Community Support & Outreach Counsellor/Advocate for Someone Who Speaks South Asian Languages

We are looking for a candidate with strong advocacy skills and intersectional understanding of systems, human rights, social justice, and challenges, and barriers survivors face. The supports will be based on survivors’ needs including risk assessment, safety planning, counselling, emotional support, legal and housing supports, information & referrals, accompaniments, and advocacy.  

What to Expect in the Counsellor/Advocate Role

• Provide case management to all clients from a trauma-informed lens and keep accurate, detailed, and up-to-date case notes using the internal database system.
• Conduct intakes, risk assessment and safety planning.
• Support with crisis intervention and conflict resolution and answer crisis calls.
• Assist clients to locate safe, affordable, and permanent housing accommodations.
• Provide accompaniments to support clients and act as a source of information on issues, processes, systems, services, resources, and make referrals to appropriate and supportive services.
• Facilitate support/educational groups for survivors impacted by violence.
• Build and maintain community partnerships with stakeholders and other service providers.
• Conduct public speaking engagements and awareness on social media to promote public education and foster understanding of the organization, its mission and vision; as well as issues surrounding Gender Based Violence (GBV). 
• Adhere to all Health and Safety Policies and Procedures as outlined by the organization to minimize risks.
• Perform other duties as assigned for the effective operation of the agency including supports with intake and crisis lines.

Qualifications     

• Must speak one or more South Asian languages.
• University or college education in a related field, such as Indigenous Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Sociology, Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Program, Early Childhood, Human Rights, Social Justice, or the equivalent in education and extensive experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to survivors and their children’s issues and working within a Critical Race, Feminist, Anti-Black Racism, and Anti-Colonialism framework.  
• Experience working with clients in areas such as poverty, violence, and homelessness.
• Knowledge and understanding of the systemic barriers experienced by clients and their intersectionality of oppressions i.e., Social Housing Reform Act; Mental Health Act; Landlord Tenant Act; O.W. Act, ODSP Act, etc.  
• Understanding Gender Based Violence (GBV) as a complex social problem and the intersectionality of sexism, racism, classism, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, sanism, etc. on clients’ and their children’s lived experiences of violence. 
• Experience working with South Asian survivors.
• Strong knowledge and experience with Harm Reduction Strategies.
• Demonstrated experience in crisis support and ability to mediate conflict.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Current First Aid and CPR level C training is required.
• ASL is an asset.
• Access to a reliable car and current valid driver’s G license.
• Embrave: Agency to End Violence is committed to the development of an organization that reflects the communities it serves. We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including:
• First Nations, Métis or Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples.
• Members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion, and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin.
• Persons of marginalized sexual orientations.
• Persons with visible and/or invisible disabilities.
• Survivors of the psychiatric system/consumer survivors.
• Two-Spirit, genderqueer, trans and non-binary people.
• Please send a letter of application and current resume to Embrave: Agency to End Violence by April 7, 2023, utilizing Charity Village platform.
• We will provide employment accommodation if we are advised of an applicant’s needs in advance of any part of the selection process.
• Embrave: Agency to End Violence is a unionized workplace with OPSEU. This position is within the bargaining unit and as such the terms and conditions of employment are in accordance with the Collective Agreement.