LGBTQ Community Connections Worker Mental Health/Substance Use

At Griffin Centre, we assist over 2,500 people each year to recognize their strengths, achieve their goals and improve their lives. Griffin Centre promotes positive change for vulnerable youth and adults with mental health challenges and/or developmental disabilities and their families. We are dedicated to delivering innovative services and developing creative partnerships that enhance lives and communities. The Position Griffin Centre is hiring a full time permanent employee and one year part time contract employee (18.75 hours a week) to be part of the reachOUT team serving marginalized youth, with a focus on LGBTQ youth, within the Community Connections program. We are seeking professionals to provide a broad range of services to youth, primarily ethno-racial youth, who have mental health and/or substance use concerns and their families, including outreach, youth engagement, intake, assessment, counseling, arts based approaches and skill building to individuals, families, and groups. These are exciting positions for dedicated individuals who want to increase the effective contributions of youth in organizations and communities across the GTA through a youth engagement, critical disability and queer and trans of colour perspective, and who wants to provide services which reflect the rich diversity of the community served. The major position responsibilities include: Provide outreach, youth engagement, and community-based mental health and substance use services to marginalized, racialized and LGBTQ youth, newcomer youth and youth with disabilities in a variety of settings such as the home, at school, or in the community; Provide a range of services (individual, parent, family, group, arts informed) according to client needs; Work collaboratively with youth and their families as well as cross-sector service provider partners (i.e., school boards, childrens mental health services providers, other community agencies) in developing individualized and effective, strengths-based and culturally competent service plans; Support clients through intake process, including: completing initial client assessment and administering assessment tools (i.e. BCFPI, CAFAS and SIR); Keep up to date records of client contact including inputting of client data and case notes in a variety of client databases such as the client record (CR) and iCARE, and completion of recording according to agency policies; Provide service coordination, liaison, and service planning with involved internal and community resources/partners; Develop and facilitate interactive workshops and accessible knowledge exchange activities for youth/families as well as service providers on the topic of mental health, harm reduction, antihomophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-racism, anti-ableism and youth engagement as well as accessible service provision to, and capacity building for marginalized youth, including LGBTQ youth; Advocate on behalf of youth and families to address gaps in service identified through the work. Your Qualifications We are interested in candidates with the following qualifications: M.S.W., M.Sc., M.E.D., or M.A. degree, or other combination of relevant experience and education; A strengths-based, harm reduction, critical disability, anti-racism/anti-oppression, trans-positive and youth engagement philosophy of service provision and a belief in the self-determination of youth; Excellent assessment and collaborative intervention skills with youth and families;

Experience in mental health/substance use service provision (individual, parent, family, group) and an ability to provide service in non-traditional, culturally competent, arts based and community led approaches that are responsive to the needs of youth and families; Experience developing and leading interactive workshops and curricula focused activities on mental health, anti-oppression/anti-racism, anti-ableism, harm reduction, and skill building for marginalized youth from diverse ethno-racial backgrounds; Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends, in order to meet client and program needs; A capacity to build and nurture working relationships with colleagues, referral sources and partner agencies; A self-starter with an ability to work independently, as well as within a team structure; Above-average oral and written communication skills including report writing, excellent organizational abilities and time management; Willingness to travel and provide services throughout the City as well as work off-site in alternate community sites (i.e., community hubs), organizations (i.e., health centres, schools, shelters) and in collaboration with cross-sector community-based organizations; A valid Ontario drivers license and daily access to a reliable vehicle are preferred; Fluency in Kiswahili, Yoruba, Igbo, Somali, Twi, Tigrinya, French or American Sign Language) is an asset; Lived experiences of homophobia, transphobia, anti-black racism and/or ableism and personal connection to queer and trans communities of colour, including the disability community and Black, Afro-Caribbean and African Communities are assets. To Apply If you have the above qualifications and are ready to make a difference, please email your cover letter and resume to resume@griffin-centre.org by February 26, 2014. Please quote file # 4-14 in the subject line. Thank you for your interest in this position. Only those to be interviewed will be contacted. GRIFFIN CENTRE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. WE VALUE DIVERSITY AND WELCOME APPLICANTS FROM ALL CULTURES, ABILITIES, AND SEXUAL AND GENDER IDENTITIES.
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