Child and Youth Counsellor II - Safe Haven - 6276G

Starling Community Services; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP pension plan

3 Weeks vacation

Sick time 300 hours

Holidays + floater

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement

Staff appreciation events

Job summary

Starling Community Services in Waterloo Region offers a full-time Child and Youth Counsellor II, Safe Haven. You will supervise and support youth, work with a multidisciplinary team, and apply Trauma Informed Care and Housing First principles to help clients achieve goals.

The role requires a diploma/degree in youth work and demonstrated ability to relate to youth with warmth. Competitive benefits, pension, vacation and more are provided.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in child and youth work or related discipline with at least 1 year of relevant experience.
• Ability to relate to youth with warmth, set appropriate limits, and work in a multidisciplinary team.
• CIT or equivalent, First Aid/CPR current certification.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, monitor, support and counsel clients throughout program participation.
• Facilitate safe, goal-focused programs with multidisciplinary teams.
• Implement evidence-informed practices including Trauma Informed Care and Housing First.
• Chair case reviews, conduct intakes/discharges, and manage client medical needs.
• Respond to crises using CIT with culturally aware trauma history understanding.
• Prepare meals per Canada Food Guide and follow food handling safety rules.
• Maintain client files and communicate needs to internal/external teams.

Skills

Youth engagement

Crisis intervention

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Diploma/degree in child & youth work

Job description

Child and Youth Counsellor II - Safe Haven - 6276G

Job Category: Mental Health Services

Requisition Number: CHILD001275

• Posted : October 19, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

• Pay or shift range: $27.90 CAD to $34.20 CAD
  Rate of Pay: At Starling Community Services all salaries are categorized under a series of "bands" determined during our job evaluation process. When determining rate of pay for external hires, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration along with where others with similar experience currently fall within the band.Note: most new team members will start between the starting salary and the mid-point of the range.

Description

Join Our Team

Imagine being part of an organization that adds value to our community, cares about its staff, and creates a supportive workplace environment. Starling Community Services (formerly Lutherwood) is a progressive, not-for-profit health and social service organization that strengthens people's lives by providing mental health, employment, and housing services to more than 22,586 people annually in Waterloo Region and Wellington County.

We need great people like you to help us realize our mission and support communities where everyone experiences mental wellness, opportunities for employment, a place to call home, and a sense of belonging.

One full-time contract Child and Youth Counsellor II, Safe Haven, position available, starting on November 08, 2026, and ending on October 02, 2027, working 37.5 hours per week.

What’s In It for You?

• Job Band G (hourly wages): Min - $27.97, Mid - $30.30, Max - $34.20.
• A positive work culture, inclusive workplace policies, and employee wellness initiatives.
• Eligible to join the HOOPP defined pension plan on a voluntary basis.
• Access to our Employee and Family Assistance Program which provides free and confidential counselling, resources and services.
• 3 Weeks paid vacation (accumulated bi-weekly).
• 15 hours of personal time per year.
• Paid sick time (accumulated monthly) to a maximum of 300 hours.
• 11 paid holiday benefits per year plus a floater day.
• Discounted GRT passes through membership with Travel Wise.
• Employee Referral Incentive Program.
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement opportunities.
• Staff appreciation events.

Your Role

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Supervises, monitors, supports and counsels' clients throughout all components of their participation in the program.
• Works in partnership with multidisciplinary teams, to facilitate safe, and goal focused programs for clients.
• Supports the implementation of evidence-informed practices, including, Trauma Informed Care, Housing First Model and Connect principles.
• Chairs case review meetings for assigned cases.
• Conducts intakes, discharges, administers medication and attends to clients' medical needs.
• Responds to client crisis situations utilizing crisis intervention techniques (CIT) as well as from an inclusive and culturally aware lens in understanding the trauma history of the client.
• Prepares well-balanced meals that comply with Canada's Food Guide and ensuring that individual dietary requirements are adhered to and culturally relevant food options and ingredients are available.
• Works within legislated requirements for proper and safe food handling, WHMIS, Occupational Health and safety, Infection control, lifting techniques, and disinfecting and cleaning requirements.
• Collects information, records and maintains client files and updated client and shift data and communicates relevant clients information and needs to internal and external team members as necessary.
• The above tasks are representative but not all-inclusive.

Your Talents and Experience

• Diploma or degree in child and youth work or related discipline plus at least one year’s successful experience as a Child and Youth Worker or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to relate to youth with warmth and understanding and setting consistent appropriate limits.
• Highly developed professional, verbal and written skills and ability to deal with a diverse range of people.
• Ability to work as part of a team while demonstrating strong decision-making capabilities.
• Solid organizational skills and the ability to multi-task to meet various timelines is essential.
• Required to hold completion of C.I.T. or equivalent, current First Aid/CPR certificate.

If you are community-focused and share our values of equity and inclusion, we want you to grow with us. Please submit your application in confidence, no later than 4 pm on October 26, 2026.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If you don't have every single requirement and the exact level of experience listed in our description, but the skills and experience needed for the role still resonate with you, please consider applying. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and quality; therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require any support submitting your application or during the interview process by contacting Human Resources at [e-mail] or by calling 519-707-1958 ext. 1247.

Our Commitment to Equity:

To better serve the diversity of our community, the agency is dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for both clients and staff, with particular attention to supporting BIPOC communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and other historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. We understand that addressing systemic inequities is crucial to fulfilling our mission and promoting the well-being of the communities we serve.

Our equity strategy is guided by core principles that emphasize celebrating diversity, building strong partnerships, prioritizing client service, and recognizing equity is a shared responsibility.