Shelter Counsellor

ABOUT YELLOW BRICK HOUSE:

Yellow Brick House is a leading provider of life-saving services to women, families and children who have experienced violence and abuse. We offer emergency shelter, individual, group and child counselling, legal support services, and transitional housing support.

PROFILE:

Reporting to the Direct Services Supervisor, The Shelter Counsellor position is responsible to provide support to service users and their children who are temporarily residing in the shelter.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The major responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

Direct Service:

• Provide screening, intake, and assessment for service users in order to determine the appropriate programming and/or services.
• Administers service user satisfaction surveys as required.
• Provide short term crisis support, individual and in group workshops, to assist in overcoming trauma, adjusting to life, and making changes.
• Promotes a flexible, culturally sensitive, and supportive intervention, focused directly on service users who have experienced domestic violence.
• Provide services from a trauma-informed, integrated feminist, anti-racist, anti-colonial, and anti-oppression framework.
• Educates service users to understand the cycle of violence and the effects of violence on themselves and their children.
• Develops a support plan and a safety plan for women and their dependents who have experienced abuse, based on the principles of person-centered planning, self-determination and choice, and that services provided are reflective of these plans.
• Assist service users affected by domestic violence to assess their situation, develop short term goals by providing information and assistance in naming appropriate strategies; provide referrals to appropriate community resources including but not limited to parenting support, education upgrades, job training, applying for income, immigration, cultural interpretation, legal process and health and wellness services.
• Acts as a resource to service users in the areas of mental health, harm reduction and the dynamics of gender-based violence.
• Provides crisis intervention and advocacy to service users by telephone, text, virtual, or in-person to resolve emergency problems and crisis situations.
• Provides support to address service user needs in a communal living setting.
• Liaise with community resources as necessary, in assisting and supporting residents throughout the shift (i.e., hospital, police, Children’s Aid Society, etc.)
• Maintain positive relationships with other service providers, including but not limited to Children’s Aid Society, law enforcement, social workers etc.
• Overall monitoring of the shelter(s) to ensure safety for all residents and staff.
• Support house maintenance as required.
• Other duties as required.

Documentation:

• Maintains daily confidential, pertinent, accurate and non-judgmental logging on each client as per Yellow Brick House procedures.
• Create and maintain client files according to Yellow Brick House policies.
• Compile caseload statistics and prepare program and client reports as required.

Engagement

• Communicate fully and openly with supervision; keeping supervisor fully informed of relevant client and staff member information, at all times.
• Active positive participation in regular team meetings
• Maintain a positive approach and a professional manner at all times.
• Keeps up-to date on issues relating to gender-based violence and evidence-based practices for intervention as it pertains to woman and children.
• Maintain community awareness of Yellow Brick House programs throughout York Region
• Acts as a Brand Ambassador for the Yellow Brick House
• Participates in internal/external committees as required.
• Attends training sessions as required.
• Works in a team environment; provides support and information to team members and assists other staff when required.
• Fosters and maintains an anti-oppression working environment.

HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Follow the duties and responsibilities specified under the Occupational Health & Safety Act Sec. 28.
• Ensure all safety and non-safety rules and regulations are followed.
• Ensure adherence to established safety, quality, and housekeeping standards.
• Attends Environmental Health and Safety training.
• Adhere to Yellow Brick House health and safety, environmental, and quality standards, policies and procedures.
• Report any known hazard, defect, incident or compliance issue to the employer or supervisor.
• Understand BILL 132 and 168 and uphold the policies that prohibit domestic violence, workplace violence, sexual harassment and harassment in the Workplace.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

• Client Satisfaction
• Service Quality
• Accurate Documentation
• Meet program targets as defined.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

• Completion of Social Work Diploma with practicum of 500-700 hours. Completion of BSW, MSW is preferred.
• 2-3 years of group and individual crisis support work.
• 2-3 years working with diverse clientele and vulnerable service users.
• Knowledge and understanding of abuse/violence against women and children.
• English language as well as other languages used by client population (i.e., Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi etc.) considered an asset.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and database applications. WISH would be considered an asset.
• Familiar and comfortable with technology-assisted platforms, specifically video conferencing, MS Teams, Zoom, WISH etc.
• Capable of working in a multidisciplinary environment with a variety of community professionals.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act, the Child and Family Services Act and adherence to ethical and professional standards of conduct is required.
• Must be able to work flexible hours including days, weekends, evenings.
• A current police vulnerable sector screening (VSS) is required.
• Must have reliable transportation
• Working knowledge of application of Anti-Oppressive and Feminist frameworks

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Proficiency
• Analytical Skills
• Interpersonal
• Communication
• Time Management
• Decision Making
• Building Commitment
• Facilitation
• Case and Crisis Management

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Works in a shelter environment either inside or outside in typically pleasant conditions. Typical conditions are such that some risk of injury or harmful effect may be possible.
• May be exposed to infectious waste, diseases, conditions including exposure to Covid.
• Interacts with service users, staff, visitors, government agencies, personnel under all circumstances, which may be traumatic situations.
• Some travel required between shelters and around local areas as required.
• There is regularly a need to meet after or before normal business hours.
• Must be able to sit/stand for extended period of time.
• Irregular hours
• Intermittent physical activity, including lifting, standing, walking, and supporting service users