ACT - Community Mental Health Clinician

RainCity Housing operates on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver, the q̓íc̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, Stó꞉lō, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Nations in so-called Lower Mainland, and the shíshálh in so-called Sunshine Coast.

About Us – A home for every person
RainCity Housing is an organization that makes a difference in people’s lives. Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. With a goal of providing a home for everyone, RainCity’s programs sustain relationships, strengthen communities, and make change for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, trauma, and substance use issues.

RainCity Housing has been developing emerging and promising practices for over 40 years in social services and healthcare, providing Housing First, harm reduction and supports for community members who access our services. To learn more, check out our innovations page. You can visit our Indeed page and click on the “Follow” button to be notified of new job openings: ca.indeed.com/cmp/Raincity-Housing-and-Support-Society/about. 

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Benefits: 

• 5 days of paid leave for Indigenous Employees for Ceremonial, Cultural, and Spiritual events per year 
• 8 weeks of paid leave for gender affirming care for medical procedures for transgender and gender diverse employees, cumulative total 
• Employee and Family Assistance Program available to ALL employees, including 24-hour helpline, Personal counselling, Life Coaching, Financial Coaching, Legal Referral and Advisory Services, and Health Coaching: https://www.fseap.ca/
• Municipal Pension Plan with guaranteed lifetime monthly pension when you retire: https://mpp.pensionsbc.ca/
  
• Employer-paid benefits for regular Part-time and Full-time employees:
• Unlimited Physiotherapy and $1,000/year coverage for Massage
• Vision Care, Dental Care, Prescription Drugs, Naturopath, Acupuncture, Chiropract, Group Life Benefit $50,000, Long Term Disability, and Unlimited Out-of-Province and Out-of-Country Emergencies

Position Summary
The Community Mental Health Clinician (CMHC) works within the context of a client centered care model, in accordance with the standards of professional practice and consistent with the mission, vision and values and established policy and protocols of RainCity Housing and the ACT team. The CMHC works within the trans-disciplinary ACT team and as part of a broader integrated system to deliver services to clients experiencing various levels of substance misuse and mental illness. Establishes and maintains non-judgmental therapeutic relationships with clients, collaborates and consults with colleagues and other community resources, and assists with developing/providing education services as required.  

Job Competition # Job2024.254 
Job: Community Mental Health Clinician, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team, Permanent, Part-Time Position, 0.9 FTE  
Salary Range: $40.27- $52.81 (Grid 11 HSPA)
Hours: 67.5 Bi-weekly  
Schedule: This position requires the person to work a combination of day (08:30-16:30) and evening (12:30-20:30) shifts and to work a share of weekends. Some On-call work may be required. Schedules are subject to change to meet operational requirements and client needs. Includes a 30-minute unpaid meal break
Work Site: ACT office 283 East 11th Ave. Vancouver, BC
Start Date: As soon as possible
 
* A clear British Columbia Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable adults and/or children is a condition of employment with RainCity Housing. Applicants must be willing and able to receive a clearance under the Criminal Record Review Act.    
 
* Clear driving record and Class 5 Drivers License (Learners and New drivers licenses are not sufficient) in order to qualify for a Modo account.   

Program Summary 
ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) is an evidence-based transdisciplinary mental health team that has a client-staff ratio of 10:1, with 80% of the work occurring in the community. Crisis support is available seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Program staff are closely involved in hospital admissions and discharges. The RainCity ACT team also provides housing opportunities for clients using a ‘housing first’ scattered site approach. Clients are offered immediate access to rent supplements, so they have the opportunity to live in the same kinds of permanent independent apartments that are typically available to people without mental illness, and the rent supplements are provided without requiring participation in psychiatric or substance use treatment. Self-determination, choice and harm reduction are at the centre of all considerations with respect to the provision of housing and support services. 

The CMHC also performs Service Coordination duties for a group of approximately 8 ACT participants, maintaining oversight to ensure that client’s self-identified goals for recovery and community integration are supported by appropriate services and practices, consistent with the values of self-determination/choice and harm reduction. Working in collaboration with the other members of the ACT team, the CMHC coordinates the provision of ACT services for clients served by the team members in their area of specialization. Support services are often provided in non-traditional environments, such as the participant’s home, coffee shops, and community centres. As ACT follows the Housing First model, supporting participants through evictions and moves is also a core component of the work, ensuring that learnings and skills from each housing situation are not lost. 

