Senior Youth & Family Counsellor - Cottage

Senior Youth & Family Counsellor - Cottage 2 Job Description

Posted Monday, December 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM

We're a not-for-profit mental health centre based in Calgary, with locations across Alberta. Our mission is to build good mental health and well-being so everyone can thrive in their community.

Wood’s Homes is looking for one (1) Full Time Senior Youth & Family Counsellor to join our Cottage 2 Program.

The Therapeutic Campus-Based Care continuum serves children with a range of mental health and medical needs, providing intensive supports and services to reduce the impacts of complex trauma, disruptive attachment, extreme behaviors, and emotional disturbances. By offering a safe, caring, and therapeutic live-in treatment environment with on‑site support, children have opportunities to heal and develop skills that help them transition to less intensive and more independent environments with an increased capacity to cope, connect, and be safe.

Working from a multidisciplinary approach, Youth and Family Counsellors, along with Clinical, Nursing, and Mental Health professionals, provide day‑to‑day support within the program, school, and campus settings. Youth and Family Counsellors play a key role in each child’s healing journey by responding to individual needs, fostering goal setting and skill development, facilitating individualized treatment, and ensuring overall care and well‑being. The team also offers ongoing recreational, pro‑social, cultural, and therapeutic opportunities within the program’s milieu, creating a structured environment for growth and connection.

The Therapeutic Campus-Based Care continuum includes Cottages 1, 2, & 3, as well as the Under 12 and Phoenix programs.

Wood’s Homes is seeking Senior Youth & Family Counsellors (SYFCs) to join the TCBC continuum. The Senior Youth & Family Counsellor is a senior front‑line role that combines direct care, on‑shift leadership, and clinical practice support within a high‑acuity, trauma‑responsive environment. Senior Youth & Family Counsellors work rotating shifts and provide leadership within the therapeutic milieu by supporting safety, structure, consistency, and team functioning.

They act as a resource to Youth & Family Counsellors, support decision‑making during complex situations, and assist with the coordination of care on shift. SYFCs demonstrate due diligence in delivering high‑quality services and in meeting the expectations of the Health and Safety Management System, COR Certification, and Children’s Services Licensing.

• Provide direct care and therapeutic support to children within the TCBC continuum, maintaining a structured, predictable milieu that promotes safety, regulation, connection, and skill development.
• Support the implementation of Individualized Care Plans (ICPs) and daily treatment goals on shift, working in collaboration with Key workers, Clinical staff, and program leadership to ensure consistency and follow‑through.
• Assist with care coordination and information sharing related to children’s treatment and progress, supporting continuity across shifts and within multidisciplinary teams.
• Participate in shift change discussions and case reviews as required, contributing observations, clinical insight, and recommendations to support treatment outcomes.
• Provide on‑shift leadership by coaching staff, supporting decision‑making, and responding to complex or high‑risk situations.
• Lead or support crisis responses using Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and ensure adherence to individual safety plans and program expectations.
• Model and reinforce trauma‑responsive practice aligned with the Three Pillars of Transforming Care and ARC, supporting consistency in routines, expectations, and documentation.
• Communicate clearly with Team Leads, Supervisors, and Managers regarding child presentation, safety concerns, and emerging needs.
• Participate in therapeutic, recreational, cultural, and pro‑social activities within the campus environment.
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of documentation, including shift logs and incident reports.
• Support the upkeep and safety of program spaces, ensuring…