Job Description - Crisis Support Worker

Department: Crisis Support Team
Location: 227 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON
Status: Full Time, Permanent
Union/Non: This is a unionized position
Rate of pay: $27.6267 per hour
This posting is for a newly created position within our organization.

Position Summary:

The Crisis Support Team (C.S.T.) is a multi-disciplinary team providing crisis services for clients up to the age of twenty-four residing in the Toronto area. CST encompasses several forms of support: a 24/7 crisis line (providing crisis, service navigation and DBT skills coaching support), mobile crisis response and short-term follow-up for crisis clients, and on-site support Youthdale’s inpatient clients and the staff team in the event of Code Whites or other emergency needs. Within the context of short-term follow-up for crisis clients, the Crisis Support Worker is primarily responsible for case management responsibilities. Staff in this position work closely with young folks, family members, colleagues on both CST (including Social Workers and a team Psychiatrist) and other programs and community partners to ensure that young folks and families in crisis can access timely and effective supports.

The ideal candidate for this position should possess foundational knowledge relevant towards being able to support the completion of bio-psycho-social assessments that focus on factors that are contributing to perceived crisis for individuals and families accessing the services, and can draw on relevant skills/approaches that address these factors, including psycho-ed drawing on approaches that are relevant to the program (i.e., Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, etc.) This work will be compliments by the use of validated mental health assessment tools to support treatment planning, and the completion of standardized practices for suicide and risk assessment along with safety planning. This individual will also possess excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team environment.

Accountability:

This position directly reports to: Manager, Intake, Crisis and Outpatient Services

Corporate Responsibilities:

Fosters positive interpersonal relationships with the staff, residents, and visitors, outside agencies, government officials and related professional associations.
Maintains and adheres to all relevant legislation and organizational policies and procedures.
Attends work on a regular and consistent basis.
Abides by all Occupational Health and Safety Policies.
Demonstrates management practices which are consistent with the mission, vision and philosophy of Youthdale Treatment Centres.

Job Responsibilities:

Offer telephone support for callers requiring crisis support, service navigation or DBT phone coaching (for relevant Youthdale clients), assessing caller needs/strengths/presenting concerns, and utilizing relevant evidence-based skills/approaches to support the needs of callers. Approaches to be used include foundational counselling skills (i.e., validation, reflection, etc.), ASIST, motivational interviewing and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Assess suicide/safety risks for all crisis and phone coaching callers, and safety plan when relevant.
Utilize standardized tools to support effective assessment of caller needs and to triage callers towards relevant internal and community-based supports.
Provide in-home, in-community (e.g., at a young person’s school, etc.) or in-office mobile crisis support for young folks/families with urgent needs. All initial visits will include an initial crisis assessment (which identifies the factors that are contributing to the crisis and the specific needs to be addressed in order to ameliorate the crisis), followed by the provision of support to help towards these needs (with common forms of support within an initial meeting including de-escalation, safety assessment/planning, providing resources and/or psycho-ed on techniques for coping with immediate causes of stress or anxiety, identifying internal/external referrals to be initiated, etc.)
For clients/families that are receiving follow-up support through CST in an in-home, in-community or in-office basis, the Crisis Support Worker will be responsible for case-management responsibilities (i.e., submitting internal/external referrals, connecting with collaterals for the purpose of service coordination, etc.) In the course of these responsibilities, staff will utilize foundational counselling skills (i.e., supportive listening, validation, reflection, de-escalation, etc.) and may provide other interventions that fall within the scope of supportive counselling (i.e., teaching techniques for coping with immediate causes of stress or anxiety, safety assessment/planning, etc.)
Work collaboratively with interdisciplinary team members, including Social Workers, CYCs and Psychiatry. When relevant, facilitate referrals to Psychiatry for evaluation/assessment for crisis service users, following appropriate referral processes.
Full-time CST workers have a 37.5-hour workweek, averaged over a four-week rotational schedule. This schedule includes shifts, individual and group supervisions, Grand Rounds, SMG training, and clinical and HR training. All CST workers are required to adhere to a weekly rotational schedule that includes working day, evening, and weekend shifts.

General Administration

Participate regularly in meetings dealing with clinical matters and team or agency business
Participate regularly in group and/or individual supervision
Record all job-related activity, including client and collateral contact using the agency’s client record system (TREAT)
Assist in the training of new staff and the training of unit staff to answer the crisis phone afterhours.
Attend mental health community fairs.

Qualifications

A college diploma or university degree in child and youth work or a relevant field is required, with preferably 5 years’ experience in the mental health field.
Working knowledge on the following topics/techniques: crisis theory/intervention, child/adolescent development, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, ASIST, Mental Health First Aid, Safe Management Group (SMG).
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality in all interactions.
Demonstrated ability to interact with people in a sensitive, tactful, diplomatic, and professional manner at all times.
Excellent assessment, interviewing, and counselling skills.
Ability to work both independently and within a multi-disciplinary team in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work flexible hours within a rotating schedule that includes days, evenings and weekends.
Knowledge of community resources in the GTA and beyond.
Advanced communication skills (both written and oral).
Good organizational, time management and prioritizing skills.

ABOUT YOUTHDALE TREATMENT CENTRES

Youthdale (www.youthdale.ca) provides comprehensive, integrated mental health services to children and their families, connecting them with the right programs and services, both at Youthdale and in their communities. We meet the complex needs of children and youth with a team of highly skilled and dedicated psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists and neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, and child and youth workers.

APPLICATION

At Youthdale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live and serve. Youthdale is committed to providing accommodation in all parts of the hiring process. If you require an accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please apply with an updated resume by January 16, 2025.

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Crisis Support Worker