Full-time Temporary Mental Health Counsellor

Job summary

Provide direct evidence-based counselling and psychosocial support to students, parents, and staff to improve mental health and social-emotional well-being. Deliver professional learning to staff and collaborate with community agencies to ensure students access necessary therapeutic interventions.

Job details

Posting # PSSP-2026-09-11-005 TEMPORARY FULL-TIME MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLOR Trillium Lakelands District School Board requires one (1) temporary full-time Mental Health Counsellor. This position is available for the period as soon as possible following the hiring process until December 18, 2026. Region: Haliburton School and Office Location: To be determined upon hire and will be at a school location within the Haliburton region. Salary: Bachelor's Degree - $83,715 - $91,172 Master's Degree - $86,722 - $94,401 Position Summary This is a full-time position associated with the school year calendar. The Mental Health Counsellor provides counselling and psychosocial support to students, parents, and staff to address the mental health and social emotional well-being of students. The Mental Health Counsellor will provide direct evidence-based interventions (individual and group) to referred student(s) or support class-wide instruction. The Mental Health Counsellor responds to imminent risk when necessary to assess risk, develop coping plans, and consult with community resources as appropriate. The Mental Health Counsellor will provide professional learning and capacity building to staff, both in schools and at the system level, as well as within school communities as aligned with the Mental Health Strategy of the Board. The Mental Health Counsellor will also collaborate with outside services or agencies to support community pathways to service for intervention and treatment needs. Crisis response for critical incidents are included in the Mental Health Counsellor's portfolio. Duties And Responsibilities Direct Service Provide developmentally and age appropriate evidence based services to students at the elementary and secondary level Collaborate and consult with teachers/school personnel /administrators with respect to supporting students experiencing lagging skills in social emotional learning and/or mental health issues Provide direct and indirect school social work services and consultation as a related service in support of special education Provide and support classroom based workshops/curriculum intended to build skills and resiliency in areas of social emotional learning and mental health and wellbeing; targeting universal needs Conduct screening and psychosocial assessments of students who present with mental health concerns, to assess the level of support required and/or recommend appropriate interventions and strategies Provide short term interventions (individual) to students who present with identified mental health needs and are not able to access community children's mental health services e.g. brief structured psychotherapy modalities Provide small group interventions to students who present with mental health needs Collaborate with various stakeholders to encourage community pathways to, through, and from Children's Mental Health Services, Addiction services, and additional community and/or treatment services in order to ensure a smooth transition for students who require more intensive therapeutic interventions Collaborate with and contribute to engagement and learning opportunities with parents and caregivers Collaborate with Curriculum and Specialized Services to develop and deliver system wide professional learning Assist with Board-wide crises related to risk related to suicide and/or self-harm and other critical incidents Maintain appropriate documentation and records Provide individual support and/or intervention for students who are suspended and/or expelled Other professional duties as assigned Indirect Service Support Board policies, processes, and service delivery related to mental health programs and interventions that align with Ministry initiatives Maintain documentation and tracking of services offered to students to address addiction, mental health or emotional needs Build capacity of educators so they are able to support their students learning and the implementation of Universal Tier 1 programming that reflects best practices in social emotional learning, belonging, inclusion, engagement and mental health literacy Collaborate and consult with teachers/school personnel /administrators with respect to supporting students experiencing lags in social emotional learning and/or mental health issues. Consult with the Manager of Mental Health Services for support, direction or input regarding mental health related issues Qualifications 4 year Bachelor Degree in a related field is required (Bachelor or Masters of Social Work preferred) Registered professional and/or eligible for registration in the OCSWSSW or another regulatory body 3+ years of experience in clinical work related to mental health and addictions Demonstrated ability to provide brief evidence-based interventions with children, youth, and families Strong knowledge on social and emotional learning research, evaluation, strategies, theories, techniques, and methods of intervention/instruction for the school board Demonstrated commitment to Equity and contributing to a workplace culture of inclusiveness Superior and demonstrated organizational and communication skills Able to utilize a number of applications in the delivery of professional development Ability to work independently and in collaboration with other teams and stakeholders Possesses strong interpersonal skills and the ability to create productive and healthy relationships A thorough understanding of all relevant legislation and standards of practice As travel is required, candidates must possess a valid Ontario Driver's License and their own vehicle Interested applicants should forward their cover letter and resume quoting posting PSSP-2026-09-11-005 by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026 to Allison Jones, Manager of Mental Health Services: c/o Lisa Dow: Trillium Lakelands District School Board 300 County Road 36, Lindsay, ON K9V 4R4 All applicants must submit a cover letter (quoting the posting number), a resume and a current copy of their certificate of qualification. Your application package must be submitted in either .pdf or .docx format. We would like to thank all respondents, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Trillium Lakelands District School Board is committed to equitable hiring practices and upholding the values of equity, diversity and inclusion. To assist the Board in reflecting the communities we serve, we encourage and welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, and/or lived experiences who may be a member of a marginalized group. Trillium Lakelands District School Board complies with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation for a disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact the Principal/Supervisor to whom you are submitting your application. If you require this information in an accessible format, please contact Communications Services at

What you’ll do

Provide direct evidence-based counselling and psychosocial support to students, parents, and staff to improve mental health and social-emotional well-being. Deliver professional learning to staff and collaborate with community agencies to ensure students access necessary therapeutic interventions.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field (Social Work preferred) and registration with OCSWSSW or another regulatory body. Candidates must have 3+ years of clinical experience in mental health and addictions, a valid Ontario Driver's License, and their own vehicle.

Listed skills

• crisis intervention · Preferred
• interdisciplinary collaboration · Preferred
• case management · Preferred
• Documentation · Preferred
• Communication Skills · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Mental Health Counselling
• Psychosocial Assessment
• Crisis Intervention
• Evidence-Based Interventions
• Social Emotional Learning
• Brief Structured Psychotherapy
• Case Management
• Professional Development Delivery
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• Risk Assessment
• Clinical Work
• Addictions Support
• Equity and Inclusion
• Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Documentation

Job areas

• Healthcare
• Education
• Social Services