Family and Natural Support Counsellor

Family and Natural Support Counsellor

Family and Natural Support Program

Full-time, Contract (until May 4, 2026)

Level 8

Covenant House helps youth ignite their potential and reclaim their lives. As Canada’s largest agency serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk, we offer the widest range of services to hundreds of young people every day.

More than a place to stay, we provide life-changing care with unconditional love and respect. We meet youth’s immediate needs and then we work together to achieve their future goals. We offer 24/7 crisis shelter transitional housing options on-site and, in the community, health and well-being support, training and skill development, and ongoing care once youth move into the community.       

For over 40 years, Covenant House has been dedicated to its mission of serving youth on the street and to protect and safeguard all youth with absolute respect and unconditional love. Since 1982, Covenant House has supported more than 100,000 young people.

Overview:
The Family and Natural Supports Program works across the city’s youth shelter system.  The role is multi-faceted, providing integrated services of family and individual counselling, systems navigation support, and outreach and engagement activities to youth in the city’s shelter system.

The Family and Natural Supports Counsellor works with youth and their identified family and chosen supports to strengthen relationships and connections, as a means to supporting youth to engage and maintain long term supports that may prevent and end homelessness.

Job Responsibilities:
Outreach

• Outreach to and engagement of youth in the city’s youth shelter system and related services.
• Facilitate group-based activities, workshops, and presentations as required.
• Participation in partnership Champions Meetings, Community of Practice and other related calls.
• Attending case management meetings, case conferences, and staff meetings at Covenant House and assigned partner sites.

Direct Clinical Service

• Work collaboratively with youth to identify and engage family and chosen supports.
• Provide family and individual therapy to youth and their family members/chosen supports to improve relationships, mitigate risk factors, and resolve conflict.
• Enhance capacity of client and families/chosen supports to understand and navigate challenges related to substance use, mental health, disabilities, impact of trauma, and changes in family dynamics and circumstances.
• Provide navigation supports (referrals, accompaniment, and liaison and coordination support) to ensure youth and their family members and chosen supports can access appropriate community resources.
• Provide services in locations and at times convenient to youth and their family members and chosen supports (such as in shelters, in family homes and other community settings).
  

Indirect Clinical Service

• Consulting and collaborating within the Family and Natural Supports program, the Covenant House Toronto Team, the youth shelter system and broader community to support the client.
• Completing client documentation according to professional standards and agency practices.
• Gathering collateral information, and completion of relevant application forms and referral processes.
• Actively participate in clinical supervision.

Experience and Education:

• BSW or MSW (preferred), or degree in a counselling related field, or equivalent education and experience.
• Registration/ eligible for registration with an appropriate regulatory college, with ability to practice the regulated act of psychotherapy.
• Sound understanding of issues related to youth at-risk of/ experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ2S+ identities, mental health, substance use, disabilities.
• Sound understanding of and ability to apply family dynamics, Family Systems Theory, adolescent development, trauma and attachment theories.
• Strong clinical assessment skills and ability to apply clinical counselling interventions both in person and virtually.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a trauma informed, harm reduction approach and from an anti-oppression and culturally competent framework.
• Demonstrated ability to outreach to youth in both formal and informal settings.
• Demonstrated ability to engage family members and chosen supports of youth.
• Demonstrated ability to engage collaboratively with sectoral partners.
• Knowledge of community resources and systems relevant to youth homelessness and family members
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evening hours.

Interested candidates should submit their cover letter and resume to this posting by November 19, 2024. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

At Covenant House Toronto we believe in a workplace culture of inclusion that is welcoming, respectful and safe for all staff. It is critical to Covenant House Toronto success to eliminate barriers and promote the inclusion of equity groups. Equity groups have been, and continue to be, underrepresented and marginalized in the workforce, leadership roles, and in some specific occupations. Equity groups include but may not be limited to Indigenous persons, racialized people, gender diverse people, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Covenant House Policy on Accommodation, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the Covenant House recruitment process.

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