Counselling Support Worker
Full Time Temporary Position through March 31, 2024*
Salary: $23.14 per hour to start, 37.5 hours per week
Charlottetown, PE
*Renewable April 1st each year subject to program funding
Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI (IRSA) acknowledges that Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. The Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq have occupied this Island for over 12,000 years. We honour the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which recognized Mi’kmaq rights and established an ongoing relationship between nations. We are all Treaty People.
Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI (IRSA), a not-for-profit organization originally founded in 1993, is seeking a Counselling Support Worker to join us on our mission of building a welcoming and inclusive environment through bringing diverse communities together and empowering newcomers to build a future in PEI.
We help all newly landed immigrants and newcomers to Canada through providing vital support in the areas of short-term settlement services, long-term inclusion and community integration programs in the province of Prince Edward Island.
At IRSA, as an organization and as a team, we are guided by our core values of respect, empathy, diversity, integrity, accountability, innovation and team work in all that we do.
Why Join IRSA?
You’ll have an impact, making a difference in the lives and livelihoods of newcomers to Prince Edward Island, enriching our local communities through diverse, inclusive and welcoming programming, while having fun and lead a team of like-minded individuals in the process!
- Market Competitive Wages
- Matching Group RRSP program up to 5%
- Group Health Benefits
- Generous Time-Off programs for work-life balance
How You’ll Spend Your Time
As a Counselling Support Worker, your primary area of focus will be assisting newcomer immigrant clients with gaining a better understanding of health and wellness in Canada. You will be providing them with the information, tools and resources to assist, build and maintain beneficial connections at home, work and school. You will collaborate with internal and external partners to provide support and education for clients in relation to their health & wellness, and access to relevant programming and support services with the goal of their successful integration into the local community.
This role collaborates across departments to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to promote IRSA’s vision, mission and core values.
Responsibilities:
- Provides one to one counselling support, family interventions, referral and follow-up, ensuring candidates developing needs are being supported.
- Conducts outreach to relevant community groups and external stakeholders and support networks
- Develops and facilitates group sessions, orientation sessions, and workshops for newcomer families
- Develops and facilitates parenting sessions, preventative programming and Canadian expectations that will help participants increase their support networks
- Creates and delivers content for public presentations to bring awareness to services available
- Provides supportive counselling, referrals and information to empower clients to solve and cope with challenges arising from immigration or refugee resettlement in Canada
- Liaises with community organizations, social services, school wellbeing teams, public schools branch, to form partnerships for assisting newcomers with wellness and mental health related concerns
- Provides navigation support and advocacy for individual clients or families who require assistance in accessing mental health and addiction service supports
- Represents IRSA on committees and boards, to provide education and advocacy for client needs
- Acts as a strong client advocate, including assistance with applications, documentation, and paperwork related to settling in Canada and PEI.
- Performs regular wellness check-ins with clients in office, providing individual counselling support, referral and follow-up
- Ensures up to date comprehensive case notes are completed on all client files in a timely manner within IRSA’s client management system
- Evaluates service program delivery and provides regular reporting for funding partners as instructed.
- Is committed to ongoing process review and improvement to further the efficiency of the above listed duties.
What You Bring
- You have a post-secondary degree or diploma in Psychology or a related discipline, with a minimum of 1-year experience in role (or an equivalent combination of education, training and work experience)
- Experience with Trauma Informed Care would be considered a key qualification
- Proven ability to identify and navigate service gaps and manage case loads with competing priorities
- Demonstrates a high level of empathy, coupled with a strong working knowledge of the challenges and issues facing newcomer populations, networks and support organizations.
- Demonstrates cultural competence and the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
- An effective communicator in the English language, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Able to deliver information in a format that is clear, concise, organized and appropriate for it’s intended audience.
- Proficient working with MS Office, various Social Media platforms, & Google Applications.
- Capable of developing and delivering content using each of the above platforms.
- Experience working with a Client Management System (CMS) would be considered an asset
- Solid project management, presentation & public speaking skills would be considered an asset
- Strong networking & relationship-building skills would be considered an asset
- Ability to communicate in other languages would be considered an asset
- Having a valid provincial driver license with access to reliable transportation would be considered an asset.
- Previous experience working in non-profit organization and/or non-government organization would be considered an asset
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and covering letter to [email protected] quoting the job title in the email subject field, or drop your application off in person to IRSA PEI – 49 Water Street, Charlottetown, PE.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for further consideration will be contacted.
IRSA PEI is committed to an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women, members of visible minority groups, First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and IRSA to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $23.14 per hour
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 2023-11-06
