| Job Title | Interim Counseling Services Director (1 Year Contract) |
| Type of Position | Temporary – Full Time Director position 38 hours per week, 1 mandatory evening |
| Salary & Benefits | $24.00/hour + annual seniority increases according to Labour and Compensation policy 3 weeks vacation in the first year, 4 in subsequent years Additionally 2+ weeks of seasonal closure 20 paid health days Group health insurance plan, after 3 months of employment |
| Location | Candidates must be able to work in-person at the Head & Hands office (3465 Benny Ave.) |
Mission
Head & Hands envisions a society where all youth are participants and are inspired by the endless possibilities available to them. Our mission is to work with youth to promote their physical and mental well being. Our approach is preventative, non-judgmental, and holistic with a fundamental commitment to providing an environment that welcomes youth without discrimination. We facilitate social change and the empowerment of youth based on their current needs within our community and society at large.
About Head & Hands
Head & Hands currently operates in a flattened hierarchy model, with Program Directors operating as the main decision-making body, with strong encouragement to consult and collaborate with all staff within programs and within the organization.
As an organization that works to facilitate social change and the empowerment of diverse communities of youth, Head & Hands recognizes that experiencing marginalization and oppression presents challenges, but also informs valuable skills and perspectives.
We strongly encourage BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), people with disabilities, women, Two-Spirit and queer people, trans people, and other candidates who experience marginalization to apply to this position and to self-identify when you apply. We are committed to creating a workplace as diverse as the communities we serve, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.
Transparency Statement
To all prospective applicants, we want to be transparent and recognize that our work environment is directly impacted by all forms of oppression and that we as an employer replicate inequities in our workplace, which have shown up as misogynoir and other types of harm in the course of the organization’s past and present.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment for all our employees. While we are working to address these issues on a structural and cultural level, there is still progress to be made. We value transparency and are open to constructive discussions with candidates about our ongoing efforts and the actions we are taking to improve working conditions in a meaningful and sustainable way.
About the Counseling Director position
The Head & Hands Counseling Program provides direct counseling and holistic mental health support to youth 12-25 and families with youth in that age bracket. The program provides support with healing, boundaries, conflict resolution, anger management, trauma, etc. Counseling is free, on-going, and client led. The program also offers seasonal holistic mental health programming and referrals to external community resources.
The Counseling Director will be expected to oversee the delivery of services, provide some individual counseling, coordinate and execute programming and participate in collective processes at Head & Hands. They will supervise 2 full-time counselors and be supervised by the Executive Director while also being required to have their own external supervisor (paid for by Head & Heads).
Job Responsibilities
Responsibilities
1. Intake & Client Counseling
- Triage new clients and manage program waitlist
- Provide information and referrals to appropriate resources
- Perform immediate one-time interventions (phone or in person) with clients where appropriate, or as referred by other Head & Hands’ services
- Arrange and schedule regular (weekly, monthly, etc) short-to-medium term appointments with counseling clients
2. Program Administration
- Strategic visioning for the program, including management and oversight of new projects (ex. Workshops, group programming, etc)
- Management and development of program budget, including participation in fundraising and maintenance of funder relationships
- Document requests for services
- Assess needs and trends of clients, in collaboration with other Program staff, in order to conduct research into new strategies and tools for effective counseling
- Oversee completion of program statistics, regular review program statistic compilation with Fundraising team
- Manage logistics of shared-office hours with other team members
- Manage program budget in collaboration with Director of Finances
- Meet regularly with other Program Directors on shared strategies, client support, and knowledge transmission
- Participate in any relevant tables de concertation or advisory boards, as desired
3. Human Resources
- Hire, train, and supervise counseling program staff. This includes conducting monthly supervision meetings, overseeing staff workload and wellbeing, and supporting supervisees in meeting their professional development goals
- Recruit, train, and supervise any interns as needed
5. Collective Duties
- Uphold the mission and mandate of Head & Hands
- Do regular front desk replacement
- Participate in fundraising for the organization
- Participate in committees as needed (e.g. hiring, evaluations, policy committees)
- Attend the AGM
- Attend all regular and exceptional staff meetings (including staff retreats)
- Assist in the maintenance of the centre (e.g. Spring cleaning day)
The Ideal Candidate
REQUIREMENTS & ASSETS
Requirements:
- Bilingual (i.e., English & French) – ability to provide services in French obligatory
- Background in social work, counseling, or psychology (formal certification not required)
- Excellent administrative, time-management and organizational skills
- Experience with counseling, triage and active listening
- Working understanding of the mental health landscape in Montreal
- Familiarity with the realities facing marginalized youth
- Deep understanding of the chronic strain or stress of being marginalized, including racism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty, sexism, colonialism, ableism, transmisogyny, etc.
- A commitment to harm reduction and anti-oppression principles
- Ability to work autonomously
- Commitment to Head & Hands mission and approach
- Experience working in a collaborative team setting
Assets:
- Knowledge of additional language(s)
- Lived experience navigating mental health challenges and individual/collective healing work
- Experience in peer support work (formal or informal)
- Experience working in a community organization and/or non-profit
- Experience (lived, volunteer or professional) with youth protection systems, Batshaw or DPJ (i.e., Direction de la protection de la jeunesse)
Application Process
Please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter as one PDF document labeled firstname.lastname to the attention of the Counseling Program Director at counselingdirector@headandhands.ca. Please include “Counseling Program Director” in the subject line. Applications can also be submitted in person at 3465 Benny ave. Guidelines for preparing your CV and cover letter are available on our website. The application can be in English or French.
Applications are due on November 24th, 2023 at 5:00PM . All candidates will be sent a confirmation that their application was received, but only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted further. We are aiming to hold interviews for this position in the first week of December, with an anticipated start date of December 15th.