Mental Wellness & Substance Use Counsellor - Community
This posting is to hire a term position until March 2026, working 75 hours bi-weekly as a Community Counsellor who will be working in Dawson City.
This job is based in the town of Dawson City, traditional territory of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation, in the beautiful Yukon. Dawson City boasts a mix of arts, culture, wilderness, and history. Dawson City is a magical place that is easy to love and difficult to leave.
Our team
Mental Wellness and Substance Use (MWSU) Dawson City Hub provides a wide range of mental wellness assessment, treatment, and support services in all Yukon communities outside of Whitehorse. Teams are made up of Child and Youth Clinical Counsellors, Community Counsellors, Clinical Counsellors, Mental Health Support Workers, and Mental Health Nurses who provide individual and group counselling, drop in/outreach services, harm reduction supplies, workshops/community-based groups, and community support. Our dynamic, creative, and strength-based team prioritizes collaboration with First Nation governments and community partners, to help enhance the well-being of Yukoners in rural communities.
Your role
This position offers an incredible opportunity to work within a dynamic interdisciplinary team as a Community Counsellor in the town of Dawson City. Dawson City lies within the traditional territory of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in. Hän is the name of the language spoken by the people who call themselves Dënezhu, the people of this land, salmon people and caribou people, weather-watchers and story people.
For more information about Tr'ondek Hwech'in please click here.
As a community counsellor in Dawson City, you will often be the first point of contact for individuals in the community experiencing difficulties with mental wellness and/or substance use. In this role, you will provide client centered assessment and treatment planning, case management services, harm reduction support, individual and group counselling, community workshops, and facilitate referrals to specialty services in and out of the territory. You will work collaboratively as part of MWSU's multidisciplinary team in Dawson and surrounding areas, which includes counsellors, mental health nurse and support workers, to ensure professional and cultural supports/services are in place to support client's journey of wellness. Liaising with MWSU colleagues in Dawson and surrounding areas, community partners, First Nation Governments, and specialty services to facilitate wrap around support and access to safe and relevant care is a key component of the job.
The ideal candidate for this position is someone who works well both independently and as part of a supportive, diverse, multidisciplinary team. They have values grounded in a strengths-based approach and are comfortable supporting individuals where they are at on their healing journey. Finally, they thrive in a setting that adheres to best practice standards, upholds ethical standards of the profession, prioritizes inclusive practice, cultural awareness and humility and a strong commitment to continual personal and professional growth.
- For more information on this job, please contact Sara Galbraith, Clinical Supervisor (North) at Sara.Galbraith@yukon.ca
- For more information about the recruitment process, please Jaime Strachan, HR Consultant at Jaime.Strachan@yukon.ca
Your benefits
In addition to a competitive salary, we offer many additional financial and non-financial benefits.
Your career, your home, your lifestyle
We are the Yukon public service. Every day, we come together to serve the people who live here and make a difference in so many ways. Here, you will find the diverse opportunities you desire to develop your career while enjoying a warm sense of community and vibrant artistic, cultural, and recreational amenities, all set in a spectacular natural environment.
As part of our team, your achievements and enjoyment in both your work and personal life will be valued as you explore the many opportunities the Yukon, and the Government of Yukon, has to offer.
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Important application and job requirements
Essential qualifications
Please submit your resume clearly demonstrating how you meet the qualifications below. Selections for further consideration will be based solely on the information you provide in your resume.
- Bachelor's degree in social sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Counselling, or related field
- Considerable experience providing individual and group counselling in a mental health/social service setting
- Experience providing case management services
- Experience with crisis intervention and/or risk assessments
- Experience building partnerships and collaborating with First Nation Government and/or other community partners in a social service setting considered an asset.
It may be helpful for you to review "Prepare your resume and cover letter".
Desired knowledge, skills and suitability
If selected for an interview, candidates should have, and may be assessed on, the following:
- Ability to work collaboratively with community partners and stakeholders to build capacity and develop and deliver responsible community and cultural programming.
- Ability to provide effective case management with experience in both individual and group counselling.
- Ability to provide effective screening, mental health and addiction bio-psycho-social assessments, treatment planning and case formulations while working from a harm reduction and client/family/community-centred service delivery model.
- Understanding of collaborative health care delivery systems, and the continuum of services available to clients at different stages of their lives; and,
- Understanding of and adherence to, a harm-reduction two-eyed seeing and trauma informed approach to client care.
- Knowledge, and the ability to work within, the stages of change model, i.e., ability to adapt interactions to support engagement and the wellness of clients
- Effective written and oral communication supported by strong conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to complete and maintain comprehensive clinical records.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
It may be helpful for you to review "The job interview process".
Conditions of employment
You must meet the following conditions before being hired, or within the time frame noted.
- verification of post-secondary degree(s),
- Vulnerable Sector RCMP Security clearance,
- WHMIS 2015 (within one month of hire),
- TB screening, first aide (within 6 months of starting position) and
- valid class 5 driver's licence or equivalent
Job requirements
This job requires you to perform, and/or be exposed to, the following:
- Regular travel to surrounding communities to provide support services.
Learn more.
- For help on creating your E-recruitment profile, email E-Recruitment.clientsupport@yukon.ca or phone 867-667-9453.