, the Child & Youth

Counsellor, is responsible for ensuring a therapeutic and safe environment on a day-to-day basis.  Assessment and milieu therapy is provided in accordance with individual client treatment plans, evidence based practices, Youthdale’s policies and procedures and guidelines established by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and the Ministry of Health.

 

Hours: 40 hours per week

Contract duration: 5 months Status: Full-time, Contract Union/Non: This is a unionized position Rate of Pay: $27.93 per hour + (Shift Premium of $2 per hour for all shifts worked on the Secure Unit) 

Accountability

This position reports directly to: Clinical Operations Manager, Secure Unit

Works collaboratively with the inter-professional team, client

families/guardians, and community resources

Corporate Responsibilities

• Fosters positive interpersonal relationships with the staff, clients, visitors, outside agencies, government officials and related professional associations.
• Maintains and adheres to organizational policies and procedures.
• Maintains and adheres to all relevant legislation.
• Maintains and adheres to security protocol of program.
• Attends work on a regular and consistent basis.
• Works safely in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Agency Health and Safety Manual.
• Demonstrates experience in clinical practices, which are consistent with the mission, vision and philosophy of Youthdale Treatment Centres.

Job Responsibilities

Client Assessment and Mental Health Support

• Assess and understand acute client mental health needs through a developmental and trauma-informed lens.
• Formulate methods of intervention in collaboration with the team.

Intervention and Support

• Implement evidence-informed treatment interventions tailored to the unique needs of high-acuity patients.
• Provide highly individualized and intensive therapy for youth with severe mental health challenges, addressing issues such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and aggression.
• Recognize stages of behavioral escalation and respond appropriately to deescalate behavior.
• Develop strategies to reduce concerning behaviors and support academic/vocational activities.

Crisis Management

• Assess the need for crisis/physical intervention in collaboration with the team.
• Support clients and the team during crisis situations.
• Maintain clear and thorough documentation related to incidents.
• Facilitate debriefing with clients and staff following crisis/physical intervention.
• Understand and adhere to strict CYFSA regulations regarding the use of physical restraints, using them only as a last resort.

Suicide Risk Assessment

• Conduct thorough and ongoing suicide risk assessments for high-acuity patients.
• Develop and implement safety plans.

Client Care

• Assist with normal activities of daily living.
• Recognize physical signs and symptoms of health conditions and report concerns to the nurse, physician, or on-call manager as per program procedures.
• Provide an assessment of a client in accordance with the Plan of Care goals.
• Provide behavior support.

Documentation and Reporting

• Write client progress reports.
• Ensure that client records are maintained according to agency standards and privacy policies.

Shift Change Communication

• Communicate verbally and in written logs significant and pertinent information regarding each client at shift change.

Life Skills and Recreational Programming

• Develop, implement, evaluate, and fully participate in life skills and recreational programming.

Medication Management

• Prescribe and monitor regular scheduled psychotropic medications.
• Administer regular scheduled medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician or Nurse Practitioner.
• Follow Youthdale's Medication Procedure.

Therapeutic Relationship

• Establish a therapeutic relationship with assigned clients from intake to discharge.
• Provide direct client care and supervision, including:
  • Welcome and orientation to the physical space and program at admission.
  • Provision of individual care as per the treatment plan.
  • Development and support of client engagement in programs.
  • Highly individualized and intensive therapy for youth with severe mental health challenges.
  • Booking annual health care, clothing, and personal needs inventories.
  • Supporting the client to express their needs.
  • Regularly reassess and adapt treatment plans and safety plans based on changes in the client's condition or circumstances.
  • Reporting progress and identifying concerns at shift change and/or inter-professional meetings.
  • Supporting the client's preparations for transition and discharge as per the agreed plan, including connecting with community resources and completion of discharge documentation.

Record Keeping

• Maintain clinical records and documents in accordance with Youthdale and program policies and processes, including:
  • Data collection related to specific individual programs.
  • Complete Progress Notes in client clinical file.
  • Conference reports on individual clients for use/information purposes for the treatment team.
  • Unit shift reports, noting observations on individual clients.
  • Complete incident reports, serious occurrence, accident/injury, and unusual occurrence reports promptly.
  • Plan of Cares, risk management, and secure isolation documentation as indicated by program procedures, agency policies, and CYFSA legislation.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all clients and staff team.

Communication

• Actively participate in the communication processes within the program, across the facility, and with community partners.
• Liaise with family, guardians, educational, and community partners to share/obtain information.
• Work closely with families to educate and support them in managing the needs of their child with a high level of care.
• Attend meetings within Youthdale and the community to provide information, education, and progress updates.
• Provide in-school support as needed.
• Identify compliance-related issues to ensure the program meets licensing requirements.
• Effectively utilize internal communication systems to convey client and program-related information.

Meetings and Training

• Attend and participate in meetings, including Treatment and Plan of Care meetings, in-service and other educational programs, shift changes, unit meetings, all staff forums, and program meetings.

Additional Duties

• Perform related duties such as float money management, housekeeping duties to meet acceptable standards of cleanliness, ensuring safety requirements are met, assisting in the instruction and supervision of students, and some meal preparation and serving of client meals.

Professional Development

• Pursue ongoing professional development to stay current with the latest research and best practices in treating high-acuity youth.

Work Shifts

• Work any assigned shift during a twenty-four (24) hour period.

Represent the Agency

• Represent the Agency in a professional manner when interacting with families, external professionals, the general public, and community partners.

