Clinician, Crisis and Outreach

Full-Time, Contract (Ending: March 31, 2027)

Crisis Clinicians will support individuals accessing services by providing a psychosocial response in order to promote crisis resolution and empowerment for the individual. The Crisis Clinician will also work collaboratively with individuals to assess and identify their needs and link them to appropriate supports in the community.

Crisis Clinicians work within a multi-disciplinary team framework throughout Oxford County.

Crisis Assessment and Counselling Supports:

• Establish a working and supportive relationship with the client
• Assess clients’ mental, physical and emotional functional abilities and needs
• Investigate client’s current resources through complete psycho-social history and domains collections, and collateral information
• Provide client assessment, intervention, and counselling via telephone and in person supports
• Provide mental health assessments to Emergency Departments (Woodstock Hospital, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Alexandra Hospital) upon request.
• Support individuals as requested by Woodstock Police Service (WPS) and Oxford County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
• Provide counselling support to those attending at one of CMHA TVAMHS Oxford County based Talk-In Counselling Services
• Provide first contact functions and system navigation support for clients
• Provide short-term follow-up support to bridge the gap from referral to engagement with a longer-term support service as needed
• 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

Crisis Intervention:

• 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.
• Teach, using a variety of approaches, life skills and adaptive techniques to help enable individuals to function more effectively on a day-to-day basis
• Utilize harm reduction principles to identify, reduce and remove risk factors.

Crisis Follow-up:

• 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
• Provide client-centred care from a harm reduction approach
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of service providers and organizations
• Acquire and maintain a high level of current knowledge about opioid treatments and trends in the opioid/drug abusing population
• Seek out and engage individuals with opioid addiction, including people already receiving substitution therapy (methadone maintenance treatment, suboxone treatment, etc.) who require additional medical, social, and psychological supports to improve overall health
• Facilitate successful service navigation for clients through empowerment and/or advocacy
• Provide education, referrals and clinical support for people with opioid addiction and related problems in a coordinated, collaborative, interdisciplinary, integrated and holistic perspective
• Manage and meet targets for a clinical caseload and maintain direct service requirements.
• Manage indirect services and administrative duties.
• Assist with drug screening tests and clinic support
• Actively participate in the supervisory process with immediate supervisor.

24/7 Reach Out Addiction and Mental Health Crisis Line responsibilities:

• All Crisis Clinicians are to provide support to individuals through Reach Out.
• Provide crisis intervention services and supports on Reach Out via phone, text and web chat.
• Respond to voicemails from Reach Out.
• Establish a therapeutic relationship with individuals accessing Reach Out and work with individuals to address their immediate concerns

Police Specific Service Interactions and Dedicated Police Partnerships:

• Work directly alongside police officers during regular work hours in a dedicated capacity with WPS and Oxford OPP and occupying office space at the reporting police headquarters
• Where requested by officers, participate in death notifications and link individuals to victim services or other supports as required
• Act as a resource for officer wellness, providing system navigation for their own mental health support, based on training and orientation to the respective police service's internal wellness resources
• Maintain and document accurate recording of all police incidents arising in the course of work

• RPN, RN, Social Service Worker Diploma, Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Psychology or related field
• Currently registered and in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (as an RSW, RSSW), the College of Nurses of Ontario, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, or the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
• Valid Driver’s License: minimum G2 class required
• Access to a vehicle required for personal transportation

• What you'll be making - Starting rate for this role is $30.01 per hour (Level 1 of the Direct Service, Regulated Professional Grid);
  • Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8, $37.26 per hour
  • $2/hr shift premium on scheduled hours between 8:00pm-7:00am and weekends (Saturday/Sunday)
• What your benefits will be - You will receive 9% in lieu of health benefits
• Your pension plan – Eligible for immediate, optional enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)