Concurrent Disorder Counsellor, Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team, Forensic Psychiatric Surrey Regional Clinic - Surrey, BC

Concurrent Disorder Counsellor – Minimum and Medium Security Units, FACT
BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services
Surrey, BC

Join our multi-disciplinary team of passionate and committed professionals working to support our clients who experience mental health and/or substance use challenges and who have involvement with the criminal justice system to integrate into the community with support. This Concurrent Disorder Counsellor position will support the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment Team (FACT).

FACT is a newly established service delivery model intended for people with enhanced care needs who are involved in the criminal justice system. The FACT team is a multi-disciplinary healthcare team of professionals who work together to provide holistic and comprehensive services to best serve client needs. This team will be based in Surrey and support specific clients living in the communities of Surrey and Langley. The team operates on an outreach-based model of care.

Although currently operating as Monday to Friday 0830hrs-1630hrs, this will eventually be a rotating position. The hours will rotate from 0830hrs–1630hrs and 1000hrs–1800hrs on weekdays (Monday to Friday). On the weekends and STATS, the position will rotate from 1000hrs – 1800hrs.

This role is ideally suited to a person who enjoys supporting clients to achieve success with reintegration in their community, working in a team environment, solving problems, and working collaboratively with partners. This person must be committed to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and DRIPA (2019). 

What is Forensics?

Forensic Psychiatric Regional Clinics and Programs are for people with a mental health and/or substance use disorder who have come into contact with the law. The courts may refer them to one of our regional clinics for assessment and treatment. We believe that people, when properly supported, have the ability to manage most aspects of their lives. We focus on people's strengths and resources instead of on symptoms and problems. They are a key member of their treatment team and an active participant in their own care. We help them get the care, support, and treatment they need.

Watch this video to learn about working with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services!

What you’ll do

• Facilitate psycho-education and manualized substance use and mental health group treatment. Work with groups to review learning needs; aid in understanding of illness(es), teach containment skills, relapse prevention and coping strategies; suggest positive behavior modifications; encourage socialization, social skill development, and behavioural modeling; provide education regarding health care for immune compromised and disadvantaged clients to maintain physical well-being; and support patients and their families to take responsibility for their health through education, collaboration, and goal-setting.
• Provide evidence-based, trauma-informed individualized substance use and mental health counselling services including crisis intervention and stabilization, comprehensive assessments, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, motivational interviewing, social skills training and relapse prevention.
• Participate in the development and implementation of individualized treatment plans by methods such as working with clients to develop their goals for treatment and the criteria to measure progress towards these goals, collecting data from these criteria, and meeting with clients on a regular basis to review progress, and evaluating the treatment plan as required.
• Perform enrollment to programs according to established protocols by methods such as working with the interprofessional team and Forensic Regional Clinic staff to identify appropriate clients for interventions, preparing discharge planning information and resources that will assist clients in their ongoing recovery and treatment, and meeting with clients, and referring/after-care agencies to gather information.
• Liaise with referring/after-care agencies (community clinics, professionals, private practitioners) to facilitate treatment planning and discharge care.
• Act as an advocate for clients during inter-professional team meetings to evaluate and change the treatment plan; complete forms relevant to ongoing and after care planning and gathers information from substance use and mental health resources, and refers clients to other services as required to assist clients in reaching their treatment goals.

What you bring

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in an allied health discipline (counselling and/or social work) from an approved and accredited post-secondary institution. 
• Three (3) years’ of recent related clinical experience, including at least one (1) years’ experience in a concurrent disorder program providing therapeutic individual and group counselling.
• Eligibility for membership in applicable professional association

Skills & Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of substance dependence and concurrent disorders.
• Broad knowledge of psychopharmacology (indications and side-effects), trauma informed practice, and chronic disease such as HIV and Hepatitis C
• Demonstrated skill in and experience with motivational interviewing/therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Broad knowledge of adult education principles, methods and tools.
• Comprehensive knowledge of and experience in group dynamics, individual counselling and family therapy.
• Demonstrated ability to teach, demonstrate and coach clients.

• Commitment to develop knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents – including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study – and how they intersect across the health care system.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

 What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.

• Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

Job Type: Regular, Full- Time
Wage: $42.27- $52.81 per hour
Location: 10022 King George Highway, Surrey, BC V3T 2W4
Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Hours of Work: Rotating; Rotate from 0830hrs-1630hrs & 1000hrs-1800hrs M-F. Weekends and STATS rotate from 1000hrs-1800hrs
Requisition # 178200E

** Please indicate in your cover letter why you are interested in joining our team at Forensic Psychiatric Regional Clinics in Surrey!

What we do

BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS) cares for people with complex mental health and substance use challenges.

BCMHSUS is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Cultivate partnerships – Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA and BCMHSUS are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya'kula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and marginalization faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous communities. PHSA must uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents such as including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.

ATTN: PHSA Employees:

To be considered as a PHSA employee (internal applicant) for this position, you must apply online via your internal profile at internaljobs.phsa.ca

Please note the internal job posting will no longer be accessible after the expiry date of January 23, 2025. If the internal job posting has expired, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk and advise that you would like to be considered as a late internal applicant for this position. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not registered your internal profile, a password is required to log in for the first time. To obtain your password, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk at 604-875-7264 or 1-855-875-7264. Please note regular business hours are Monday – Friday (excluding stats), 8:30am to 4:30pm. For inquiries outside of regular business hours, please email the Internal Jobs Help Desk at internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca and a Help Desk Representative will contact you the next business day.