City : Waterloo, ON

Category : Permanent

Industry : Education

Employer : University of Waterloo

Reporting to the Associate Director, Counselling Services (AD), the position of Manager, Counselling Services (MCS) encompasses supervisory responsibilities of a multidisciplinary team of approximately 10 members each, along with administrative and clinical responsibilities for the department which assists in enabling Campus Wellness to accelerate its journey to achieving wellness for all.
 
This position will help lead their team to use inclusive, integrative, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approaches in all aspects of client-care and employee management, centering employee safety and engagement alongside client-centeredness. The services provided by the Counselling team focus on campus community mental health, psychological wellness, and safety at the University of Waterloo (UW). This is vital for the personal and academic success of UW’s members. The Manager, Counselling Services will employ a participatory style of leadership to fortify a culture of caring and achieve cohesion within their team and in all interactions across Campus Wellness. They are pivotal in working with their teams to create a transformative, future-ready service in a world changed by a racial reckoning, a mental health awakening, and a global pandemic.
 
The incumbent will work closely with other members of the department leadership team to ensure programs offered to students are contributing to the vibrant student experience and the wellness of our campus community.This position is responsible for effectively managing staff, policies, processes, and programs involved in the provision of counselling services.
 
The MCS performs their duties conscientiously and responsibly, adheres to high personal standards of behaviour with students, colleagues, members of the University community and clients of the University, community colleagues and resources, and in a manner consistent with the ethics and responsibilities of their own profession.

Multidisciplinary Team Management and Coaching

• The MCS provides leadership in the development and facilitation of multidisciplinary service delivery teams who provide mental health treatment on campus. They demonstrate skill in the following areas:
  • Meeting individually with team members for monthly supervision with an emphasis on clinical consultation, case file reviews, and professional growth & development
  • Managing and coaching an allocation of clinical staff, providing a supportiveenvironment that encourages productivity, staff success, as well as efficient and healthy workload management
  • Engaging in effective & equitable recruitment selection procedures and standards
  • Focusing team effectiveness on University of Waterloo goals, and Counselling Services’ values of Community, Care and Growth
  • Overseeing the professional training and development of team members, including an emphasis on counsellor development through the career path.
  • Leading with a collaborative, relationship based, growth mindset
  • Facilitating staff annual performance appraisals and addressing performance management needs of staff

Relationships/Partnerships

• Cultivating and stewarding strong working relationships and partnerships, including:
  • Working closely with others within Campus Wellness and other relevant stakeholders onand off campus to help provide the best programs and services to the students
  • Taking a collaborative approach to developing strategies that strive to achieve theinstitutional vision of a vibrant student experience
  • Creating partnerships with wellness service providers on campus to contribute to acomprehensive wellness strategy for the campus community

Clinical Responsibilities

• Conduct routine clinical file audits to ensure adherence to ethical and standard practice guidelines
• Provide on call support to counsellors working evening hours, as a part of a management on call rotation
• Facilitate monthly clinical supervision meetings with counsellors
• The MCS provides clinical psychotherapy with individual clients at a reduced clinical load to allowthem to meet their administrative, managerial and coordination responsibilities. It is expected that no more than 25% of the MCS’s is devoted to clinical service delivery to allow for an emphasis on staff development at both an individual and team level 

Coordination of Specific Responsibilities

• Each Manager of Counselling Services (MCS) oversees the coordination of and is responsible for one or more areas of Counselling Services. The coordination responsibilities of this position include:
  • Coordination of Specialized Counselling & Advocacy Services: The MCS maintains a thorough knowledge and expertise in equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and advocacy as they relate to clinical practice with individuals who have been historically disadvantaged. The MCS coaches, mentors, clinically supervises, and provides leadership to a team of experienced counsellors specializing in counselling black, indigenous, and racialized students, 2SLGBTQIA+ students, as well as students intersectional identities, and those who have been traditionally underrepresented. They are responsible for coordinating and/or facilitating a Community of Practice for clinicians providing specialized counselling. They coordinate opportunities for collaboration between specialized counsellors in Campus Wellness as well as collaborate and consult with key campus support services that address the needs of students from equity deserving groups. They will collaborate with the MCS responsible for intake to ensure equitable practices are in place and support adjustments when required
  • This MCS will be responsible for writing regular reports to support identifying and addressing systemic barriers faced by black, indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQIA+ students. They will also assist with increasing awareness across campus about the counselling support that exists for black, indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQIA+ students. The MCS will participate as a member of the Campus Wellness Equity Strategy team to ensure updates and required actions needed to move the equity strategy forward are brought to the Counselling Services management team for discussion and/or implementation

• Completion of a Master’s degree in a mental health field is necessary.  PhD in a related field is beneficial
• Registered in a regulated mental health profession within the Province of Ontario under the Ontario Regulated Health Professions Act (1991)
• Theoretical and practical training in individual and group counselling
• Additional training related in equity and anti-racism in a clinical context an asset
• Proven record of achievement in clinical counselling with a scope of practice including clinical work with Black, Indigenous, or Racialized and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ communities strongly preferred
• Formal management or supervisory experience with oversight of direct reports
• The provision of clinical supervision for mental health counselling professionals
• Experience working with individuals who have been oppressed, experienced racism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism
• Progressive clinical and administrative experience in a student-focused post-secondary environment with a background highlighted by mental health and student development expertise
• A record of and commitment to participating in ongoing learning and engagement in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility
• Competencies will include strategic thinking, leadership, human resource management, organization, and communication as well as an appreciation of the benefits of collaborative intra and inter-departmental functioning in an ever-changing environment
• Familiarity with current research and professional literature pertaining to racial trauma and how it may impact a student’s experience both emotionally and academically
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply research surrounding best practices in strategies and programs for Black, Indigenous, and racialized students (and students who are traditionally underrepresented)
• Demonstrated experience applying learning in the areas of equity, diversity, anti-racism, inclusion and/or accessibility to their leadership practice, program and/or strategy development
• Experience in facilitation required
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and thrive in a collaborative environment and to apply a positive team approach when working with colleagues
• Exceptional communication and relationship building skills
• Demonstrated ability to support cross functional teams and build consensus. Sensitive to the diverse perspectives of stakeholders and works with them to resolve differences
• Ability to engage in challenging conversations with tact
• A clear Vulnerable Sector Check is required
   

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 Inuit/Inuk, 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.