Temporary Integrated Child & Youth Counselor

Integrated Child & Youth Counselor
Reporting to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, the Integrated Child & Youth (ICY) Counselor provides therapeutic counseling services and school liaison support for children, youth, and families with mild/moderate mental health needs. The Counselor manages the Youth Peer Support Worker position and works within the multi‑disciplinary, multi‑jurisdictional ICY team. The role requires outreach to public, independent, and First Nations operated schools in the region and may involve time‑sensitive work outside regular hours, including emergency counseling.

Responsibilities

Support the ICY team and schools to mitigate factors that may precipitate mental health and substance use challenges for children and youth.

Provide child/youth and family therapeutic counseling through intervention and/or prevention support, monitoring case load progress.

Act as manager of Youth Peer Support Workers, including:

Recruitment, selection, and hiring of school‑based employees assigned to the portfolio.

Orientation, coaching, training, and mentoring of direct reports.

Management of employee conduct, including investigations, discipline, discharge, and consultation with human resources.

Management of employee attendance and discussions of absenteeism, including consideration of leave of absence requests.

Routine performance feedback, development of work plans, and staff performance reviews.

Interpretation and compliance with collective agreements, participation in grievance and arbitration processes, and consultation with HR on bargaining initiatives.

Management of assigned budget, including staffing budgets.

Liaison between school staff and the ICY team, advocating for children and youth (birth to 19) and focusing on prevention/early intervention.

Provide support for the Youth Peer Support Worker to participate as a core ICY team member.

Attend and actively participate in ICY team meetings.

Provide oversight and supervision of the Youth Peer Support Worker, delivering peer‑based mentoring and emotional support to youth ages 12‑19, including:

Systems navigation and resource distribution.

Facilitation or co‑facilitation of groups for children, youth, and families as needed.

Encouragement of membership in the school community.

Attend school‑based team meetings, partner, and community agency meetings as needed.

Facilitate multidisciplinary, multi‑jurisdictional team decision‑making through consensus building.

Deliver workshops and ongoing training to families, district staff, and community agencies as determined by the ICY team.

Lead counseling groups for children, youth, and families as needed.

Cultivate a collegial atmosphere with case supervision and consultation.

Collaborate with school and district counselors.

Consult with and coordinate support services from outside agencies (e.g., community services, RCMP).

The Successful Candidate Will Have

Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychology or a related field, including a 300‑hour supervised school‑based practicum or equivalent.

Registered Clinical Counselor (RCC) credentials and eligibility to become a member of the BC Association of Clinical Counselors (BCACC).

Minimum 3‑5 years of experience working with families, children, and youth in a clinical counseling setting.

Experience in clinical and/or educational interventions with children, adolescents, and families, including crisis intervention.

Demonstrated cultural agility to work respectfully and effectively with Indigenous peoples and an understanding of Indigenous worldviews.

Experience leading and managing employees, including hiring, coaching, mentoring, performance and attendance management, and corrective discipline, preferably in a unionized environment.

Recent training and successful experience in mental health initiatives and suicide prevention.

Demonstrated knowledge of liaising between community partners.

In‑depth knowledge of psychosocial development of children and youth.

Ability to abide by ethical principles and act with integrity, accountability, and judgment in the best interests of the child/youth, families, and available services.

Proficiency in…