Mental Health Workshop Facilitator

JOB CLASSIFICATION: Mental Health Workshop Facilitator

DEPARTMENT: Mental Health and Wellness Services

COMPANY: Skills for Change

LOCATION: 791 St. Clair Ave West Toronto

REPORTS TO: Manager, Mental Health and Wellness Services

CONTRACT TYPE: Contract (Union)

HOURS: 18 hours per week (Monday-Friday) with occasional evenings/weekends

PAY RATE: $23.00

START DATE: July 4, 2023

END DATE: Maximum of 25 weeks from start date

INTERNAL POSTING: June 15, 2023

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 21, 2023 

COMPANY:

Located on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, Skills for Change (SfC) is working towards advancing the Sustainable Development Goals for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Named Charity Village’s Best Non-Profit Employer – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and winner of the 2021 Canada Volunteer Awards for Innovation, our organization is committed to reducing poverty, improve mental health, eliminating gender-based violence, building community, eradicating systemic racism, and settling and creating sustainable communities for all immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities. Start your career with SfC and join our 40-year history of creating innovative programming to build welcoming and equitable communities.

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:

With 40 years of operations, Skills for Change is a highly respected non-profit charity with a province wide reputation for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. We offer a range of accelerated programs including mentoring, employment, settlement, language training together with specialized programs for skilled trades, women, and youth. We have 5 locations across the GTA and serve 16,000 clients annually. We believe we are in the best position to provide thought leadership through evidence-based programming, impact stories and proactive policy advocacy using knowledge mobilization products.

PROGRAM NATURE AND SCOPE:

To provide high quality and responsive mental health and wellness workshops to support women of all ages including seniors in and around the GTA. With the impact of COVID-19 and the increasing need, this role will work primarily with developing and delivering workshops to improve the mental and physical health and well-being of women of all ages including seniors, reduce isolation, access to social mentoring, networking, technology skills training and referrals settlement counsellors etc.

IDEAL CANDIDATE HAS:

• Proven experience in developing and delivering relevant mental health and wellness workshops that meet the needs of clients
• Experience and sensitivity in dealing with members of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds, including visible and invisible dimensions of diversity
• Demonstrated commitment to high standards of culturally responsive service delivery within an anti-racism and anti-oppression framework
• Knowledge of social issues faced by women of all ages including seniors, immigrant issues, social isolation, sexual assault and VAW
• Knowledge of community resources and services relating to mental health and wellness services
• Demonstrated ability in using discretion in dealing with highly sensitive and confidential issues
• Proficiency in planning, implementing, and evaluating group activities
• Good organizational skills and time management skills along with the ability to multi-task while maintaining a high level of accuracy
• Demonstrated high degree of initiative, judgment, and problem-solving ability
• Intermediate to master level skills in Microsoft and Google Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) 

 RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct client intake assessment including individual needs, levels of safety risk and information regarding the settlement and programs across SfC.
• Develop, promote and deliver specialized mental health and wellness information sessions and workshops covering a range of topics including mental health, stress management, employment supports, building confidence, trauma and tools for future planning for short-term problem-solving and long-term stability planning for women including newcomers, immigrants, refugees, racialized groups, LGBTQ2S+, victims of violence, and those from low-income communities both online and in-person
• Register clients for information sessions, workshops and other services based on their initial intake assessment and refer clients to crisis/settlement counselling and other support based in their needs.
• Conduct outreach activities to newcomers and other women to increase awareness of the service and to recruit eligible clients to the settlement programs.
• Make appropriate referrals to other community programs such as employment, food security, housing, settlement and social services.
• Outreach to and establish sustainable stakeholder relationships with various community agencies, business, and individual sponsors of youth immigrants and refugees to recruit clients and establish program partnerships for workshop delivery supports and referral services.
• Maintain accurate participants and program records in Salesforce and other designated databases and generate program statistics and other reports as requested to inform management decisions.
• Identify and participate in areas of professional development and training that are critical to the needs the client population.
• Conduct clients’ satisfaction surveys to inform program development and expansion as required and collaborate with other programs across the organization.
• Prepare for and participate in regular scheduled supervision, team meetings and other internal and external committees as required.
• Participate in ongoing training & development in areas related to mental health and wellness, either self-directed or formal, as well as related topics, such as mental health, addictions, or coping strategies
• Establish, build and maintain collaborative partnerships with community-based and other organizations and entities to advance the vision, mission and strategic goals of SfC including those that provide specialized mental health, refugee settlement and social services
• Maintain strict confidentiality and professionalism as outlined in agency privacy and confidentiality policy
• Other duties as required by management

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• University degree or college diploma (or equivalent) in Social Work, Psychology or related field is required
• Requires a minimum of 2 years of experience developing and delivering learning and training programs (online, classroom).
• Strong interpersonal and client service skills as well as a positive attitude towards change.
• Initiative and persistence to complete tasks as well as excellent time management and teamwork skills.
• Experience working with vulnerable groups (low income, newcomers, women of all ages including seniors, victims of abuse, etc.) sensitivity and knowledge in dealing with diverse cultural and racial backgrounds and with special needs.
• Relevant direct experience working with women of all ages including seniors, newcomers and those from equity seeking communities.
• In- depth knowledge/ understanding of the issues effecting women of all ages including seniors
• Experience operating from ant-racism, anti-islamophobia and anti-Black racism lens is critical.
• Second language is considered an asset (French, Hindi, Farsi, Pashto, Yoruba, Swahili, Chinese etc.).
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends on occasions.
• Ability to provide a clear, mandatory vulnerable sector check must be presented prior to employment.

PLEASE SEND YOUR APPLICATION TO: hr@skillsforchange.org

Skills for Change provides learning and training opportunities for immigrants, refugees and equity seeking groups to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community to persons with disabilities to newcomers to Canada (including refugees) to Indigenous peoples to members of a visible minority to children or youth to women of all ages including seniors to the LGBTQ2 community.

Skills for Change offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in each stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise if you require accommodation. This document is available in alternate format on request.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.