Drop-In Counsellor

Competition 1432

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer Agreement, this full-time continuing position offers a comprehensive benefits package found on our Benefits Overview page and annual salary range of $71,557 to $119,269.

Location - Work primarily takes place at North Campus Edmonton.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC)

The U of A Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC) provides various types of support to survivors of sexual violence and their supporters, as well as comprehensive educational workshops for the campus community. We actively work towards creating a campus community free of sexual violence and operate from a feminist, anti-oppressive, intersectional, trauma-informed, and person-centred framework. We believe all survivors and the experiences of all individuals who have faced sexual or gender-based violence. All services are free of charge and available to people of all genders, sexualities and backgrounds.

Position 

Reporting to the Clinical Director/Psychologist, Sexual Assault Centre (SAC), the Drop-In Counsellor is responsible for providing the initial single-session specialized trauma-informed counselling, crisis intervention, advocacy and system navigation support for students and staff accessing services at UASAC. This role will deliver therapeutic support which promotes engagement, retention and wellness in members of the University community who have experienced sexual assault or abuse, relationship violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and other experiences of gender based and/or sexual violence.

This position will be the front line of the services provided by the UASAC psychological support program. As an important member of this program, the Drop-In Counsellor will provide crisis intervention, therapeutic, and psychosocial interventions, perform assessments of risk or harm to self or others, as well as act as a system navigator and advocate for individuals navigating complex systems and processes.

Duties 

• Provides specialized trauma-informed counselling and crisis intervention support; ongoing emotional stabilization and therapeutic bridging; and sexual assault-specific information and resources to individuals who have been affected by sexual violence, including extensive follow-up sessions.
• Conducts a variety of assessments as required for client care, including suicide risk assessments and personal safety threat assessments.
• Integrates unique client identity and developmental needs (race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, spirituality and religion, culture, neurodevelopmental differences, etc.) into counseling and treatment planning. 
• Collaborates with other involved healthcare professionals/agencies to facilitate client care/treatment. 
• Advocates on behalf of clients through consultations with university staff and faculty, professionals at on and off-campus agencies, medical professionals, lawyers, and other reporting bodies to ensure a client's academic success, health and wellbeing, procedural fairness, and/or institutional and procedural change. 
• Has thorough understanding of, and acts in accordance with, various disciplinary policies and their accompanying procedures at the University of Alberta (e.g., the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy and Procedure; the Discrimination, Harassment, and Duty to Accommodate Policy and Procedure), collective agreements, and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act. 
• Contributes to supervision of practicum students who complete placements within the UASAC PSP.
• Ensures that confidential client records, including case notes, are properly maintained, protected, and shared in accordance with professional codes of conduct, provincial legislation and university information privacy policies.     

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Counselling or Clinical Psychology; Master's degree in clinical Social Work, clinical designation is an asset; or equivalent.
• Full registration in good standing with College of Alberta Psychologists or the Alberta College or Social Workers.
• Can work independently, flexible and adaptable to change and growth within an organization. 
• A personal and professional commitment to building more equity, diversity, and inclusion in their counselling service, and also SAC workplace and services. 
• Familiarity and adherence to the Health Professions Act, Health Information Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Canadian Code of Ethics. 
• Extensive knowledge of anti-sexual violence advocacy, sexual and gender-based violence response and prevention, crisis intervention support, single-session therapy, trauma-informed care, and suicide intervention.
• Experience working with diverse populations, including but not limited to individuals who are LGBTQ2SIA+, racialized, experiencing disabilities, and/or navigating other intersections of socially marginalized identities.   

Preferred Qualifications 

• Comfort working with technology like Microsoft Office and Google Apps, video conferencing software such as Zoom, Electronic Records Management systems for documentation and appointment bookings, etc. 
• Strong knowledge of University environment and student life, including relevant policies and procedures (the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy and Procedure; the Discrimination, Harassment, and Duty to Accommodation Policy and Procedures; the Helping Individuals at Risk Policy and Procedure; the Student Conduct Policy; staff and faculty collective agreements; FOIPP; etc).