Job Description

Trauma Therapist

Registered Psychologist or Canadian Certified Counsellor

Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS) is currently seeking a Trauma Therapist who is an Alberta Registered Psychologist or Canadian Certified Counsellor. This new position will help youth with physical, emotional, and mental health impacts, improve their sense of well-being, alleviate feelings of distress, and resolve crises.

What We Do

YESS is a not-for-profit agency working with youth facing difficult realities. Based in Edmonton, YESS provides immediate and low-barrier 24/7 shelter, a drop-in resource centre, temporary supportive housing, and individualized wrap-around supports for young people aged 15-24.

We work collaboratively within a network of care focused on the prevention of youth homelessness by providing youth with the necessary supports to stabilize their housing, improve their wellbeing, build life skills, connect with community, and avoid re-entry into homelessness.

What You Will Do

Reporting to the Manager of Wellness and Integration, the Trauma Therapist will offer skills and strategies to assist youth to better understand, cope with, and process emotions surrounding their experiences, with the end goal of enabling the youth to create more authentic and adaptive meaning of their experiences and improve their day-to-day functioning.

As the Trauma Therapist, you will provide in-person care and meet youths as they enter the programs to address their individual needs during times of crisis and change. By incorporating unique interventions, such as play therapy, sand tray interventions, nervous system regulation, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed depth processing, you will holistically address the presenting concerns in a client-centered manner. These unique interventions and techniques allow for an eclectic approach that can address the uniqueness of each client and acts as a launching pad to propel the client towards their authenticity and potential.

This role works collaboratively with the youth\'s supports to ensure a wrap-around approach. The focus of this role is to expand youth\'s capacity to reduce crisis through regulation & education, non-judgmental support of coping & processing, and to support youth meet their needs and connect to themselves, others and the world. As the Trauma Therapist, you will focus on the stabilization of youth by developing self-soothing and self-regulation skills through guided co-regulation.

Responsibilities include:

• One-on-one therapeutic sessions with youth
• Clinical documentation development, initial assessments, cognitive and psychoeducational assessments
• Incorporate play and alternative therapies to meet the unique needs of our clients
• Compile comprehensive monthly objectives report on participation, programs and outcomes
• Submit individual and group/family case notes regarding therapeutic sessions
• Presents individual treatment updates to individual service team as required
• Engages in ongoing review of studies and findings related to psychotherapy to benefit our collective practice
• Develop program materials to integrate therapeutic insights, including workbooks and online lessons
• Addresses external referrals from other agencies and parents of children
• Assess clients\' presentations through conversations, observations and appropriate psychometric tools to determine the appropriate interventions needed
• Create trauma-specific programs to meet diverse needs of clients & for family integration and parenting skills
• Work with clients to develop goals within their capacity
• Incorporate appropriate psychoeducation to heighten awareness and teach coping mechanisms to help clients develop skills for tough situations
• Provide on-going assessment of agency\'s trauma needs to assist in determining the level of functioning of youth and families
• Engages in ongoing review of studies and findings related to psychotherapy to benefit our collective practice
• Introduces agency to external opportunities for training, learning and engagement
• Attends and offers psychotherapy and debriefing at agency events and workshops
• Provides consultation to other staff in trauma-informed interventions
• Maintains confidentiality and privacy of client therapeutic care provided to Individuals and their families, staff and community members accessing therapeutic services

Additionally, you will provide a professional level of service to donors, promote the agency in a positive manner to the outside community and share information, communicate, and collaborate with other YESS staff.

What You Bring

Education: Master\'s degree in Counselling Psychology and are registered with a governing body such as The Alberta College of Psychologists or The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years of directly related experience in:

• Trauma relevant education
• Extensive Trauma-Informed Care training
• Harm Reduction training
• Motivational Interviewing
• Somatic Impacts
• Nervous system awareness
• Attachment Styles
• Trauma Responses

Required experience:

• Working within a multi-disciplinary team, preferably with a non-profit
• Single-session model
• Depth or phenomenological psychotherapy
• Crisis management, de-escalation and debrief processing
• Working 1:1 with individuals towards change
• Data collection, analysis & outcome management
• Familiarity with issues of youth homelessness, mental illness and addiction, social work or relevant areas

Preference will be given to those who have:

• Experience and maturity with diverse modes of counselling
• Experience working with high-risk youth
• Experience working with immediate crisis, crisis debrief and support

Prerequisites

• Clear police clearance (CRIM) obtained within the last 6 months months
• Child and Youth Intervention (CYIM) obtained within the last six months
• Valid driver\'s license
• Drivers abstract within the last three months
• $1 million personal liability insurance for your vehicle
• Regardless of work location you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved accommodation. Rapid testing will not be accepted as an alternative to vaccination, except individuals who cannot be vaccinated based on medical or other protected grounds outlined in the Alberta Human Rights Act

YESS is an equal opportunity employer, committed to an inclusive and safe work environment for people of all backgrounds.

Everyone coming to YESS facilities, including students, staff contractors and visitors, will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID - 19.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.

Youth Empowerment & Support Services