The Surrey School District respectfully acknowledges that our schools reside on the traditional, unceded, and shared territories of Coast Salish peoples : The q íc y - Katzie, the qwa : nn - Kwantlen and the SEMYOME - Semiahmoo First Nations, who have been stewards of this land since time immemorial.

Surrey Schools is the largest BC school district and the second-largest employer in Surrey. We're proud recipients of BC Top Employers and Canada's Greenest Employer awards. Surrey Schools provides quality education to over 82,000 students with 124 schools sites and a variety of other learning facilities, offering a broad range of innovative programs and services to support the learning of our students. The Surrey School District team of approximately 13,000 employees works tirelessly every day to ensure that children are getting the best start they can, providing the preparation to be our leaders of tomorrow.

Our Commitment :

Providing quality education extends beyond academic excellence; we are committed to creating and cultivating diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free environments for all applicants, employees, students, and their families.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Values :

Our identity, as Surrey Schools, is expressed in the shared values of openness, fairness and belonging and recognizes the importance of diversity of identity and thought. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are committed to removing barriers and creating a workplace where everyone, regardless of their background, feels empowered to contribute their best.

Join us in our mission to provide the best start for children, preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow. If you are passionate about education, diversity, and making a positive impact, we invite you to explore opportunities with Surrey Schools.

Job Summary

Reporting to the District Principal, Education Services, the primary responsibilities of this position are to work as part of the multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional integrated child and youth team to provide therapeutic counselling services and school liaison support for children, youth and families experiencing mild / moderate mental health needs, and to manage and oversee the Youth Peer Support Worker position.

This role includes outreach work with the community to support a cluster of Public, Independent and First Nations operated schools within the geographic region.

This role is required to be available to perform time-sensitive work outside of regular (9-5) working hours as required, e.g., emergency counselling to children and youth and their families. This role does not follow the school calendar and works 12 months of the year.

Responsibilities

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

Provide child / youth and family therapeutic counselling through a lens of intervention and / or prevention support. Monitor the progress of child / youth on their case load.

Perform the functions of a manager of employees in the Youth Peer Support Worker positions as a part of the ICY teams including :

Responsible for recruitment, selection and hiring of school-based employees assigned to the portfolio within the program

Provide orientation, coaching, training and mentoring to direct reports

Manage employee conduct related matters including conduct employee relations related investigations with the human resources department, issues discipline and discharge of the employee when necessary

Manage employee attendance including informal and formal discussions with employees when absenteeism is continuously impacting service delivery; provides consideration to all applicable leave of absence requests

Manage employees including routine informal performance feedback, the development of employee work plans, and conduct staff performance review and related development plans reviews.

Interpret and comply with applicable collective agreements, participate in the grievance and arbitration process, and consult with human resources to provide feedback on collective bargaining initiatives necessary to support to the program and community

Manage assigned budget including staffing budgets allocated to the portfolio

Liaise between school staff and the ICY team, to represent and advocate for the needs of all children and youth (birth to 18) within the geographic area with a focus on prevention / early intervention wherever possible.

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

Attend and actively participate in integrated child and youth team meetings.

Provide oversight and supervision of the Youth Peer Support Worker to provide peer-based mentoring and emotional support to youth ages 12-19 with the following :

• to support systems navigation and resource distribution to youth;
• in facilitating or co-facilitating groups for children, youth and families as needed;

to encourage membership in the school community.

As needed and as appropriate, attend school-base team meetings, partner and community agency meetings.

Facilitate multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team decision making through a consensus building process.

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

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

Cultivate a collegial atmosphere with case supervision and case consultation.

Work in collaboration with school and school district counsellors.

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

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Professional Certification

Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychology or a related field and must include a 300-hour supervised practicum or equivalent. Preference may be given to a candidate with school-based practicum experience.

Must be a Registered Clinical Counsellor and meet educational and training criteria to be a member of the BC Association of Clinical counsellors (BCACC) or a Registered Clinical Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW).

Experience

Preferred minimum of 3-5 years of experience working with families, children, and youth in a clinical counselling setting.

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

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

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

Demonstrated knowledge and experience liaising between community partners.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

In-depth knowledge of the 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.

Ability to maintain professional currency and have strong knowledge and experience in counselling including substance use / addictions, harm reduction philosophy, principles and practices, mental health / mental illness, and concurrent and co-occurring disorders.

Knowledge of population-specific mental health and substance use care, including : Ethno-culturally diverse and racialized communities, gender questioning / gender fluid youth, child / youth with disabilities or diverse abilities with behavioural diagnoses, neurodevelopmental disorders, or intellectual disabilities with co-occurring mental health needs.

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

Knowledge of social determinants of health, health inequalities and intersectional analyses.

Demonstrated ability provide collaborative leadership with child / youth, teachers, families, administrators, and community agencies within a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team environment.

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when sharing sensitive information to individuals on a need-to-know basis.

Highly effective organizational skills and proven ability to prioritize work while simultaneously meeting the needs of a diverse caseload.

What we're offering

Comprehensive Benefits Package

13 Paid Holidays

5 Weeks Vacation

Paid Sick Time

Onsite Fitness Room in the Surrey Head Office

Supportive workplace with a positive and productive work environment. Feel a sense of security and safety to act, speak, and reflect who you are

The salary range for this position is $101,086 to $126,357 per year with comprehensive benefits package and Municipal Pension.

Placement in the salary range is determined by an assessment of qualifications and ability to meet the key requirements of the job, and consideration of internal equity comparisons. The midpoint of the range represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications, and experience for the position.

Qualified applicants can apply by clicking the "apply" button to the right of the posting, ensuring to include cover letter, resume, supporting documentation and references by December 9, 2024 at 4pm.

Note : Successful applicants will be required to consent to a Criminal Records Search prior to employment. Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. To all others, thank you for your interest.