Social Worker

Social Worker Job Description

Position Details

Job Title: Social Worker

Job Location: Niagara Region & Virtual

Reports to: Clinical Lead

Employment Type: 28hrs/week, 12 Month Contract

Salary: $40,000

Position Overview

Recognizing, and empathetic to the unique needs of caregiving families, the Social Worker provides counselling and support services to young caregivers and their family members. These services are delivered predominantly in-office, by phone or virtual platform, in the community, or at the client’s home. The Social Worker uses a variety of clinical approaches, intervention strategies and treatment modalities in group settings and in one-on-one sessions tailored to client needs. The Social Worker engages with the community by cultivating relationships on community committees and providing referrals to partner organizations. All Social Workers at Young Caregivers work in partnership to manage caseload, collaborate on treatment approaches and meet funder-based service delivery targets. The Social Worker must be flexible and willing to work according to client and program needs which includes days, evenings and weekends throughout the calendar year.

Minimum Requirement Preferred Requirement

Education Level: Bachelor of Social Worker (BSW)

Years of Experience: Entry Level

Certification(s): Current First Aid & CPR certification.

Training: Trauma Informed Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Preferred)

Police Check: Up-to-date Police clearance, including vulnerable sector dated within six months.

Driver’s License: Valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle required.

Responsibilities

Counseling Services & Program Facilitation

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical counselling services to young caregivers and their families.
• Use a variety of treatment modalities (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, solutions focused therapy, or motivational interviewing) to work with clients to achieve the treatment goals.
• Refer clients to community supports as required; discuss need for referral with the family, submit referral paperwork and provide reference information to the referral agency as required.
• Transport clients to counseling meetings or group programs in personal vehicle.
• Engage with clinical supervisor for clinical guidance and to discuss approaches to cases.
• Facilitate specialized group education programs and support groups for young caregivers and their families.
• Set up and clean up program space when conducting group programs with a high degree of respect toward shared community spaces.

Treatment Planning

Responsibilities

• Develop treatment plans for clients that outline goals to address client needs and strategies to meet those goals.
• Prepare treatment materials for sessions including the selection of appropriate worksheets or workbooks, shopping for supplies and preparing supplies for individual and group sessions.
• Adapt clinical approach to client needs and preferences.
• Communicate treatment plans and technical language to clients ranging in age from young children to adults.

Student Supervision

Responsibilities

• Supervise social work students during program placements at Young Caregivers and manage students’ workload by delegating tasks and assigning duties.
• Conduct performance reviews and provide feedback to students in a constructive way that helps to build their social work skills.
• Communicate with program staff to obtain performance feedback when students participate in Powerhouse programs.
• Oversee special projects that students are working on.
• Provide student with experience shadowing counselling sessions as clients permit.

Strategic Development Time:

Responsibilities

• Enter case notes into database within 24-48 hours of counselling session.
• Accurately enter data into statistics database and excel spreadsheets on a weekly basis.
• Accurately complete all position related impact reports and submit directly to the clinical lead on a quarterly basis.
• Track and submit receipts and expense forms for mileage, program funds and training budgets and ensure that money spent does not exceed budgeted amount on monthly basis.

Virtual Service Delivery

Responsibilities

• Design, plan and facilitate clinical groups and sessions virtually.
• Prepare counseling care kits and deliver to client homes so that clients have the materials they need to participate in virtual programming.

Internal Collaboration and Community Engagement

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with other Young Caregiver and Family Counsellor(s) to balance workload of cases, share counselling techniques, discuss service ideas and confer about clinical approaches to client cases.
• Participate in monthly staff meetings.
• Participate in continuing education activities and assist in the in-service training of other employees.
• Present community-based workshops, webinars, etc. to enhance the awareness around young caregivers within Canada (as required).

Health and Safety Time

Responsibilities

• Maintain personal safety while working in the community and client homes. Check in with supervisor at predetermined intervals when working in the field.
• Maintain a safe, organized and clean personal workspace both at the office and off-site.
• Know and follow all emergency protocols at all locations, including location of First Aid Kits, emergency contacts, emergency exits, fire extinguishers and potential risks.
• Ensure the safe and appropriate use of all equipment and facilities.
• Be familiar with legislation, policies and procedures related to the organization and job requirements.
• Ensure health and safety of all program elements including the venue and member participation. Be informed of participant whereabouts throughout the program.
• Assist with the completion of any safety or incident reports for situations that arise during any program.

Skills and Knowledge

• Adaptable to work in an unstructured work environment that is always changing based on the medical fragility of client families and as the organization pivots to respond to the needs of the young caregivers’ community.
• Ability to work independently and alone in the community and in client homes.
• Clinical knowledge of counseling approaches, intervention techniques and treatment modalities in group and individual settings.
• Problem solving skills and creativity to be able to adapt delivery services to client needs and change services if client treatment goals are not being met.
• Group facilitation skills to deliver small group programs aimed at developing specific skills (ex. Coping with anxiety or grief).
• Public speaking skills and ability to tailor program content to all participants within a group so that each client has a good learning outcome.
• Confidence to make decisions independently and ability to make clinical judgement calls in the best interest of clients.
• Communication skills with ability to tailor message to different audiences. Awareness to be sensitive to the impact of language; selects appropriate vocabulary for each family situation.
• Organization skills to prioritize shifting priorities, to be prepared and on time for client meetings and group programs while keeping up with administrative tasks.
• Cultural sensitivity and non-judgmental approach to interacting with families experience complex situations.
• Ability to work in a non-profit environment and meet service delivery targets as outlined by funding partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite of applications

Job Posting Details

Date Opened November 25, 2024

Hiring Manager Alicia Pinelli, Clinical Team Lead & Chrissy Sadowski, Interim Executive Director

AODA Statement

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process, if you require a specific accommodation, please let us know.