Counsellor - Crisis and Referral Centre

About the position

Duties
📝You will have to:

- Answer phone calls and chats, assess the nature of the calls and messages, assess the urgency and eligibility of the person, respond to the client's primary concern.
- If necessary, provide immediate psychological support to the client.
- Assess the client's needs and conduct a risk assessment for referral to a network of mental health professionals.
- Provide information and expert advice on programs to assist the client in making an informed decision and wise choices.
- Provide effective case management.🔎Are you the right person for the job?You must have a high degree of empathy, good listening skills and respect for diversity. As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you must enjoy working independently and as part of a team. On a day-to-day basis, you must exercise good judgment and be reliable. As the first point of contact for our diverse client base, you must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be able to manage the stress of providing advice and guidance under tight deadlines. You will need to manage new requests in a number of contexts, so you will need to be able to assess risk and judge when a situation should be escalated. You will also be required to assess crisis situations and use crisis intervention techniques to defuse tense situations.👉Interested in learning more about this opportunity? Know someone who would be perfect for the position? Share the job or click on the link to apply online!

Work environment
👥 EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Health Canada is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce that comprises individuals who have an array of identities, abilities, background, culture, skills, perspectives, and experiences that are representative of Canada’s current and evolving population. We are passionate about fostering a workplace where all people feel welcome, can reach their full potential, and contribute their unique perspectives and experience to the success of the team.

🗣️ BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law.Health Canada is committed to increasing representation of Black employees and other racialized groups, Indigenous People, women and persons with disabilities. We would like our workforce to be reflective of the population we serve.Therefore, we encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a member of one of these groups.Health Canada welcomes applications from Veterans. We recognize your contribution to Canadians and would like to offer you the opportunity to continue your career in an environment where multi-talented employees with diverse skills are appreciated and supported.

Intent of the process
🎯This Expression of Interest is aimed to create and maintain an inventory within the Specialized Health Services Directorate to staff future temporary vacancies (including terms, actings, casuals, assignments and secondments) in similar-level positions.

📌We will review applications received on a regular basis and contact applicants who meet the below essential criteria for further assessment based on the needs. Please note that candidates will only be assessed once, and re-applications to the inventory will not be considered.

Important messages
When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.
📋 Application Process – How to Apply
🔎 Instructions
• Answer the online questions by demonstrating that you meet all the requirements (education and experience):
○ Provide specific and concrete examples
○ Include:
✦ The time period (“month-year” to “month-year”)
✦ The context
✦ What you did and how you did it
✦ Your role
✦ The results achieved
• Focus on your personal contributions. If the experience was gained in a team setting, describe your specific role.

✅ Assessment
Various assessment methods may be used:
• Interview
• Written test
• Portfolio of achievements
• Performance evaluations
• Reference checks❗ Important Information
• Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.
• No acknowledgment of receipt will be sent.
• All communication will be sent by email. Please ensure:
○ Your email address is valid and functional
○ You accept messages from unknown senders
• You have the right to participate in the process in the official language of your choice (English or French). Indicate your preference in your application.
• Incomplete or missing information will not be requested after submission.📅 Rescheduling of Tests or Interviews
Rescheduling will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (with supporting documentation):
• Medical reasons (doctor’s certificate required)
• Pre-planned travel
• Pre-scheduled interview or test for another Government of Canada staffing process
• Pre-planned vacation
• Death in the family
• Other exceptional reason deemed acceptable by the selection board (e.g., jury duty)📧 Communication
• Provide a valid and functional email address.
• Check your inbox regularly to avoid missing important messages.🛠 Technical Support
If you require technical assistance during the application process, please contact:
emplois.gc.ca – Contact Centre⏳ Deadlines and Submission
• It is your responsibility to submit your application correctly before the deadline.
• No applications will be accepted after the closing date.
• All applications must be submitted online through the GC Jobs system.
• Do not send your application by email, fax, or regular mail. It will not be accepted.⚠️Very Important Notice
• The GC Jobs system will time out after 60 minutes, which may result in data loss.
• Tip: Prepare your responses in a separate document (e.g., MS Word), then copy and paste them into the system.
• Health Canada is not responsible for technical issues that may result in incomplete or unsent applications.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Learn more about security screening process.

Conditions of Employment:
• Willingness and ability to obtain a membership from of a professional association of counsellors, psychologists or social workers.
• Willingness and ability to work any of the rotational day shifts: 7:30-15:30, 8:00-16:00, 8:30-16:30, 9:00-17:00, 10:00-18:00,11:00- 19:00, 12:00-20:00.

Operational Requirements

📋OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Willingness and ability to work overtime occasionally.

You need (essential for the job)

Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following

🎓EDUCATION:
• Master's degree from a recognized university in counselling, social work, psychology, sociology or
another discipline relevant to work of the position.

Learn more about degree equivalency.

💼 EXPERIENCE:
• Experience in psycho-social assessment, counselling and crisis intervention.
• Experience in client case management.
• Experience in building and maintaining effective working relationship with clients, Mental Health and other Professional counsellors.
• Experience working with a diverse clientele.

Applied / assessed at a later date

📝ABILITES:
• Ability to handle stress while making important decisions within short timeliness.
• Ability to employ crisis intervention techniques in defusing potentially volatile situations.
• Ability to employ and manage Critical Incident Stress Management and trauma debriefing techniques.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, including through telephone and chats.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to evaluate risks.

🌟PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
• Thoroughness
• Dependability
• Respectful of diversity
• Judgement
• Strong empathy and listening skills

Language requirements (essential for the job)

Applied / assessed at a later date

Various language requirements - Various language requirements
Language Proficiency:
Bilingual imperative CBC/CBC, CCC/CCC, BBB/BBB

Learn more about language requirements.

You may need (asset qualifications)

May be applied / assessed at a later date

📜ASSET TRAINING:
• Training in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).

Learn more about degree equivalency.

💼 ASSET EXPERIENCE:
• Experience in working within an Employee Assistance Program model.
• Experience in telephone and chat counselling.

❗Organizational Needs:
- This position requires a physical presence in Ottawa, Ontario.

Our commitment

We're committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Learn more about assessment accommodation.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply.

Learn more about diversity and inclusion in the public service.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

Learn more about preference to veterans.

How to apply

Learn more about applying for Government of Canada jobs.

Information you must provide

• Your résumé

We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Hiring organization contact

Name: SHSD Inventories
Email address: [email protected]

Apply