Residence Student Support Specialist

Job Responsibility:

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35 Salary Grade: 15

Please note, this is a temporary contract role with an end date of April 30, 2025.

Secondments are Welcome

Click here for more details on secondment opportunities.

About Western

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

About Us

The Division of Housing and Ancillary Services is committed to providing a first-class residence experience for over 5,300 Western students while supporting the academic mission of the University and ensuring profitability and cost effectiveness of divisional operations. We provide thriving residence communities which engage our diverse student population.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Associate Director, Residence Counselling and working collaboratively with campus and community partners, the Residence Student Support Specialist provides responsive mental health support for the residence community through the assessment and management of complex and critical student needs and where risk is present as a result of psychosocial issues. The Residence Student Support Specialist will utilize case management methodology, appropriate intervention strategies and emergency protocols with the ability to coordinate multiple services as required. As a member of the team the Residence Student Support Specialist contributes to the development and implementation of new student support programs and educational initiatives, working collaboratively with campus partners to promote initiatives that increase mental health support for students living in residence. The Residence Student Support Specialist will evaluate existing processes, programs and services as part of the continuous improvement of student support within the residence community.

Qualifications

Education:

• Undergraduate degree: Social Work, Education, Health Care, Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences
• Specialization/Certification in Case Management is preferred
• Master's degree focused in Counselling, Social Services, Child & Youth Services or College Diploma focused in case management, Child and Youth Services preferred

Experience:

• 3 years' experience providing support to individuals in distress
• Demonstrated knowledge and competence in Case Management frameworks and practice
• 3 years' experience working in a post-secondary setting providing case management support to students is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge and proven skills to work with the adolescent and young adult population and associated theoretical frameworks including case management & student development theory
• Excellent assessment skills combined with skill in identifying need for further health and safety assessments in students
• Ability to apply active listening to hear and understand the complete message being communicated
• Excellent evaluation skills with strong experience in best practices and reporting
• Strong written communication skills and case management record keeping
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse student environment
• Proven ability to effectively establish rapport and interact professionally with students, campus and community partners
• Demonstrated knowledge of community resources, excellent organizational and time management skills and the ability to assess priorities and work independently to meet required deadlines with conflicting demands and changing priorities
• Interpersonal skills to seek out and build relationships with campus partners and other stakeholders to improve service delivery
• Competency to maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive information with discretion
• Ability to negotiate complex situations in a calm and persuasive manner
• Ability to perceive and understand the emotions of others and interact with them appropriately based on those emotions
• High level of integrity and trust, tact and diplomacy
• Well-defined sense of judgement and crisis management with the ability to make ethical decisions based on honesty, integrity, and objectivity
• Strong oral communication skills with the ability to deliver engaging and informative presentations that clearly explain information to audiences using appropriate communication channels
• Intermediate computer skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Flexibility of working hours - may be required after hours or on weekends to provide assistance for serious or high risk cases which arise outside of regular working hours

Background Checks

Please note, successful applicants may be required to produce current vulnerable sector check(s) from a police service prior to commencing employment.

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone View phone number on ca.edajobs.com.

Please Note:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.