Support Research and Education Initiatives

• Participate in and support Youthdale/Ministry research and education initiatives, including completing questionnaires, evidence-informed outcome measurement tools, rating scores at set intervals, and collecting and maintaining statistics, program evaluation, and research data as requested.

Other Duties as assigned by Clinical Operations Manager. 

Child & Youth Counsellors in the Secure Unit will be required to provide

coverage on other Inpatient Units on an as-needed basis. 

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• College diploma or university degree in child and youth work or relevant field is required.
• Minimum three years’ experience in a high-risk live-in or inpatient setting with population presenting criminogenic, cognitive impairment and/or mental health challenges.
• Previous experience working with children or young people in a youth justice/mental health treatment setting is preferred.
• Experience working with diverse communities.
• Knowledge and working experience with evidence based practices and Dialectical Behavior Therapy is preferred.

Skills/Ability/Knowledge

• Understanding of the complex issues facing children, young people and families.

• Sensitivity to and ability to work with a diverse client and staff group.

• You have knowledge of evidence-based practices for high-risk children and adolescents with criminogenic and/or mental health problems, including behavioural modification strategies, learning theories, counselling skills, risk assessment, crisis prevention and management and legislative requirements.

• Able to safely and effectively manage frequent behavioral crisis and potentially volatile situations and respond in a trauma-informed approach.

• Demonstrates experience in de-escalation skills and techniques to manage high-stress scenarios.

• Strong knowledge and adherence of security protocols as required for a high-risk crisis setting.

• Requires a working knowledge of professional, community and facility resources available to assist the child/family.

• Strong administrative and organizational skills.

• First Aid/CPR certification required upon hiring.

• Completion of SMG training required upon hiring.

• Ability to work flexible hours within a rotating schedule, including days, nights and weekends.

• Skills in Mental Health Assessment and Crisis Intervention.

• Excellent communication (written and oral), listening and interpersonal skills.

• Problem Solving

  • Good understanding of the rights and responsibilities of children in residence; admission requirements; and Live-In licensing requirements
  • Ability to manage many tasks simultaneously; ability to prioritize needs and risks on a minute-by-minute basis while on shift
  • Flexible and creative negotiation skills in solving problems

• Crisis Prevention and Management Skills

  • Demonstrates experience in a range of crisis prevention and intervention approaches
  • Utilizes SMG techniques appropriately
  • Ability to remain calm during crisis and utilize de-escalation techniques

• Knowledge of Clinical Issues and Best Treatment Practices

  • Demonstrates experience of the dynamics and impact of trauma, child abuse, loss and grief, substance abuse, chronic learning problems, attachment difficulties, and other issues, and their treatment implications
  • Demonstrates experience about the primary psychotropic medications used in the treatment of children/youth and their actions and side effects
  • Recognizes the impact on children and youth of having parents with chronic mental illness
  • Able to develop and implement individual client treatment plan reviews, program evaluation, and educational programs and knowledge of professional, community and facility resources available to assist the child/family

• Counselling Skills

  • Demonstrates experience to engage the child or youth and family/guardian/caregiver in the treatment process
  • Demonstrates experience assess risk and safety plan

• Client and Family-Centered Approach

  • Uses language and behavior which is respectful of children, young and their families
  • Demonstrates sensitivity to family concerns and needs, and invites their expression of information, concerns and needs
  • Ability to set appropriate, respectful boundaries with each family

• Competency-Based Approach

  • Understands and implements a strengths-based approach in working with child and family
  • Respects and has a knowledge of diverse populations and their needs

• Multi-Disciplinary Approach

  • Works in a cooperative, respectful and collaborative manner as a member of a multi- disciplinary team
  • Demonstrates experience in making treatment decisions in the best interest of the child and family

• Legislative Requirements and Standards

  • Demonstrates experience through practice of the Child and Family Services Act as it pertains to children in treatment, specifically:
    • Rights and responsibilities of children
    • Role of the Child Advocate
    • Confidentiality
  • Demonstrates experience through practice of the Children’s Mental Health Ontario Accreditation Standards

• Communication Skills

  • Excellent and effective oral and written communication skills to liaise and consult with relevant team members, clinicians, and provide counsel to residents, their families and community agencies.
  • Excellent listening and interpersonal skills.

• Professionalism

• • Ability to exercise professionalism and sound judgement in conflictual and stressful situations.
  • Conducts all activities in a professional manner
    • adheres to the agency’s Code of Professional Conduct
• • Performs work in a positive manner
    • provides treatment activities regardless of personal biases and attitudes

Ministry and Agency Mandatory Training

• Youthdale’s medication training
• Agency physical intervention Safe Management Training (SMG) training
• Policy and Procedure Review (Administrative, Clinical, HR & OH&S)
• OH&S Training – WHMIS; Occupational Health & Safety Awareness; Workplace Violence & Harassment; AODA Customer Service, Fire Extinguisher Training
• Privacy Training
• MCCSS mandated training
• First Aid and CPR
• Indigenous Training

 

ABOUT YOUTHDALE TREATMENT CENTRES

Youthdale (https://www.youthdale.ca [https://www.youthdale.ca]) provides

comprehensive, integrated mental health services to children and their families, connecting them with the right programs and services, both at Youthdale and in their communities. We meet the complex needs of children and youth with a team of highly skilled and dedicated psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists and neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, and child and youth workers. To know more about us and the amazing work that our team does, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@youthdale-ca [https://www.youtube.com/@youthdale-ca]

APPLICATION

At Youthdale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live and serve. Youthdale is committed to providing accommodation in all parts of the hiring process. If you require accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please apply with an updated resume by August 14, 2026.

#ydc1