Organization Summary

Kickstand is a province-wide collaboration between government, donors, service providers, young people and families/caregivers committed to transforming how young people (12-25 years old) in Alberta access health and social services. The journey to wellness is not always a clear or straight path and it can sometimes feel like you are left on your own to navigate your way through life. Kickstand was created to help young people find help in the easiest way possible. Providing better support for young people includes offering a variety of connected services in one location such as physical health, mental health, substance use and social services like housing or employment support plus peer support.

This integrated, coordinated model puts young people at the center of care and connects them to a variety of service providers in a single location. This provincial work has begun with the launch of an online hub called Kickstand Connect, for young people to get the health and mental health services, resources, and tools they need - when they need them.

Put simply: Kickstand is the go-to place that helps Alberta’s young people have more good days.

Summary of Role Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Virtual Services Manager, the Virtual Services Clinician provides online clinical services to young people (12 to 25) affected by mental health and substance use concerns. The Virtual Services Clinician functions in the context of a multi-disciplinary team, providing quality, client focused, inclusive and culturally appropriate, free of charge virtual services, for young people and their families across Alberta.
• Essential to the skill set of the Virtual Services Clinician will be an understanding of how mental illness and substance use impact the young adult population, competency in effectively engaging people from diverse experiences, solution focused and single session psychotherapy skills, group facilitation techniques, clinical assessment skills, and thorough understanding, demonstration, and implementation of recovery-oriented care. Practice and knowledge of concurrent care best practices is also an expectation, as well as a strong understanding of/willingness to learn shared decision-making principles.
• Individual and group interventions are used to engage program participants, facilitate recovery from mental health, substance misuse, related physical and social health concerns and create a planning partnership to achieve the highest level of community functioning with the least ongoing professional supports. Interventions will be strength based and focus on the unique transition domains of young people as they move towards independence, including Employment/Career, Educational, and Living Situation, Personal Effectiveness/Wellbeing and Community-Life Functioning.
• Interventions designed for individuals will be based on the individual’s personally defined goals and to a secondary extent, their presentation. The Virtual Services Clinician will be responsible for direct client care in coordination with other team members and cooperation with family, health services staff, and staff from other agencies involved in the individual’s life. Urgent/crisis response and routine care are expected within the role.
• The Virtual Services Clinician will actively participate in innovative, evidence informed practice, relevant research/evaluation projects and community partnership initiatives within the Kickstand organization.
• Part of the Virtual Services Clinician role will include the creation of clinical programs and assets, for example, psycho-educational content sessions and groups, teaching videos/infographics/posters on various mental health related topics. This aspect of the role may encompass up to 15-20% of your time, so you will be given time during your scheduled days to spend on content creation. The purpose of this is to generate clinically oriented, evidence-based tools and assets that can be shared with other Kickstand clinicians, staff and users of the virtual clinic (e.g., in the digital “waiting room” a client may watch a short video on grounding exercises, or a colleague may run a group session on managing anger).

