Addictions Counsellor

Why work for CMHA York Region?
We deliver quality mental health and addictions services that promote recovery and
health, and end stigma.
Our Values:
 Responsive to the needs of our clients, their families, and our communities
 Respectful in how we meet the needs of our clients and staff in each interaction
 Committed to delivering the highest quality of care, every time
 Innovative in our approach to meeting our clients’ and communities’ needs
 Inclusive in how we work and serve our clients
Team Values:
 We create belonging
 We build better
 We deliver
We offer an inclusive, innovative, and high-performance work culture that helps us
deliver transformational impact. The organization cares about the growth, safety and
well-being of employees and offers:
 HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
 Comprehensive Health + Dental Benefits
 Learning & development opportunities
Learn more about us by visiting: https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/
We are looking for an Addictions Counsellor in our Substance Treatment,
Recovery, and Empowerment for Addiction Management (STREAM) Program!
Position: Permanent, Full-time, 35 Hours per Week, Evening Hours and Weekends
may be required
Comprehensive Health Benefits: Excellent Benefits Package: Full Extended Health &
Dental, Life Insurance, EAP, STD, LTD, & Pension Plan. Generous paid time off
including vacation, sick, personal days
Salary: $56,444-68,429 per annum.   *Candidate experience will be considered when
determining the starting salary.
Reason for Posting: An existing vacancy

Closing date: August 28, 2026
Location: The Addictions Counsellor will work predominantly in the community, directly
with clients. The Addictions Counsellor will work from the Vaughan Office located at
8271 Keele St, Concord ON L4K 1Z1 on the days of on-site work and will be required
to travel within York Region & South Simcoe for client meetings and staff training or
other meetings. We have flexibility in approving the Addiction Counsellor's home office
to one of our York Region locations dependent to their home address.
Program Profile:
Substance Treatment, Recovery, and Empowerment for Addiction Management
(STREAM) program aims to reduce the harm associated with substance use. The
program provides support to individuals using substances to make changes to their
substance use, including voluntary withdrawal from alcohol and/ or other substances.
The STREAM Program offers individuals an alternative to residential withdrawal
management (or detox) for individuals who can safely withdraw in a supportive home
environment or another supportive community environment. Care may be provided with
or without drug therapy or other medical interventions. Individuals will also be supported
to receive early recovery education as well as discharge and crisis support plans.
The program, including a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and an Addictions Counsellor, will
provide best practice assessment, treatment, navigation and support to individuals and
families with concurrent disorders. The Addictions Counsellor will work in collaboration
with clients and their families to provide assessment of substance use issues and
appropriate client-centered intervention services.
Job Profile:
The Addictions Counsellor will provide individual and group counselling, and education
using best practices. The Addictions Counsellor will also work with individuals to provide
support around monitoring of withdrawal symptoms and crisis intervention support.
The Addictions Counsellor will additionally provide support and education around harm
reduction, relapse prevention and self-care coping strategies. They will also provide
family support and education to families supporting loved ones moving through the
withdrawal process.
In addition to compliance with all organizational policies and procedures, the incumbent
is also expected to behave ethically, demonstrate competence in effective
communication and team building, demonstrate effectiveness in working in a
collaborative environment, and demonstrate confidence in decision-making and in
building relationships.
Duties:

 Provide individual and group counselling to individuals suffering the effects of
substance
use and problematic behaviours
 Provide mental health and addiction counselling to individuals and families
 Perform client intakes, screenings and assessment of substance use and
behavioural addiction issues.
 Assesses and track client’s stages of change readiness and stages of recovery.
 Design and implement goal-oriented care plans
 Use crisis intervention strategies, supporting and educating the client as
appropriate in relapse prevention, community withdrawal management, treatment
referral, self-care strategies, and family support/education.
 Educate families about addiction and recovery and provide them with resources
that will help them support their loved ones in recovery.
 Provide client-centered advocacy and assist clients in identifying and advocating
for their civil/legal rights.
 Facilitate connections to needed and wanted services, supports, and resources,
including those in the broader community.
 Maintains a client caseload in accordance with the above standards and funding
requirements, recognizing the need for extensive travel in some rural areas and
intensiveness of contact with specific clients.
Requirements:
 Degree OR diploma plus 2 or more years of experience in a community-based
organization working with adults with serious mental illness in the community,
and providing addiction and withdrawal management counselling
 Registration in good standing with a regulatory College, including the
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
(OCSWSSW), the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
(CRPO) cannot be in the qualifying stages
 Certification in addiction counselling an asset
 Lived experience related to substance use and/or mental health an asset
 Knowledge and experience with concurrent disorders and community withdrawal
management (i.e. theories of addiction, treatment modalities, pharmacology
knowledge, harm reduction, etc.)

 Experience working with individuals experiencing serious mental illness,
concurrent disorders, and dual diagnosis (developmental disability and/or
traumatic brain injury), is preferred
 Experience working with individuals experiencing serious mental illness,
concurrent disorders, and dual diagnosis (developmental disability and/or
traumatic brain injury), is preferred
 Strong reasoning and thinking skills
 Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the
Substitute Decisions Act, the Health Care Consent Act, and PHIPA requirements
 Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and
practices in work with clients
 Driver’s License Abstract required, and a valid Canadian driver’s license, a
minimum $1,000,000 third-party liability insurance
 A satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening (Police Check)
 Additional training in harm reduction, trauma-informed care, recovery, mental
health, and various therapeutic modalities such as motivational interviewing or
crisis prevention management are strong assets
 Experience in facilitation or co-facilitation of group programming
The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work
being performed by an individual assigned to the job. This information is not constructed
to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel in the
job.
This position reports to and is supervised by the Manager, People & Teams,
Substance Treatment, Recovery, and Empowerment for Addiction Management.
Working Conditions:
Office work, community settings, meetings in clients’ home and travel with clients
Disclaimer: In keeping with mental health reform, best practices, funding, and direction
this position may later require knowledge, skills, abilities, and working conditions not
noted here.
To request this posting in an alternate format or to request accommodation in the
application process, email AODA@cmha-yr.on.ca

Application Procedure:  If you are interested in this opportunity, please visit
https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/ and search for Addictions Counsellor Job Posting, Click
on the “Apply Now” button and proceed to upload your cover letter and resume.
Complete the application form and submit the following:
 Cover letter with 300 words or less and tell us why you would want this role and
why you should be considered for the position (PDF or Word)
 Resume (PDF or Word) (applications without resumes will not be considered)
CMHA-YRSS is dedicated to promoting employment equity and dismantling obstacles
to employment for marginalized communities. CMHA-YRSS supports the journey to
mental wellness, and we welcome applicants with lived experience of mental illness.  In
acknowledgment of the systemic underrepresentation faced by Black, Indigenous,
racialized peoples, and those living with disabilities, this opportunity has been
developed based on the special program provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code.
We therefore extend invitations for applications from the following groups:
 Racialized Persons
 Indigenous Persons
 Persons living with Disabilities
While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an
interview will be contacted.