Counsellor

Health Canada - Corporate Services Branch - Specialised Health Services Directorate Ottawa (Ontario)

Salary: $80,612 to $87,108

Who can apply: Persons residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and Permanent residents abroad.

Duties:

• Answer phone calls and chats, assess the nature of the calls and messages, assess the urgency and eligibility of the person, respond to the client's primary concern.
• If necessary, provide immediate psychological support to the client.
• Assess the client's needs and conduct a risk assessment for referral to a network of mental health professionals.
• Provide information and expert advice on programs to assist the client in making an informed decision and wise choices.
• Provide effective case management.

Are you the right person for the job? You must have a high degree of empathy, good listening skills and respect for diversity. As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you must enjoy working independently and as part of a team. On a day-to-day basis, you must exercise good judgment and be reliable. As the first point of contact for our diverse client base, you must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be able to manage the stress of providing advice and guidance under tight deadlines. You will need to manage new requests in a number of contexts, so you will need to be able to assess risk and judge when a situation should be escalated. You will also be required to assess crisis situations and use crisis intervention techniques to defuse tense situations.

Work environment: Health Canada is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce that comprises individuals who have an array of identities, abilities, background, culture, skills, perspectives, and experiences that are representative of Canada's current and evolving population. We are passionate about fostering a workplace where all people feel welcome, can reach their full potential, and contribute their unique perspectives and experience to the success of the team.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law. Health Canada is committed to increasing representation of Black employees and other racialized groups, Indigenous People, women and persons with disabilities. We would like our workforce to be reflective of the population we serve. Therefore, we encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a member of one of these groups. Health Canada welcomes applications from Veterans.

Intent of the process: This Expression of Interest is aimed to create and maintain an inventory within the Specialized Health Services Directorate to staff future temporary vacancies (including terms, actings, casuals, assignments and secondments) in similar-level positions. We will review applications received on a regular basis and contact applicants who meet the below essential criteria for further assessment based on the needs. Please note that candidates will only be assessed once, and re-applications to the inventory will not be considered.

Conditions of Employment:

• Willingness and ability to obtain a membership from a professional association of counsellors, psychologists or social workers.
• Willingness and ability to work any of the rotational day shifts: 7:30-15:30, 8:00-16:00, 8:30-16:30, 9:00-17:00, 10:00-18:00, 11:00-19:00, 12:00-20:00.

You need (essential for the job): Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following:

• Education: Master's degree from a recognized university in counselling, social work, psychology, sociology or another discipline relevant to work of the position.
• Experience: Experience in psycho-social assessment, counselling and crisis intervention. Experience in client case management. Experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships with clients, Mental Health and other Professional counsellors. Experience working with a diverse clientele.

Abilities:

• Ability to handle stress while making important decisions within short timelines.
• Ability to employ crisis intervention techniques in defusing potentially volatile situations.
• Ability to employ and manage Critical Incident Stress Management and trauma debriefing techniques.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, including through telephone and chats.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to evaluate risks.

Personal suitability:

• Thoroughness
• Dependability
• Respectful of diversity
• Judgement
• Strong empathy and listening skills

Language requirements (essential for the job): Applied / assessed at a later date.

Asset Experience:

• Experience in working within an Employee Assistance Program model.
• Experience in telephone and chat counselling.

Organizational Needs: This position requires a physical presence in Ottawa, Ontario.

Our commitment: We're committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply. Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.