Addiction/Mental Health Counsellor

At House of Friendship we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We live and breathe our values of Compassion Inclusion Justice Dignity and Hope. This role is part of the Concurrent Supportive Housing (CSH) team located at ShelterCare in the Health Initiatives program.

The ShelterCare Model is designed to integrate health and housing resources to address the complex and overlapping needs of men experiencing housing instability in our region. This program supports individuals in improving their health wellness and life skills with the goal of securing appropriate permanent housing and minimizing the duration of their homelessness. The Health Initiative program specifically focuses on all health-related programming including on-site primary care provided in partnership with community health clinics and specialized providers as well as clinical counselling and mental health interventions delivered by registered mental health professionals. The program also offers harm reduction supports tailored to meet individuals where they are in their recovery journey and strengths-based case management is provided through a multidisciplinary team with a focus on client-defined goals and coordinated Addiction Counsellor will provide both group and individual addiction counselling as well as case management to program participants.

** This is a 1 year contract position from approximately mid-December 2025 to mid-December 2026. This is a full-time position offering 37.5 paid hours per week. Schedule generally Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Some flexibility is required including one (1) evening shift per week. Develop and implement evidence-based programming including creating and promoting specialized workshops that address the needs of the community
Individual and group counselling delivered both in person and virtually using an eclectic therapeutic approach
Case management including case consultation treatment planning and working collaboratively with external and internal partners
Assess complex situations and make appropriate decisions independently and as part of a team including crisis intervention risk assessment and safety planning
Complete documentation and data entry in accordance with agency and legislative requirements
Maintain confidentiality in compliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
Work as part of a team including attending the team meetings trainings and regular supervision meetings
Support onboarding and training of new team members
Commitment to ongoing professional development and training

Commitment to stage matched strengths based person-centred quality psychotherapy services
Knowledge of and training in substance use including associated health risks
Knowledge of community resources and provincial addiction treatment services
Demonstrated capacity for accurate and efficient documentation and computer data entry
Experience working within a non-profit and/or social services environment
Commitment to work with and support training of students volunteers and new employees as required
Commitment to ongoing professional development and training
University Degree in Counselling Social Work or a Related Field of Study
Professional registration in good standing as either a Social Worker or Social Services Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) or a Psychotherapist (including qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Minimum 1 year experience in an addiction and/or counselling setting
Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected
Exemplary emotional intelligence resilience communication conflict management and problem solving skills required
Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff participants and community members
Must be dependable professional flexible a team player and have a positive attitude
Respectful supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities addictions mental illness and other life challenges
Excellent project timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics planning and detailed record keeping

At House of Friendship we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the support of our mission and in alignment with our values House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair market competitive and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive succeed and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network . Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year

~ Employee & Family Assistance Program

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of grades and we base our payment structure on internal determining rate of pay a candidates past related experience will be taken into consideration.

1 year contract 37.5 hours per week

• Required to assess situations and make decisions under pressure with minimal supervision or working alone
• Some group facilitation at community locations
• Required to meet with participants in their homes and in the community for some programs
• Travel within Waterloo Region and Wellington County required for some programs
• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

House of Friendship supports justice equity diversity and inclusion in our workplace. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team and therefore our community can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including but not limited to Indigenous Peoples members of racialized groups persons with disabilities women and members of the 2SLGBTQIA community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process including applying for this position please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community lets talk.