Role Responsibilities

• Provide services to youth and young adults (aged 12-25 years old) and their families/caregivers within the Kickstand Connect virtual platform, utilizing video sessions and chat functionality.
• Use skills and competencies to create a safe and welcoming online experience for those accessing services. This includes demonstrating concurrent care capacity, inclusive care practices, cultural sensitivity and trauma informed practice within a virtual environment designed for young people.
• With direction and support from a team lead, provide highly accessible, solution focused sessions within a drop-in service (first come first serve) virtual model.
• Actively participate in Kickstand measurement-based care processes, assisting young people and their families/caregivers accessing services to complete measures, review measurement results as indicated (i.e., discuss results of screening questions with the young person), and respond to measurement results as appropriate (i.e. noted decrease in progress could be discussed with the young person to readjust therapeutic approach).
• Adhere to shared decision-making principles within sessions with particular focus on honoring the young person and family/caregivers’ expertise, collaboratively determining areas of concern, and co-developing and evaluating treatment objectives. Maintain respect for the young person’s dignity, self-determination, and independence.
• Utilize psychotherapeutic techniques to facilitate change and improve subjective feelings of mental wellness.
• Provide short-term psychotherapy sessions to address co-created treatment objectives.
• Conducts psychosocial assessments, in collaboration with the young person and family/caregiver (if indicated) to gather relevant information, facilitate completion of more in-depth measures, and complete a standardized strength based psychosocial interview.
• Provides individual and group treatment services including brief intervention, crisis intervention, psychotherapy, family work, psychoeducation, and supportive counselling. The therapist will utilize a variety of theoretical models that are appropriate to the presentation of the young person and their informal support network as required. Kickstand Connect is an interdisciplinary team environment and so there will be regular and ongoing consultation with other members throughout your shift to assist in supporting the provision of high-quality care.
• We hope to establish an environment of empowerment and choice in cooperation with young people and families/caregivers accessing Kickstand Connect services. Providers will be encouraged to be creative and innovative in co-creating solutions and exploring other community services and supports that best match the young person’s goals. When a young person requires connection to an intensive service for assistance, the provider and Kickstand Connect team will provide seamless and consistent support, facilitating a warm handoff of care.
• Maintains appropriate clinical records and data requirements in accordance with established standards and the Health Information Act and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
• Participates in a variety of team and/or local committees and internal and external case conferences through engaging in practice evaluation, identifying opportunities for change, assessing available resources, initiating solutions, and analyzing outcomes.
• Develops content related to psychoeducational resources for young people, families/caregivers and staff members in collaboration with an interprofessional team. Reviews relevant content and required handouts, conducts literature search, plans and coordinates seminars.
• Possible opportunities to provide teaching and supervision to student interns in their own discipline as assigned by methods such as providing guidance and the opportunity to observe and take an active role in the services provided to young people.
• Maintains knowledge of developments in own health profession including mental health and substance use through reviewing literature, consulting with clinical and community experts within the field, and participating in professional development and continuing education activities to improve care through new practices.
• Actively participates in the ongoing development, quality improvement and evaluation of virtual services by collaborating with members of the interprofessional team, providing input and making recommendations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Please note:

• We are looking for casual/on-call, contract positions. Please indicate on your application/cover letter what hours you would be available to work.
• Kickstand Connect hours of service are Mondays and Thursdays 1:00 - 9:00 pm and shifts are generally 4 hours (e.g., evening shifts up to 9 pm and subject to the addition of weekends in the future). Specific shift times may vary but all providers will be expected to work some weekday evenings and some weekends. We will also accept applications for contracted services that are outside of these hours, in preparation for opening the clinic on more days in the future.
• This position will be performed virtually/remotely and we invite clinicians from all over Alberta to apply.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training and Experience

• All Masters level regulated providers are welcome to apply, including; Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Counselors and Psychologists.Two (2) years’ recent, related experience working with youth and young adults across the mental health and substance use continuum including experience with interventions and evidence-based treatment modalities, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Currently registered and in good standing with an affiliated professional body.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of the broad range of issues pertaining to youth and young adult mental health and substance use issues, psychiatric diagnosis, and related evidence-based best treatment practices.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community response procedures, general counselling principles and intervention techniques.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant Acts such as Mental Health Act, Adult Guardianship and Trustee Act, Alberta Health Information Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, pertinent regulations, policies and procedures, and other statutory duties.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments that include mental health and substance use standardized frameworks and tools.
• Demonstrated therapeutic skills in individual, group and/or family/caregiver interventions.
• Demonstrated skill in crisis intervention with young people and/or families/caregivers.
• Ability to create and maintain trusting relationships with young people and/or families/caregivers.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with others in a diverse and inclusive environment, independently and as part of an interprofessional team and understanding the frameworks of other disciplines.
• Proficiency in the use of personal computers to support service delivery including delivering services online and via chat, working with related word processing and database management software applications. Access to a secure and stable internet connection is required.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

Salary commensurate with experience. Please note that this position will be performed remotely, and we invite clinicians from all over Alberta to apply. Preference will be given to applicants who have availability during our current opening days/times.

Kickstand is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization and to ensure young people in Alberta can see themselves in Kickstand's providers - we welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage; women, First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and Kickstand, to apply.

Job Type: Casual

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Work from home

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift
• Evenings
• Evening shift

COVID-19 considerations:
This position will be virtual (work from home).

Education:

• Master's Degree (preferred)

Work Location: Remote

Application deadline: 2023-01-20

Please Note :
optimuspartners.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, optimuspartners.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, Site.com is the ideal place to find your next job.