QUALIFICATIONS 
Education and Experience 

• Master’s degree in an Allied Health Discipline from a recognized program and registration with a professional body (e.g., Master’s level Registered Social Worker, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor, Occupational Therapist)  
• Three (3) years’ recent related experience providing professional services to individuals who have substance abuse and mental health illness, including two (2) years post graduate experience, with urban homeless populations with serious mental illness, substance addiction and complex health conditions.  
• Current first aid and CPR  
• Valid B.C. Driver’s License and acceptable drivers abstract. Use of a personal vehicle is required.  

Knowledge and Abilities 

• Demonstrated understanding of oppression and marginalization, specifically as related to people with experiences of a mental illness, addiction, or homelessness.  
• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles of recovery with individuals experiencing severe and persistent mental illness  
• Broad knowledge of bio-psycho-social issues that may occur in response to changing mental health and substance use needs.  
• Broad knowledge of mental health and substance use diagnoses and their interactions.  
• Broad knowledge of DSM diagnostic classification system.  
• Broad knowledge of psychopharmacology.  
• Knowledge of the principles of recovery, and recovery models and practice in mental illness and problematic substance use.  
• Knowledge of harm reduction principles and activities  
• Basic knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in client care.  
• Ability to independently plan, organize, and prioritize workload and adapting to a changing workload. Ability to work in a trans-disciplinary team.  
• Ability to prepare case summaries and clinical records.  
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in the writing of reports, correspondence, and other documentation.  
• Sound knowledge or crisis intervention and community resources.  

Please submit both a cover letter and resume to apply, describing your suitability for this position. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability. Please note, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Diversity
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people, and we need a staff group that reflects this diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.

As we work towards building a diverse staff team, we are particularly seeking applicants who identify as being Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, applicants with personal lived expertise, and 2SLGBTQ+ identified people.

Inclusion and creating a safer space
We are committed to making our organization a safer place for our staff, with steps taken to create space for learning and unlearning. RainCity’s department of Indigenous Cultural Services was created with the purpose to acknowledge the unique history and service needs of our Indigenous staff and tenants in respect to accessing culturally relevant and culturally sensitive care and support. RainCity’s Black Affinity Group was formed to provide support for Black staff by creating a safe space to support each other, network, debrief, and to heal from the impact of harm endured. Candidates are welcome to self-identifying in their cover letters as Black, First nations, Métis, or Inuit.

All of our employees are expected to develop and exhibit skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including demonstrating anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and on-going colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples, and commitment to learn and uphold the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Employees are also expected to demonstrate anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health issues and sex workers.

Inclusivity and support for people with differing abilities
In our efforts to provide a barrier-free workplace, we invite you to let us know of any adjustments or accommodations that might be needed for you to participate in the interview or selection process by sending an email to hr.inbox@raincityhousing.org.

If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email dfrecruitingsupport@raincityhousing.org for assistance.

Do you want to improve your chances of joining RainCity? Be sure to include a cover letter letting us know why the work that we do is important to you, and how your experiences make you a good fit for this role.

Do you need additional support with your application? Connect with our partners for assistance:

• ACCESS Futures provides free employment support for Indigenous people and can assist with career advising, resume and cover letter writing, and funding for training: https://www.accessfutures.com/employment-services
  
• PRISM Employment Support Service (ESS) provides free strengths-based, trauma-informed employment support program for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, including coaching sessions, workshops, personal counselling sessions, and financial assistance for transit, occupational training, clothing, and childcare: https://qmunity.ca/employment/
  
• WorkBC provides free employment services to all job seekers, providing with support in resume and cover letter writing, training, and financial support for childcare and transportation costs: https://www.workbc.ca/discover-employment-services/workbc-centres/employment-services
  
• MOSAIC provides free employment support for refugees, immigrants, and racialized women, with services in career readiness training, mentoring, and peer groups: https://mosaicbc.org/our-services/employment-services/

We are a Union

RainCity Housing is a unionized workplace. Along with the union, we support the principles of the Human Rights Code of BC. We promote a workplace that treats both staff and the people accessing services with dignity and respect.