MSW Counsellor

Our client is a dynamic not-for-profit organization, dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families by delivering compassionate, responsive mental health services. They provide a full continuum of services, including counseling, prevention and well-being programs, short-term live-in treatment, crisis stabilization, youth justice services, and special needs programming. Our client's focus on coordinated access ensures that every child and youth aged 0-17 receives tailored, multi-disciplinary care to meet their unique needs. They are looking for passionate people to join their vision and mission!

Are you passionate about contributing to meaningful change?

The Pod Group is partnering with this amazing organization to place a resourceful, compassionate, and skilled individual to fulfill the role of a MSW Counsellor in their Live-In Treatment (LIT) program.

WHY YOUR ROLE MATTERS🔍

The MSW Counsellor is a core clinical member of the Live-In Treatment (LIT) team, providing assessment, therapeutic intervention, and intensive family-based treatment to youth presenting with complex and high-acuity mental health needs. Youth served within LIT may present with significant emotional dysregulation, trauma histories, suicidality, self-harm, attachment disruptions, and behavioural escalation.

A central component of this role is intensive family engagement and discharge-focused intervention. The MSW Counsellor works collaboratively with youth, caregivers, Child & Youth Workers, psychiatry, psychology, hospital teams, child welfare, and community partners to ensure safe stabilization and sustainable reintegration into home, school, and community environments.

This is a rewarding opportunity to be part of a dedicated team making a real difference in the community. If you are a compassionate, motivated, and organized professional looking for purpose-driven work, we want to hear from you.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT🎯

Assessment

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial and risk assessments.
• Develop trauma-informed clinical formulations to guide individualized treatment planning.
• Complete and review Plans of Care consistent with Ministry of Health requirements.
• Conduct suicide and safety risk assessments and contribute to safety planning as required.

Therapeutic Services

• Provide evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group therapy.
• Deliver structured caregiver coaching and family therapy to support stabilization and reintegration.
• Utilize evidence-informed approaches such as TF-CBT, attachment-based models, DDP-informed practice, DBT-informed strategies, Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), and strength-based interventions.
• Support therapeutic integration of treatment goals within the residential milieu.

Crisis Intervention

• Effectively respond to crises using de-escalation, emotional regulation, and safety planning strategies.
• Support residential staff during high-risk situations and participate in post-incident debriefing.
• Contribute to Serious Occurrence Reporting and clinical risk documentation as required.

Family Systems Intervention

• Engage caregivers who may be overwhelmed, ambivalent, or experiencing high levels of conflict.
• Support families in developing consistent behavioural strategies aligned with clinical formulations.
• Lead structured discharge planning focused on relapse prevention, safety, and sustainable reintegration.
• Collaborate with child welfare and community providers where applicable

Milieu Integration & Clinical Consultation

• Provide clinical consultation and guidance to Child & Youth Workers to ensure alignment between clinical goals and daily programming.
• Translate clinical formulations into practical behavioural strategies within the 24-hour care environment.
• Participate in case conferences, system planning meetings, and discharge coordination.

Skill Development

• Facilitate skills-building groups and coping strategies to support emotional regulation, social skills, distress tolerance, and resilience.
• Prepare youth and families for successful reintegration into home, school, and community environments.

Support & Advocacy

• Help youth and families navigate healthcare, education, and community systems.
• Advocate for client rights and equitable access to services.

Documentation & Quality

• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in EMHware, including assessments, progress notes, treatment plans, and discharge summaries.
• Ensure compliance with Ministry of Health standards, agency policies, and professional regulatory requirements.
• Participate in outcome measurement and quality improvement initiatives.
• Provide therapeutic summaries and warm handovers to external service providers when transitioning care.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING🎓

• Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) is required.
• Registration in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
• Minimum 3 years post-MSW clinical experience working with youth and families experiencing complex or high-acuity mental health challenges.
• Experience in live-in, residential, inpatient, crisis, or intensive treatment settings preferred.
• Demonstrated experience delivering family therapy in high-conflict or high-risk situations.
• Demonstrated experience in trauma-informed, attachment-based, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
• Strong suicide risk assessment and safety planning skills.
• Experience working with trauma, attachment disruptions, emotional dysregulation, and behavioural escalation.
• Ability to engage resistant or ambivalent caregivers.
• Confidence leading case conferences and interagency coordination.
• Excellent judgement under pressure.
• Flexible work hours are required.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EDIB

The success of an organization stems from a team that is aligned with its mission and vision, where decisions are made in the best interests of the clients they serve and the marginalized and vulnerable populations across our communities. Through this effort, all team members embrace their roles in the organization with respect and dignity for all stakeholders. Through these partnerships, everyone is focused on ensuring a commitment and responsibility toward anti-racism, anti-oppression, equity, diversity, inclusivity, and belonging.

OUR PARTNERSHIP - THE POD GROUP

The Pod Group (PG) connects candidates with amazing career opportunities in Ontario! We collaborate extensively with not-for-profit and community-based organizations, including health, social services, developmental, housing, mental health, and community health care.

We promote a unique candidate experience that integrates equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in our engagement with candidates. Our recruitment strategy focuses on learning more about your career goals and aligning your passion with mission-driven work.

We thank you for your interest in applying!

Unionized Salary Range: $38.36 to $46.94 CAD Hourly

Vacancy: Current Opening