Counsellor, Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing

University of British Columbia - Staff; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Counsellor, Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing at a leading university provides essential support to Indigenous students. The role encompasses individual counselling, crisis intervention, and program development while promoting mental health awareness on campus. Candidates should embody cultural competency and a commitment to equity and inclusion, particularly for Indigenous communities.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of clinical counselling experience.
• Eligible for professional certification in British Columbia.
• Experience supervising Master’s level practicum students.

Responsibilities

• Provides counselling services primarily to Indigenous students.
• Develops and delivers culturally relevant workshops.
• Consults with faculty and staff regarding Indigenous student mental health.

Skills

Cultural competency

Counselling

Crisis intervention

Collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology or related field

Job description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Counsellors/Psychologists, Level B Job Title Counsellor, Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Department Team G | Counselling Services | Student Health and Wellbeing | VP Students Compensation Range $7,622.83 - $11,886.67 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date June 13, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The Counsellor, Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing, provides support primarily to the UBC Indigenous student community through the delivery of individual counselling, crisis intervention, and case management. The role also promotes mental health and wellbeing on campus for Indigenous students through the development and delivery of student programming as well as training and consultation to UBC staff and faculty working with Indigenous students. The successful candidate demonstrates awareness and compassion regarding historical and contemporary challenges experienced by Indigenous peoples, and engages in a holistic, culturally competent, responsive and collaborative practice.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Associate Director, Equity, Counselling Services, Student Health and Wellbeing, for oversight of their work. Works collaboratively with the Counselling Services Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Social Work Navigator as well as other professionals within UBC student services and the community

Work Performed

• Provides counselling services primarily to Indigenous students that integrates Indigenous ways of knowing within a collaborative stepped care system of mental health support

• Provides counselling services to other equity deserving students and general population students as needed

• Develops and delivers culturally relevant workshops, orientation and outreach programs (e.g., talking circles, other culturally appropriate programming, work with community partners)

• Provides consultation and support to UBC staff, faculty and student peer leaders on Indigenous student mental health concerns

• Supports efforts by the counselling team to decolonize mental health (i.e., understanding the effects of intergenerational trauma and colonization on mental health),

• Works with trans-systemic gender violence awareness and an intersectional approach

• Provides suicide and risk assessments and responds in an ethical manner

• Maintains relationships and makes referrals to UBC student support resources such as the First Nations House of Learning, Student Health Services, Centre for Accessibility, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office, Health Promotion and Education and the Student Support (Early Alert) Team

• Liaises with community resources and makes appropriate referrals, including Indigenous health and wellness resources (e.g. FNHA), self-directed online resources, peer support, coaching, group programs, individual counselling, medical care and crisis intervention

• Offers services to students in transition from rural, urban, community based or other community and family configurations,

• Maintains confidential case records and databases, prepares reports and other documents as required,

• Develops and delivers program evaluation and research projects that focus on student developmental needs.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Must be able to act with a considerable degree of autonomy and independence in the provision of mental health support to students while adhering to the ethical standards of the profession. Poor professional judgment or unethical practice would be extremely detrimental to student wellbeing and in some cases could be life threatening. It would also have a significant negative impact on public relations and the reputation of Counselling Services, the University and in some cases result in legal liability for the University.

Supervision Given
Provides supervision to Master level practicum students.

Minimum Qualifications
Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology or a related field. Eligible for professional certification in British Columbia. Minimum of five years of experience in clinical counselling plus experience supervising Master’s level practicum students.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant lived and professional experience rooted in Indigenous communities and knowledge systems

• Post-secondary counselling experience is an asset

• Knowledge about the unique issues facing Indigenous students at post-secondary institutions and within university life.

• Training and experience in single session, triage, stepped care and brief therapy preferred.

• Proven sensibility and appreciation of the role that gender, race, disability, gender identity, sexuality, social background play in the experience of health and wellbeing.

• Demonstrated ability to provide services that are responsive and sensitive to the needs of Indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ+ students as well as students with disabilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory and experience in program development, consultation and outreach.

• Possession of personal attributes that facilitate teamwork and the development of effective working relationships with a wide range of students, faculty, and staff.

• Appropriate course-work and training in mental health assessment, individual and group counselling, program evaluation, adolescent and adult development, learning theory, career development, cross-cultural counselling and diversity, personality theory, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology, cultural humility and sensitivity, race-based traumatic stress and racial trauma.

• Expertise and experience in treatment of a wide range of concerns that Indigenous post-secondary and professional program students may experience including defining identity, racism and microaggressions, stress, depression, anxiety, substance use, relationship difficulties, eating/body image issues, career/life planning, transition issues and sexual violence, etc.

• Experience in successfully navigating and engaging with institutional systems, services, and support within a post-secondary institution is preferred.

• Experience supervising Master’s level practicum students