Mental Health Therapist, Single Session focus

While this position welcomes applications from the public, please note that preference will be given to current employees at the University of Alberta. Please indicate your internal status using the "Advertisement" drop down menu when applying.

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

This posting will be used to fill multiple positions. 

In accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer Agreement , these full-time continuing positions offer a comprehensive benefits package found on our Benefits Overview page and this position has an annual salary range of $71,557 - $119,269. This position is also eligible for a market supplement of $12,917 which will be added to annual base pay.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in person with on-site work taking place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for Counseling and Clinical Services

Affiliated with the Dean of Students’ Health & Wellness Services at the University of Alberta, Counseling & Clinical Services (CCS) invites applications for the position of Mental Health Therapist, Single Session focus. Reporting to the Director of Single Session Services, the position is accountable for the provision of individual psychotherapy within a “Single Session” or “One at a time” model to a diverse post-secondary population.

We want to welcome you into a caring and balanced workplace culture, one that endeavors to support your needs as you find your place on our collaborative team of psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and other helping professionals. Your passion for working with many kinds of students and identities - BIPOC folks, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse, international students, mature students, and so on - will be matched by our excitement and commitment to nurture and uplift this important work! Our team will support you with regular group case consultation and peer support meetings, as you help students with a wide range of mental health challenges and needs.

 We strongly encourage BIPOC persons, and others from any equity deserving group(s), to apply.

Position Summary 

The candidate will engage in primarily Single Session or “One at a Time” counseling work (20 hours per week) and will be comfortable operating within a more solution focused, strength based therapy framework. The candidate will be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable working in a more structured or guided Single Session therapy environment. Students will present with a wide range of mental health challenges. If you believe Single Session therapy can be a powerful way to help, and complimentary to other kinds of traditional counseling, then this role is for you! This position works also within an interdisciplinary team environment composed of psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, Doctoral Residents and Masters Practicum students, social workers, and administrative support staff.

Duties

1. Psychological Treatment and Counseling

The Mental Health Therapist, Single Session provides single session based interventions for mental health concerns, and at times more traditional counseling for sub-clinical mental health concerns.

• Provide single-session, one-at-a-time counseling services, and other assessment and intervention-based first session appointments.
• Provide limited individual/couple/family/group counseling modalities, which would include assessment and session-limited treatment of a variety of mental health concerns.
• Integrate unique client identity and developmental needs (race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, spirituality and religion, culture, neurodevelopmental differences, etc.) into counseling and treatment planning.
• Collaborate with other involved healthcare professionals/agencies to facilitate client care/treatment.
• Initiate referrals to more specialized services when appropriate.

2. Outreach Activities and Programming

Develops and participates in outreach programs to the University of Alberta community. The intention of outreach activities/programs is to make the Counselors skills and knowledge more accessible to the broader University of Alberta community through three activities below.

• Provide consultations to University of Alberta community members (E.g. Helping faculty work with students in distress, providing information about referrals or how to help seek, CCS service education, etc.). 
• Collaborating with community members on larger, more involved projects/events/outcomes for student mental health.
• Undertaking education activities for the purpose of teaching/sharing mental health knowledge, skills, practices.

3. Supervision and Training

Supervision is a secondary role for this position. The Mental Health Therapist, Single Session will occasionally participate as an active member of the professional training committee team when the supervision of Master’s students is required, and may occasionally contribute to components of the CCS training program commensurate with their experience and level of education.

4. Administration

There are a variety of administrative duties.

• Ensure that confidential client records, including case notes, are properly maintained, protected, and shared in accordance with professional codes of conduct, provincial legislation and university information privacy policies. 
• Prepare letters of support for students in the case of exam deferrals or academic appeals, when appropriate.
• Initiate necessary research and reading in order to adequately prepare for therapy.
• Prepare necessary materials for case conferences, in-services, or staff workshops.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Psychology (counseling or clinical); a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work and authorized to perform restricted psychosocial interventions through the ACSW.
• Registration in good standing with the College of Alberta Psychologists; Registration in good standing with Alberta College of Social Workers.
• A desire to work in a collaborative team environment and be on the ground floor building out a new service for CCS.
• Can work independently, flexible and adaptable to change and growth within an organization.
• Enthusiastic about Single Session or “One at a Time” service delivery.
• A personal and professional commitment to building more equity, diversity, and inclusion in psychology, and also CCS workplace and services.
• Familiarity and adherence to the Health Professions Act, Health Information Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, CAP Standards of Practice,  Canadian Code of Ethics, and the CAP Practice Guidelines for Psychologists.
• Comfort working with technology like Microsoft Office and Google Apps, video conferencing software such as Zoom, Electronic Records Management systems for documentation and appointment bookings, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of, and experience in, single session approaches to counseling services and solution focussed and/or narrative therapies.
• Experience, and additional specialized training, working with diverse and equity deserving groups like Indigenous peoples, racialized minorities, 2SLGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, and newcomers and/or International students.
• A second language is a strong asset in this role.

Application Instructions

Please apply with the following doucuments:

• Cover letter and resume as one document
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion philosophy statement

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.