Mental Health & Addictions Counsellor

The Alex Community Health Centre; Calgary; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading community health center in Calgary seeks a Mental Health & Addictions Counsellor to provide compassionate, client-centered support for individuals facing addiction and mental health challenges. This full-time role involves collaborating with a dedicated team to deliver evidence-based therapies and facilitate group programming. The ideal candidate will have a master's degree and relevant experience, demonstrating a commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable populations. Join us in making a real difference in the community.

Benefits

3-weeks’ vacation

Medical and Dental Coverage

Health / Wellness Spending Accounts

RRSP, Student Loan Repayment Program

Personal Days

Floating Holiday

Sick/Wellness Days

Employee Family Assistance Plan

Professional Development

Qualifications

• Minimum two years of experience as a Mental Health Clinician.
• Active registration with a professional discipline in Alberta.

Responsibilities

• Provide four to five therapeutic encounters with clients daily.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to provide evidence-based therapies.
• Conduct assessments and contribute to individualized service plans.

Skills

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Dialectal Behavior Therapy

Motivational Interviewing

Solution-Focused Therapy

Communication

Education

Master's degree in psychology

Master's degree in Social Work

Job description

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The Alex Community Health Centre provided pay range

This range is provided by The Alex Community Health Centre. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

CA$60,436.00/yr - CA$71,102.00/yr

Do you want to make a real difference in the lives of people facing addiction and mental health challenges? Are you passionate about providing low-barrier, timely support when it’s needed most? If this speaks to you, we’d love to hear from you!

What We Do

The Alex is a beacon of hope for Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services. With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.

The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic at The Alex offers an innovative, low-barrier approach to addiction care. Operating our Community Health Centre, the RAAM Clinic provides same-day, walk-in access to evidence-based treatment. This model is designed to meet people in moments when they’re ready for support, eliminating the long wait times and complex intake processes that often delay care. Services include assessment, treatment planning, case management, psycho-social support, and pharmacotherapy, all delivered in a compassionate, patient-centered environment.

Reporting to the Team Lead, the Mental Health & Addictions Counsellor works with clients with addiction as well as with mental, physical, and social complexities. This role works collaboratively within our Primary Healthcare Team. The Mental Health & Addictions Counsellor works with clients with addiction as well as with mental, physical, and social complexities.

This is a full-time permanent position.

What You Will Do

• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to provide evidence-based therapies within the session guidelines.
• Move clients off caseloads within session guidelines and be receptive to taking new clients onto caseload.
• Provide four to five therapeutic encounters with clients daily as a minimum expectation.
• Offer culturally sensitive services.
• Complete required documentation with excellence, in accordance with agency policy and procedures, and be respective of professional college requirements.
• Conduct assessments as appropriate and contribute to individualized service plans.
• Use evidence-based treatments in the areas of mental health and substance abuse to address participant needs (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectal behaviour therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), solution-focused therapy (SFT), etc.).
• Work from a harm reduction, trauma informed, and recovery-based approaches, grounded on a client’s readiness for change.
• Work collaboratively with clients, families, and community partners to assist clients in achieving treatment and recovery goals.
• Facilitate group programming for clients, using principles of psychoeducation, CBT, and other evidence-based models, when appropriate.
• Provide access to clients with same-day therapy, when required, appropriate, and applicable to The Alex program.
• Assist in data collection, and entry, as directed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

What You Bring

• Master's degree in psychology, Social Work, or a related field.
• An active registration with a professional discipline in Alberta.
• Social Workers must be authorized to perform psychosocial interventions.
• Minimum two years of experience as a Mental Health Clinician.
• Awareness of FOIP, HIA, and HIPA and doctrines such as the Mature Minor.
• Knowledge around working with suicidal individuals and how to handle such situations appropriately while considering confidentiality and client safety.
• Specialized training in evidenced-based therapies is an asset (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectal behavior therapy, solution focused therapy, etc.).
• Experience in single session therapy is an asset.
• Ability to set goals and work with clients within appropriate timelines and refer to other agencies/programs if needed.
• Awareness of the importance of evidence-based treatments and flexibility to practice from different perspectives.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations with significant mental health and substance use issues.
• Awareness of increased complexities in providing therapy virtually.
• Understanding of harm reduction and trauma informed care.
• Exceptional communication, organization, advocacy, teaching, and rapport-building skills.
• Commitment to contributing positively to team culture.
• Ability to work in high-stress situations with clear and open communication.
• Openness to a wide scope of practice with commitment to innovation and flexibility.
• Strong initiative in times of limited supervision.
• Awareness of the value that research and evaluation brings to therapy.
• First Aid (Basic or Intermediate) – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is preferred.
  
  

Work Environment and Hours

• The Alex Community Health Centre: 2840 2 Ave SE, Calgary, AB.
• 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours/week).
• Standard hours are 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday; some flexibility in schedule may be available.
• Continuous extended periods of sitting, with some standing and walking.
• Occasional physical action requires the ability to bend/crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel/crawl, and carry objects (up to 20 lbs.) throughout shift.
  
  

What We Offer

Some of the great benefits The Alex has to offer include:

• 3-weeks’ vacation
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
• RRSP, Student Loan Repayment Program and/or Mortgage Repayment Accelerator Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development
  
  

How To Apply

If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Jobs at The Alex | The Alex .

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We will make every effort to accommodate candidate’s schedules and needs in all parts of the hiring process.

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as racialized* or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).

• The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.
  
  

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Health Care Provider

• Industries

  Non-profit Organizations

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