Salary: $29.75 - $31.25 per hour to start, based on experience and education.

Who We Are:

arc programs exists to create thriving communities, free of systemic barriers and full of belonging, equity, and hope. We have a bold vision to ensure everyone in our communities feels connected and cared for, and we are excited to be expanding our team to help us accelerate our impact!

We're Hiring!

We are now accepting applications for a Child, Youth and Family Counsellor to join our West Kootenay team.

This position combines two roles: a permanent part-time position with the Permanency Support Program, and a temporary part-time position with the Kootenay Wrap-Around Support (K-Wrap) Program.

The Permanency Support Program provides individual and / or family counselling, behavioural support and education to caregivers such as adoptive parents, family members or other individuals raising a child or youth out-of-care, to increase their capacity, resilience and connection with community.

The K-Wrap Program provides comprehensive support services to reduce the risk of placement disruption for youth in care. This program helps develop the capacity of family-based caregivers to provide ongoing, supportive foster care.

The primary focus of both programs is to develop the resiliency and capacity of parents and caregivers to meet their children / youth's needs, to provide effective care on an ongoing basis, to avoid family breakdown, and to build healthy attachments and positive relationships.

Please note that this position is based out of the Castlegar office, and requires extensive travel throughout the West Kootenay service area.

Hours / Schedule:

The successful applicant will work a combined total of 32-hours per week until the return of the K-Wrap program incumbent.

The hours are allocated as follows:

• Permanency Support Program: Part-time, permanent position, 21.5-hours per week.
• K-Wrap Program: Part-time, temporary position, 10.5 hours per week, until the return of the incumbent.

Upon the return of the K-Warp incumbent, the position will transition to a total of 21.5 hours per week. Depending on agency needs, there may be an opportunity to increase hours if desired by the successful applicant.

Responsibilities:

The Child, Youth and Family Counsellor will:

• Develop and maintain family-centered partnerships with parents, community professionals and others.
• Help caregivers to understand the strengths, needs, abilities and preferences of their child / youth; and make recommendations / create goals relevant to the child / youths individual needs and capabilities.
• Empower caregivers, and celebrate parenting achievements.
• Create or increase natural support networks for the child / youth in their community.
• Provide practical supports and adaptations required to stabilize families through times of transition or stress.
• Apply a trauma-informed practice lens, and attachment theory to increase the caregiver's knowledge and understanding of the dynamics with their child / youth in the context of past interaction patterns.
• Improve caregiver and child / youth or sibling interactions to decrease conflict in the home.
• Act as a resource to families and the community on adoptive and out-of-care support, and child / youth related issues.
• Develop and facilitate support groups for adoptive parents / caregivers to enhance connections, provide education and promote skill development.
• Provide crisis-management and critical incident debriefing to caregivers as required, including after-hours support.
• Facilitate caregiver, child and / or youth connections with relevant community services, and address barriers to accessing supports.
• Model and assist caregivers to work collaboratively with members of their child / youth's care team.
• Attend appointments as requested, and coordinate transportation as required.
• Participate in integrated case management and planning meetings.
• Implement and maintain required case management and clinical records.

Preferred Education and Experience:

A degree in a relevant discipline (BSW / BA-Child and Youth Care / BA – Psychology) and a minimum of 2-years relevant experience is required.

Relevant experience includes:

• Previous employment in a child, youth or family counselling position.
• Experience working in family and / or alternative family environments.
• Experience in / knowledge of the Extended Family Program and / or out-of-care kinship placements.

To be successful in your role, you'll also need:

• To provide services with an anti-oppressive, trauma informed lens.
• A strong knowledge of strengths-based family systems and attachment-based support.
• To understand issues experienced by caregivers and children / youth in out-of-care placements.
• The ability to establish trusting relationships with children, youth, and families.
• Well-developed mediation and conflict resolution skills.
• Experience working as a part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• To demonstrate excellent interpersonal and verbal / written communication skills.
• To be detail-oriented, organized and efficient.
• To be skilled at managing multiple concurrent projects, assignments and tasks requested from multiple sources.
• The ability to function independently, and frequently under pressure.

Other Requirements:

Given the nature of our work, please note that all shortlisted candidates:

• Need a valid BC Driver's License, regional insurance, and a reliable personal vehicle.
• Must undergo a screening process, including a criminal record search.

Wage / Benefits:

$29.75 - $31.25 per hour to start, based on experience and education.

Upon successful completion of a trial period, this position is eligible for a full benefit package (including dental plan, vision coverage, life insurance, extended medical coverage, long-term disability plan, and RRSP or TFSA contributions); as well as accrued vacation and sick time at 5.8% - above BC Employment Standards!

Why we're an employer of choice!

Like most in the social services sector, arc programs is an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and ensure everyone on the team demonstrates cultural safety and sensitivity of all populations we serve.

But we believe there's more to our work culture that promotes high levels of employee satisfaction and retention…

We are inclusive.

We use an anti-oppressive lens to inform our work with folx of all cultures, races, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socio-economic status, religions, and other oppressions to enhance our approach to equality.

We are ever-evolving.

We recruit and retain highly skilled staff and support their development through training, education, research, best practices, and innovation.

We foster a culture of continuous learning, utilizing a two-eyed seeing approach – incorporating the strengths of western knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge: ways of knowing, doing and being – while engaging meaningfully with the provincial community social services sector, Indigenous communities, and agencies.

Discover more about our agency services and work culture at arcprograms.com.

If you feel a connection to our values and work, we'd love to hear from you!

Click the “Apply for This Job” Button.

We appreciate your interest, but kindly note that due to the high number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

We acknowledge that arc programs is situated in the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Syilx peoples in the Okanagan and the Secwe̓pemc, Ktunaxa and Sinixt people in the West Kootenay region. We also acknowledge the Métis and Inuit peoples who reside on the various traditional territories across BC.