The Position:

We are seeking to hire a full-time senior clinician as we expand our operations in community based mental health service delivery. Reporting directly to the Executive Director and Clinic Manager, you will:

Offer direct therapy, assessment, and case management services

Write forensic and other treatment reports

Participate in regular training and supervision opportunities

Attend and present at meetings in various settings to satisfy our public education and collaboration priorities

Contribute to public education and advocacy efforts as directed

Some additional considerations for the role:

Our services are offered in hybrid format, and clinicians must be available for in-person services at the clinic and online or telephone services Monday-Friday, 8 hours per day.

Some of our group services require therapists to work occasional evenings.

Some of our services occasionally require clinicians to attend in-person at locations in the communities served.

Our clinic is on Quinpool Road in Halifax in a secure, publicly accessible building.

This role is ideal for someone with a passion for serving marginalized groups and working toward systems change.

The clinic is fundamentally in opposition with the commercialization and privatization of mental health services. We are seeking clinicians to follow in this spirit.

The Clinic:

The Peoples' Counselling Clinic is a registered non-profit, community based, pro-bono mental health clinic that provides direct services and public education focused on issues of trauma, race, sex and gender. We work with under-served populations including victims and perpetrators of sexual and intimate partner violence using a forensic mental health approach to practice. We have partnered with various justice and community agencies to offer assessment, counselling, and case management services to people of all genders and races, although our focus has been on male-identified individuals.

Services are delivered by counselling professionals and students in a professional, supervised environment. Priority clients of the clinic are hard to serve, multi-problemed, often street affected individuals whose needs are currently being inadequately met by other systems and programmes. As a low-barrier, culturally competent and queer friendly space, the Clinic often provides services to racialized, queer, and marginalized clients.

We offer counselling services in a wide range of areas, including: Trauma, including complex trauma stemming from severe abuse, neglect, racial violence, and other adverse childhood experiences; Patterns of abuse in relationships, including counselling for people involved in criminal Justice processes; Family of origin, attachment, and development; Sexual behaviour problems. We provide a confidential, supportive and safe space to help people heal and grow.

The clinic's links to public safety considerations are several: We employ and train forensic clinicians to work in the context of the intersection of law and mental health; our staff are experts in sexual and domestic violence; we regularly consult and train in prevention of crime and treatment of the harm caused by criminal behaviour.

The programs we offer include:

ManTalk, group therapy for male-identified victims of sexual abuse

Inside Out, group therapy for male-identified individuals who are at risk of harming others in various ways

Free counselling clinic, a low-barrier mental health clinic focused on various issues

Forensic assessment and treatment services, offered to various community partners when requested (including Child Welfare, The Halifax Refugee Clinic, Family and Criminal Courts)

Focused programming offered to Black community members and agencies serving people of African descent

Wellness groups and individual therapy for Halifax Domestic Violence Court Programme participants

Education and Skills:

Master of Social Work; Master of, or PhD in Psychology (accredited); Master of Counselling Psychology or Master of Education in Counselling with significant clinical work experience considered.

Registered with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (Clinical Specialist designation preferred), Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology, or Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists.

Minimum 5 years direct practice experience in paid clinical roles offering therapy, case management, and other services.

Demonstrated application of Anti-Oppressive Practice, Eco-structural, or comparable framework and related theories to clinical cases.

Knowledge of psychodynamics and related approaches to therapy.

Working knowledge of DSM-5 diagnostic categories and criteria, including familiarity with Cultural Formulation Interviews.

Working knowledge of legislation related to child welfare, mental health, criminal and family courts.

Familiarity with mental health and addictions treatment sectors.

Familiarity with intimate partner and sexual violence service delivery sectors.

Familiarity with child welfare service delivery sector.

Competency in providing trauma specific therapy.

Competency in health record keeping.

Competency in completing bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessments.

Knowledge of principles of forensic clinical practice.

Knowledge of critical clinical praxis.

Knowledge of principles of trauma informed practice.

Ability to use standard office software packages, online scheduling and data entry tools (training will be provided).

Pay and Benefits:

$79,040.00 yearly starting salary, 40 hours/week

3 weeks paid vacation yearly to be scheduled by employee

2 week paid clinic closures scheduled twice yearly by employer to promote staff wellness

Health and Dental benefits

RRSP matching programme

Parental leave top-up at 15% of salary for 15 weeks

Flexible paid sick and personal time off

Free parking

How to apply:

Please send a resume, cover letter, and academic writing sample to the Executive Director, James Dubé at [email protected]. We will conduct interviews at our Quinpool road location with a selection of candidates.