City : Waterloo, ON

Category : Permanent

Industry : Education

Employer : University of Waterloo

Counselling Services strives for an environment that reflects our society and our student body. In order to address the unique needs and concerns of our Black students, we are seeking a Black candidate who has clinical knowledge and experience in mental health and wellness matters related to the lived experiences of Black individuals and communities.

The Counsellor is accountable to a Manager, Counselling Services for the provision of front line clinical mental health programs and services.  The Counsellor specializing in Black Student Support will have proactive support from and work closely with the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Office

Ultimately, this position underpins the mission of Counselling Services which focuses on supporting and promoting academic success, student and campus mental health, psychological wellness and safety within members of a diverse and global Waterloo community. The mental health, psychological wellness and safety of students are fundamental to the mandate of the university since they are a foundation for personal and academic success. 

The selection process for this position will follow the provisions for a special program as described by the Ontario Human Rights Code to address the underrepresentation of individuals from equity-deserving groups. Improving the representation, participation, and engagement of equity–deserving groups within our community is a key objective of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025. As such, this position is open only to qualified individuals who self-identify as Black.

We ask each interested applicant to include a statement if they self-identify as Black in their cover letter. Please note that our recruitment system has limitations. Hiring managers will only see the last updated version of the application (cover letter and resume) as older versions will be overridden. Therefore, if you are applying to more than one job simultaneously, your self-identification will be available to all hiring managers.

Clinical Services - for supporting mental health and wellness, as well as personal academic and personal success to clients (i.e., primarily students)

• Treatment planning
• Individual and group counselling/psychotherapy
•  Responding to clients in crisis
• Clinical case note and report writing
• Termination planning and referral
• Working along a continuum from single session therapy to a short-term brief counselling  model—and/or working to help clients source appropriate long-term therapy
• Design, facilitate and evaluate seminars sessions on various topics related to wellness
• Design, facilitate and evaluate training for student leaders and other key stakeholders across campus on various topics, including well-being or culturally specific wellness workshops

Advocacy - the Counsellor is an advocate for and supports students’ academic success and personal learning

• Engage in internal and external partnerships with local black community supports and on campus resources for black students such as Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Office, and the Black Association for Student Expression to build a network of support services and referral services for black students; creating a community of support
• Engage in training opportunities for various stakeholders around wellness supports for black students
• Collaborate and consult with key campus support services (e.g., Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Antiracism Office (EDI-AR), AccessAbility Services, Health Services, Student Success Office, etc.) related to students’ personal and academic needs
• Attend monthly EDI-AR meetings providing insight on black student needs and trends, as well as receiving input on supports and services available to address institutional challenges for black students impacting their mental health
• Collaborate and consult with faculty, including individual faculty members, the Associate Deans’ offices and academic support areas in the interest of students’ academic success, retention and graduation
• With the support of the CS Manager & campus services increase awareness of Black student support counselling
• The partnership for the mental health, health and wellness, well-being and safety of the campus community includes active collaboration and teaming with a focus on client issues of shared concern

Clinical Practice - the Counsellor is committed to best clinical practice and best practice in mental health

• The Counsellor has a thorough and expert understanding of developmental issues of late adolescence (e.g., relationships, mental health, disordered eating, transition, sexuality, etc.)
• Reflects a unique understanding of the impact of intergenerational oppression on the lives of Black students
• Incorporates the experience of living in Canada with family members and communities enduring hardships and atrocities overseas
• Incorporates the experience of living in Canada with family members and communities experiencing trauma on and off campus
• Recognizes the common barriers facing Black students when accessing mental health support by using the lens of anti-black racism
• Remains current with pertinent ethical requirements, research and considerations relevant to the fields of counselling/psychotherapy, mental health assessment and crisis management
• Maintains a high level of knowledge and awareness of changes and developments in the fields of higher education and counselling, and their implications for the organization and delivery of counselling and clinical services within the institution
• Represents the interest of the department at conferences, workshops, etc.

Graduate Supervision and Training

• Under the direction of their Manager, the Counsellor provides supervision of graduate students who are participating in clinical residency, internship or practicum placements at Counselling Services

Multi-Disciplinary Team Member

• The Counsellor will be provided space and time to lead/chair conversations on Black student mental health, well-being, and supports
• As part of a multi-disciplinary team member, the Counsellor attends interdisciplinary team meetings, department meetings, Campus Wellness meetings, and other meetings as requested or directed by their Manager in Counselling Services

• A graduate degree (masters or doctorate) in the counselling professions (e.g. psychology, social work, etc.)
• Registered with a College under the Ontario’ Regulated Health Professions Act (1991)
• The successful candidate will meet the articulated Qualifications above and will self-identify as Black. The successful candidate will meet the articulated qualifications below and will self-identify as Black. Black is defined using the Government of Ontario's Anti-Racism Data Standards (ARDS): https://www.ontario.ca/document/data- standards-identification-and-monitoring-systemic- racism
• Proven record of achievement in clinical counselling. Scope of practice must include clinical work with adolescent and young adult population
• Experience working with Black-identified communities is beneficial and strongly preferred
• Experience in university or college setting is beneficial and strongly preferred
• Experience working in community engagement is welcomed
• Demonstrated skill and effectiveness in the application of a broad spectrum of psychological interventions/therapies especially Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and expertise in behavioural health 
• Counselling or outreach experience with culturally marginalized, in-risk, Black, and other underrepresented groups
• Familiarity with current research and professional literature pertaining to racial trauma and how it may impact a student’s experience, both emotionally and academically
• Experience working with individuals who have experienced oppression, racism, homophobia, transphobia and/or ableism
• Connections with and awareness of community organizations that support Black communities
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (oral and written) and organizational skills
• Demonstrated initiative and strong skills in problem-solving and decision making
• Proven ability to work effectively with a multi-disciplinary team
• Maintain a clear police vunerable sector check

The University of Waterloo is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.