Wellness Access Advisor

McGill University; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 73,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Pension plan

RRSP/TFSA

Vacation policy

Job summary

McGill University is seeking a Wellness Access Advisor with mental health expertise to facilitate access to appropriate care for students, within an interdisciplinary setting.

The role involves initial screening, brief interventions, and referrals across campus, while maintaining records in line with care standards. Strong collaboration with academic and student services teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counselling, or relevant field with licensure to perform psychosocial interventions.

Responsibilities

• Conducts initial screening and assessment for students with mental health concerns and provides brief intervention and referral.
• Determines need for emergent crisis intervention and facilitates urgent referrals.
• Maintains up-to-date information on student services and community resources across campus.
• Collaborates with referral sources to streamline access to support.

Skills

Mental health assessment

Crisis intervention

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Client education

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work or Counselling

Licensed to practice in Quebec

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Email

Internet search

Job description

The Student Wellness Hub provides a range of health services to McGill students with a focus on awareness, prevention, and early intervention.

The Student Wellness Hub has a variety of clinicians that provide one-on-one appointments, therapy groups and other services.

Within the Student Wellness Hub, the Healthy Living Annex focuses on health promotion and offers peer support programs for both the Macdonald and downtown campuses.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Associate Director Wellness (Communities), the Wellness Access Advisor with mental health expertise serves a central role in facilitating access for students with mental health needs to appropriate levels of care at the appropriate time within an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary setting.

Primary Responsibilities

• Conducts initial screening and assessment for students presenting with mental health and wellbeing concerns, during which they provide a rapid assessment, brief intervention, referral, education, and development of a wellness plan.
• Collects and reviews pertinent information/history, drawing on knowledge of mental health and counselling knowledge and skills when making an initial assessment through a structured judgment process.
• Determines the need for emergent crisis intervention and facilitates urgent and non-urgent referrals.
• Initiates the Crisis Management Protocol, if needed.
• Makes appropriate referrals to a variety of student support services across campus.
• Maintains up-to-date and comprehensive information on student services and community resources across campus, including faculty-based and central student services (e.g. referral, best practices, policies and processes, etc.) as well as community based mental health services.
• Collaborates with referral sources as needed to streamline students’ access to support, including other mental health care providers, academic advisors, Enrolment Services Professionals, Residence Life Managers, Student Support Services Managers and the Dean of Students.
• Ensures the support & follow up of referrals.
• Creates and maintains student records including assessments and referrals as well as appointment information in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures and the Collaborative Care Model.
• Is a member of the Collaborative Care team in the Student Wellness Hub for the management of students with ongoing (mental) health concerns.
• Participates in Student Wellness Hub & Student Services meetings & trainings.
• The Wellness Access Advisor may spend some of their time facilitating workshops or conducting outreach presentations.
• Performs other related duties, as needed.

Other Qualifying Skills and/or Abilities

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Counselling, or any other relevant field with licensure to perform psychosocial interventions, strongly preferred.
• Member in good standing of their professional order with license to practice in Quebec.
• Two years of relevant clinical experience in a mental health setting involving crisis situations.
• Experience in an emergency setting, a strong asset.
• Knowledge of private and public mental health resources in the Quebec context.
• Ability to intervene in crisis situations, Suicide Prevention Centre of Montreal (Centre de Prévention du Suicide de Montréal) Training a strong asset.
• Ability to make professionally autonomous decisions in coordinating patient care in a decentralized model.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, professional autonomy, flexibility, creativity and tolerance to stress.
• Experience with youth and the University setting would be considered an asset.
• Expertise working with one or more specific student populations including international students, Asian and Pacific Islander students, Indigenous students, graduate students or other marginalized student populations, an asset.
• Ability to navigate complex student situations, including crisis intervention.
• Proven ability to communicate, both one-on-one and in a group setting, with tact, diplomacy and sensitivity in a cross-cultural environment to a diverse population.
• Ability to support students from diverse communities drawing upon a combination of personal lived experience, formal training and previous work experience is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated skills in a PC environment using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail and internet search engines.
• Proficiency in Mandarin also a strong asset.
• Knowledge of French and English: McGill University is an English-language university where day-to-day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at a level 4 (fluent) on a scale of 0-4

As one of Montreal's Top Employers, here is what we offer:

• Competitive benefits package (Health, Dental, Life Insurance)
• Defined contribution pension plan (with employer contribution up to 10%)
• Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)
• Competitive vacation policy
• Two (2) personal days
• Two (2) floating holidays
• Nine (9) "Summer Fridays" - paid days off between the St-Jean Baptiste holiday and Labour Day
• Paid time off over the December holiday period
• Tuition waiver for regular employees and their dependents
• Up to two (2) days of remote work per week where the position permits

Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located. For a definition of our language proficiency levels, please click here.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's Degree 3 Years Related Experience / Annual Salary: (MPEX Grade 05) $73,470.00 - $91,840.00 - $110,210.00

Job Profile

MPEX-SAF2B - Student Services - Professional 2 Hours per Week: 33.75 (Full time) Supervisor: Associate Director Wellness (Communities) Position End Date (If applicable): 2028-04-30 Deadline to Apply: 2026-11-15

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [e-mail].

Located in one of the world’s great multicultural and multilingual cities, McGill University is internationally recognized for its excellence as a leading institution of higher education and research. For nearly 200 years, through the work of dedicated people, McGill has been breaking ground in diverse fields and contributing solutions to some of the world’s most significant issues. McGillians are proud to be part of a community that is both global and local, inspired by challenge and committed to shaping a better future. McGill received a Platinum STARS rating in sustainability, is among Canada’s greenest employers, and is a top Montreal Employer. Grandescunt Aucta Labore. By work, all things increase and grow. Find a sense of purpose. Develop your future. Join us today.