JOB PROFILE
POS#00082466
JOB STORE 176
TITLE: MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT WORKER
CLASSIFICATION: SOCIAL PROGRAM OFFICER 21
MINISTRY: CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT (MCFD)
CONTEXT
Mental Health Support Worker works under the direct clinical supervision of the Mental Health Team Leader.
The position is a member of the Community Mental Health multi-disciplinary team. Service delivery takes
place in the MCFD office, client home and community in the communities of Salmon Arm, Revelstoke and
area. The position is based out of Salmon Arm.
JOB OVERVIEW
To provide a range of mental health services to children, youth, families and to system supports such as foster
parents, and non-parent guardians. Services include counselling and psycho-education, managing and
providing intervention strategies to parents where issues are complex, capacity building to community
agencies, and development of early intervention/prevention programing.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Required:
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Provides counselling support and education to parents, children/youth and their support systems
through individual, family and group format (caregivers, foster supports, schools etc.)
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Assists parents and other relevant caregivers in methods of coping and management in relation to
their child’s mental health, including parenting groups, stress management, problem solving, conflict
resolution, effective communication, pro-social development, and other systems of care. Parenting
strategies will focus on enhancing stability, security, safety, and capacity building.
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Maintains and promotes working relationships with community professionals.
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Maintains clinical and client administrative records.
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Participates in the delivery of educational services to community agency staff and other service
providers such as schools, foster homes, day-care facilities, child protection, infant development
programs, family centres, probation offices, hospital staff, etc.
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Encourages the development of mutual support forums.
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Participates in the ongoing planning, development and evaluation of services such as prevention
programs.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Mental Health
Job Stream:
Role:
Revised Date:
Professional
March 16, 2016
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience
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Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology or Child and Youth Care, or equivalent.
Minimum two (2) years clinical experience working in child and youth mental health services and/or
child protection. Preference given may be given to candidates with three (3) or more years’ experience.
Experience/training in keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets, email, databases and other
standard computer applications (i.e. MS Office Suite – Word, Excel and Outlook).
Valid BC class 5 driver’s licence.
NOTE: If your degree was obtained outside of Canada, you need to confirm it has been assessed for
equivalency through the International Credential Evaluation Services (ICES).
Willingness
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Exposure to regular travel in remote locations.
May be required to use own vehicle, with appropriate insurance coverage on an expense account
basis.
May be required to work flexible hours including evening/weekends.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
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Knowledge of relevant legislation including British Columbia’s: Mental Health Act, Infants Act, and
Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act and Family Service Act.
Basic understanding of child and youth psychological, social and cognitive development.
Basic understanding of major behavioural, emotional and mental health problems and disorders of
children and youth.
Ability to established accepted practices and evidence based counselling support and education
methods and their appropriate applications.
Ability to provide treatment planning related to counselling support and education needs under the
direct clinical supervision of a Mental Health Team Leader/Coordinator with CYMH expertise.
Ability to apply professional ethics to the general work situation.
Ability to establish and maintain effective collaborative and constructive liaisons/relationships with a
variety of individuals and groups, including clients & families, schools, hospitals, other agencies, etc.
and to provide effective community consultation and education related to child and youth mental
health issues.
Ability to prepare and deliver appropriate, clear and concise communications, both orally and in
writing, to a range of internal and public audiences;
Ability to work in a computerised environment.
Skills to conduct and apply suicide assessments and crisis interventions.
Professional ethics and approaches to resolve ethical dilemmas in the work with clients.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Mental Health
Job Stream:
Role:
Revised Date:
Professional
March 16, 2016
WORKING CONDITIONS
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Working with families facing challenges which may occasionally involve exposure to unpleasant
dealings with angry, abusive, or abused clients.
Exposure to hazards from frequently working around volatile parents and/or children in crisis.
Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service, which may include a
criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check, and/or enhanced security screening
checks as required by the ministry (Note: It is important that you read the job posting carefully to
understand the specific security screening requirements pertaining to the position).
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
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Customer/Client Development involves the genuine intent to foster the learning or development of a
diverse clientele. "Customers/clients" include the public, internal clients, colleagues, partners, coworkers, peers, branches, ministries/agencies and other government organizations.
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Information Seeking is driven by a desire to know more about things, people or issues. It implies going
beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include "digging" or pressing for
exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused
environmental "scanning" for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of
future use.
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Listening, Understanding and Responding is the desire and ability to understand and respond
effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds. It includes the ability to understand accurately
and respond effectively to both spoken and unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings and
concerns of others. People who demonstrate high levels of this competency show a deep and complex
understanding of others, including cross-cultural sensitivity.
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Organizational awareness is the acumen to appreciate and the ability to use the power relationships in
either one's own, or other, organization(s). This includes the ability to identify the real decision-makers
and the individuals who can influence them; and to predict how new events or situations will affect
individuals and groups within the organization.
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Flexibility is the ability and willingness to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of diverse
situations, and with diverse individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating
different and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one's approach as situations change and
accepting changes within one's own job or organization.
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Conflict Resolution involves identifying a problem, obstacle or opportunity and taking appropriate
action to address current or future problems or opportunities. As such, initiative can be seen in the
context of proactively doing things and not simply thinking about future actions. Formal strategic
planning is not included in this competency.
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Reflecting on Difficulties is the willingness to "work through" the personal experience of having
contributed to an unsuccessful outcome. It is expressed by how individuals explain problems, failures
or negative events and what they have learned from those difficulties.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Mental Health
Job Stream:
Role:
Revised Date:
Professional
March 16, 2016
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Problem Solving/Judgement is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information,
identify key factors, identify underlying causes and generate solutions.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Mental Health
Job Stream:
Role:
Revised Date:
Professional
March 16, 2016