Ville : Toronto

Catégorie : Talent Recruitment

Industrie : Education

Employeur : Seneca Polytechnic

Position Summary:

Counselling Services offers support for current students trying to manage the complexities of college life. Students are seen on a voluntary basis. Our services can help students fulfil their personal and academic potential through individual and/or group supports.

The School Within a College (SWAC) program provides students with the opportunity to complete their high school diploma, earn college-level credits, and learn in an adult learning environment in a college setting.

Students will build self-advocacy, literacy skills, and learning strategies in preparation to make a successful transition to post-secondary education. 

The primary focus is on students facing challenges in graduating and who have the potential to succeed in college. Beginning in September 2020, York Region District School Board has partnered with Seneca Polytechnic to offer the School Within A College program.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Counselling Services, the Student Case Management Specialist role works to provide immediate coordination and case management for students experiencing complex mental health concerns or complex situations that have impacted their mental health from the SWAC program.  

This position supports student success by responding quickly and effectively to students who have complex mental health issues, requiring skilled facilitation of appropriate referrals (internal and external), safety assessments and providing ongoing case management where required. 

Responsibilities:

Student Support and Administration  

• Providing case management/ complex needs support to students requiring the coordination of multiple services. 
• Case management include visiting classroom, assessing and supporting student needs. 
• Providing immediate/acute crisis intervention support through de-escalation support and suicide prevention interventions.  If the student does not respond to crisis intervention, case manager will escalate and seek support from security, EMS and the hospital ED.
• Providing consultative advice to contacts (SWAC staff and faculty) regarding students in distress.  While working with faculty and staff, maintaining professionalism and safe guarding confidentiality of students’ personal and health information.
• Conducts brief preliminary risk assessment for students presenting in distress or drop-ins, including assessing suicide risk using established protocols. Determines type of support or intervention required (e.g., counselling, physician, security, police, community psychiatry or mental health services) and refer or intervene (if imminent risk).
• Creates accurate and timely documentation; file keeping, able to pull reports and provides statistical information where needed.
• Provides “letter of Consideration” while students wait for formal assessment for accommodations

Collaboration  

• Role will require building bridges to available support through the district school board.
• Fostering positive relationships with community resources and health services providers.  
• Following rules and procedural processes related to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and other relevant legislation.
• Ensures and understands the limits of confidentiality; able to appropriately handle sensitive and private information.   
• Exercising extreme care to prevent serious physical or emotional injury or harm.  

Other  

• Provides information to students, consultation and advising to faculty, other college staff, school board personnel, community agencies, and others on the provision of mental health support for students.
•  Will work with the local community, referring students to resources that can support their mental health and wellbeing, including local hospitals.
•  Collect and maintain program data for the purpose of quality improvement and program development.

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor degree in Social Work, Psychology, Community Mental Health, Counselling Psychology.
  
• Current member, in good standing, with a Regulated Health Profession.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of related experience working with high risk clients/ patients; in community mental health, mental health youth services, and/or developmental services.
• Minimum three years experience working with clients from equity deserving populations and students experiencing barriers to accessing mental health care. 
• Some experience working with individuals experiencing non-medical factors that influence health outcomes - social exclusion, disruption in early childhood development, insecure housing, legal difficulties, physical safety concerns, food insecurity, discrimination and unemployment. 

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to assess and support students are at high risk
• Excellent communication and human relation skills are essential to interact effectively with the College’s multicultural/racial backgrounds and diverse abilities within the student and staff population. 
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of specialized educational software to support students with unique learning needs. 
• Familiarity with community resources including local hospitals and mental health services.
• Ability to be innovative within a team environment. 
• Familiarity with issues related to mental health disabilities as well as knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code. 
• Experience in dealing with crisis situations, developing safety plans, and assessing risk in a variety of contexts is essential.

Note :  A skills assessment test will be administered during the recruitment process.