Counsellor - Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Counsellor

Location : Abbotsford hospice

Reporting to : Manager, Counselling Services

Job status : Permanent Part-time to Full-time 0.8 FTE 1.0 FTE (60-75 hours bi-weekly)

Compensation : Alignment of HEABC HSP Grid 12 ($41.01 to $51.27 per hour)

ABOUT US

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (CPCH) is British Columbia’s recognized pediatric palliative care provider. For over two decades, through the many programs and services we provide, we have made a significant difference in the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses and the families who love them.

Be part of a talented and innovative team that takes pride in supporting and providing thehighest quality pediatric palliative care.

It is the expectation for all roles across the organization to know the organization’s philosophy of pediatric palliative care and uphold a commitment to further ones knowledge.

Our philosophy of pediatric palliative care is as follows : Pediatric palliative care improves quality of life, promotes comfort, and reduces suffering for children with life-threatening conditions (serious illness) and their families through a holistic approach addressing;

physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. It is collaborative person & family-centered care delivered using a team-based approach throughout the continuum of care across all ages and stages of illness, including bereavement.

It values choice and honest and compassionate communication.

At Canuck Place we understand that uniqueness is powerful. We hold each other accountable for an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their experiences and ideas and know that they belong.

We believe diversity drives innovation and the best pediatric palliative care for children and their families therefore we welcome that every person brings an individual perspective and experience to advance our mission.

We have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion and we are building a culture where difference is valued. We have a commitment to inclusion across gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity and disability status, to ensure our team members are empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

All staff are encouraged to contribute their perspective and lived experience through our internal employee groups such as Care 4 the Caregiver, Culture, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging), Green Team, Truth and Reconciliation and Wellness Committees.

WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO WORK HERE?

Canuck Place careers are full of connection, community, and care. We aim to nurture a supportive culture rooted in compassion, collaboration and support while providing expert care to children and families.

Our team includes individuals with a special blend of sensitivity, compassion, and appreciation for life. Canuck Place is where no moment is missed.

A place where you can make a difference.

We offer competitive compensation and a benefits package focusing on wellness and self-care that includes :

• 20 days’ vacation (pro-rated to your full-time equivalency)to start with ongoing annual anniversary increases up to an organizational maximum of 45 days
• Up to two paid mandatory wellness days a year
• Generous paid leave including compassionate and special leave when you need it
• Municipal Pension Plan (MPP)
• 100% employer paid benefits package from your first day which includes extended health and dental and $1,500 annually for counselling
• Health and Wellness Spending account that provides up to $1,000 annually to ensure you can focus on the benefits that are important to you and your family
• Flexible working options
• Free meals on-site at the hospices
• Continuous paid training and development opportunities so everyone has the opportunity to learn new skills and grow
• Ongoing parental support including top up for maternity and parental leave and paid leave for new grandparents

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Manager, Counselling Services, the Counsellor is accountable for providing advanced therapeutic clinical counselling and consultative social work services that facilitate changes in coping styles, behaviours, attitudes, feelings and adaptive responses to an adverse life event.

The Counsellor is also accountable for conducting comprehensive social and psychosocial assessments; providing advice to children, families, staff and community health professionals regarding applicable community resources in order to facilitate and enhance coping abilities;

maintaining records and monitoring counselling services to ensure appropriate services are provided.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides comprehensive psychosocial assessments of children and families to identify high risk factors, personal and emotional concerns, areas of coping strengths and areas requiring social work and / or counselling services.
• Provides individual and / or group counselling services, such as adjustment, crises, support and bereavement to children and their families to facilitate changes in coping styles, behaviours, attitudes, feelings and adaptive responses to an adverse life event.

Develops and facilitates support groups, as necessary.

• Assesses and interprets social, financial, psychological and family situations to physicians and other members of the care team and provides consultation to staff and community agencies with regard to intervention and discharge plans for children and their families.
• Educates and informs children and their families on issues related to understanding and following medical recommendations to assist in alleviating stress and anxiety resulting from illness and disability.
• Collaborates with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary care team by participating in interdisciplinary planning and evaluation of care, care conferences and rounds;

reports observations, problems and changes in children’s and families’ condition, provides input from a social work / counselling perspective on a variety of care issues to ensure proper and effective treatment of the child and family members.

Provides advice to children, families, staff and community health professionals regarding applicable community resources and ways to access these resources in order to facilitate and enhance coping abilities.

Liaises with social agencies and community resources and makes referrals to provide ongoing support to children and families.

• Maintains client records by documenting client assessments, charting client information, preparing progress notes and reports in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures.
• Keeps up-to-date on social work and / or counselling developments by reviewing literature in specialty area, consulting with clinical and community experts within the field and participating in professional development activities.
• Follows policies, procedures and standards of excellence to ensure a safe environment for children and families, staff and volunteers.
• Contributes to the CPCH culture by understanding and supporting our Mission and Vision and actively demonstrating our Values.
• In accordance with the strategic directions of CPCH, patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at CPCH, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.
• Protects the health, wellness and safety of self and others by complying with applicable regulations and standards, safe work practices and procedures established by CPCH.

Employees must report any health hazards and unsafe conditions to their supervisor for corrective action.

Assumes other related responsibilities, as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Master’s Degree in Counselling or Social Work or a directly related field, supplemented with at least 1-2 years of recent related counselling and assessment experience in palliative care, including grief and bereavement, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Current registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers or the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.

QUALIFICATIONS

What you bring to the role :

• Knowledge of systems theory.
• Knowledge of family, group and change therapy.
• Knowledge of counseling skills and clinical practice models.
• Knowledge of clinical social work and mental health counselling principles, methods, procedures and standards.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques.
• Knowledge of psychodynamics of children and adolescents and their treatment strategies.
• Knowledge of community health and social care system and resources, including Ministry of Child and Family Development
• Demonstrated social and psychosocial assessment, interviewing and psychological / developmental evaluation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and influence group and inter-group processes.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with children and families in order to explore issues that are beyond the initially presented concerns.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, prioritize and organize workload.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively deal with conflict situations.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively deal with various expressions of grief and despair.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in a work setting.
• Ability to listen and to empathize with an extremely diverse group of people.
• Ability to establish and maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries.

You have :

• High integrity; creativity; balance, good judgment and objectivity; high vision and conceptual capabilities; consultative, facilitate and collaborative; sense of humor.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Demonstrates flexibility that allows you to work with high energy, creative people.
• Able to thrive and effectively manage priorities in a changing, ambiguous environment.

Please note :

• Evidence of Health Canada approved vaccinations must be provided prior to your first day of work.
• Flexibility is necessary, as this position may require occasional weekend and evening work and travel within and outside the Lower Mainland.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

We understand that the recruitment process is not a one size fits all, our inclusion values and flexibility extend to your hiring experience.

Canuck Place is committed to providing inclusive access and accommodations throughout the application and selection process.

We are continuously working to improve our systems, policies, and practices to ensure our employees, in all their diversity, can succeed.

Should you require accessibility accommodation through the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equality and diversity within its community and to a welcoming and inclusive workplace.

We especially welcome applications from Indigenous persons, visible minority group members, persons with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations, genders and gender identities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit your cover letter and your resume at https : / / www.canuckplace.org / about-us / careers / . This position will remain open until filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates who have been short-listed will be contacted.

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