Counsellor, Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST)
Direct Service - (OPSEU)
Full-Time, Contract (Ending: June 1, 2026)
London, Ontario (London Zone)
- Application Deadline: March 23, 2025 -

Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) will support individuals accessing services by providing a psychosocial response in order to promote crisis resolution and empowerment for the individual. COAST staff will also work collaboratively with individuals to assess and identify their needs and link them to appropriate supports in the community.
The Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) is a partnership between CMHA Middlesex, the London Police Services (LPS), St. Joseph's Health Care (SJHC), and the Middlesex London Paramedic Services (MLPS) which provides a collaborative community crisis response strategy for clients experiencing mental health crisis.

Consider revitalizing your career and making a difference in your community by joining our team!

Successful candidates must have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed in the last six months. Interested applicants who reside in the City of London and are in need of a Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) are encouraged to apply for one as soon as possible as PVSCs in the City of London are currently taking approximately 3 weeks to be processed and offers of employment cannot be made without receipt of a PVSC.

WHAT WE'RE OFFERING:

• What you'll be making - Starting rate for this role is $26.74 per hour (Level 1 – Direct Service), with a wage differential, based on regulation ($29.57 per hour for Level 1 – Direct Service, Regulated):
  • Successful candidates who are registered with one of the designated professional colleges (e.g. OCSWSSW, CNO, COTO, CRPO, CPSO, or CPO) will receive the wage differential for regulation
  • Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8 ($33.90 per hour for non-regulated, and $36.71 per hour for regulated)
  • For internal applicants, grid level placement will occur as per the Collective Agreement
• When you'll work – 70 hours bi-weekly; Rotating, days, afternoons and evenings, including weekends
• What your benefits will be - 9% in lieu of benefits
• Your pension plan - Immediately eligible for optional enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)

HOW YOU WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

• Complete mental health and addiction assessments based on theory of crisis management including rapid response to identify:
  • the impact of psychiatric symptoms on functioning,
  • risk factors related to safety of client and others
  • opportunities for de-escalation and stabilization
• Support a community led, therapeutic response – reducing law enforcement/justice response – leading to overall better outcomes for clients living with mental illness and/or experiencing crisis
• Work directly alongside LPS constables
• Provide short-term follow-up to bridge the gap from referral to engagement with a longer-term support service as needed
• Outreach- engage in regular and routine interactions with clients living in the community with serious mental health issues, clients who are in frequent crisis, and clients who are at risk of crisis
• Coordinate and facilitate referrals to internal and external services and supports
• Advocate as necessary in order to facilitate access to services and supports with the objective of remediating immediate crisis situation
• Engage emergency services when it is determined that additional intervention is required
• Work collaboratively with the client in preventing unnecessary apprehension or hospitalization by providing alternative solutions and ensuring the most appropriate response is provided to the client experiencing a high-risk mental health crisis
• Facilitate access to secondary healthcare services where voluntarily agreed-to by a client as part of an intervention or upon enforcement under the Mental Health Act; liaising directly with health professionals at hospital to ease the transition from police custody to acute mental health care
• Assess barriers to successful community living (e.g. treatment options, transportation, finances, etc.)
• Obtain information, as needed, from other relevant sources
• Interact and provide support and assessment in a nonjudgmental fashion and provide care that demonstrates sensitivity to individual diversity (e.g. culture, race, age, sexual orientation, gender, beliefs and values).
• Support the individual in developing skills for self-advocacy to learn new behaviours and develop coping skills fostering healthy interdependence through limit setting.

• Provide short-term, psychotherapeutic intervention to assist individuals in gaining insight and improving coping skills within the framework of the crisis model
• Perform in a calm, competent and efficient manner in an emergency situation acknowledging the individual's need for privacy and dignity
• Utilize harm reduction principles to identify, reduce and remove risk factors

• Refer individuals for additional assessments as is determined to be necessary and/or appropriate
• Assist the individual to identify and connect with personal/natural supports
• Provide follow-up support and/or check ins to bridge the gap from referral to engagement with a longer-term support service as appropriate

• Demonstrate knowledge of community resources and its place within the mental health and addiction care system
• Assist in building positive working relationships across the service system including CMHA and hospital
• Participate in public education and advocacy
• When appropriate, act as liaison with caregivers and/or service and support providers who are involved with the individual to facilitate a coordinated approach to service provision
• Provide health teaching and information regarding coping techniques and strategies, e.g. grounding, breathing techniques, self-care, nutrition, sleep hygiene, techniques to enhance overall well-being.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO APPLY:

Police Vulnerable Sector Check Requirements

Successful candidates must have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed in the last six months. Interested applicants who reside in the City of London and are in need of a Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) are encouraged to apply for one as soon as possible as PVSCs in the City of London are currently taking approximately 3 weeks to be processed and offers of employment cannot be made without receipt of a PVSC.

We Require the Following Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in a relevant field of study e.g. social work, psychology, or a related discipline (Primary proof of credentials will be required during the hiring process, i.e. original degree/diploma/certificate or official transcript)
• Valid Driver's License, adequate insurance and access to a vehicle to carry out job duties
• Ability to attend work regularly

We Prefer the Following Qualifications:

• Registration with a professional college (i.e. OCSWSSW, CNO, CRPO, CPSO, COTO, CPO)
• Experience with, and detailed knowledge of, mild, moderate & serious mental illnesses, usually gained by several years of working with this population
• Basic computer skills
• Knowledge of and experience working with individuals with a serious mental illness and/or addiction in a community setting
• Knowledge of community resources in London
• Training in crisis intervention and resolution including ASIST and First Aid/CPR
• Bilingual both official languages, preferred; préférence sera accordée aux candidats qui sont compétents dans les deux langues officielles du Canada

INTERNAL APPLICANTS: To be considered as an internal applicant, current staff members are reminded to apply using their @cmhatv.ca or @slwar.ca email address.

Get your application in by – March 23, 2025-

Our recruitment process allows us to learn about your previous work experience, your qualifications and your commitment to fulfilling our vision. While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, only those individuals being considered for a position will be personally contacted by someone from the interview team.

We welcome and encourage applications from all members of our community including persons of any gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons, and members of visible minorities. If you require accommodations related to a disability at any point during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]

Powered by JazzHR

ptbemjOnDi