Child & Family Services (CFS) Clinical Counsellor

Job Title: CFS Clinical Counsellor 

Job Category: Full-time permanent 

Department/Group: Health and Community Services 

Department #: 700 

Location: Tofino, BC 

Rate of pay: $75,000-$90,000 annual salary 

Reports To: CFS Manager 

Position Type: Salary Position 

 The Child & Family Services (CFS) Clinical Counsellor offers holistic support to the members of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations community. The role prioritizes the well-being and healing of individuals, ensuring a balance between cultural traditions and modern therapeutic practices. This position upholds the values of accountability, respect, and community healing by maintaining detailed and accurate records that reflect the Nation's teachings and providing reports to funders such as the First Nations Health Authority, offering a comprehensive view of the services provided. 

Cultural Commitment: The CFS Clinical Counsellor is deeply committed to the cultural values of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, ensuring that all services provided are grounded in the traditional ways of knowing, healing, and understanding. This role actively promotes the Tla-o-qui-aht concept of huu-piits-tulth (helping one another), with the aim of fostering a thriving, healthy community that supports its members in the restoration of balance, wellness, and connection to both the land and each other.

 Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Facilitate cultural healing and wellness activities, including therapy, counselling, group discussions, and community gatherings that honor the traditional teachings of the Tla-o-quiaht First Nations.

 • Stay well-versed in diverse healing practices, both traditional and contemporary, and guide clients to appropriate resources that resonate with their individual needs.

 • Offer ongoing support to Tla-o-qui-aht youth, adults, and families, ensuring that their  emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs are met. 

• Support the Holding Up Our Women and Girls Project, facilitating safe spaces where women and girls can engage in cultural activities, learn about topics such as sexual health, consent, healthy relationships, trauma, resilience, and abuse prevention, and participate in wellness practices such as self-defence and safety planning. 

• Collaborate with Tla-o-qui-aht Elders and cultural leaders to impart knowledge of traditional skills, including language, beading, weaving, regalia-making, harvesting, food and medicine preparation, and cultural ceremonies. • Organize monthly on the land experiences, such as harvesting, hiking, boat rides, or camping trips, allowing women and girls to connect with the land and the teachings of the Ha’wiih (Hereditary Chiefs).

 • Collaborate with Elders and cultural experts to collect and share traditional Nuu-chah-nulth teachings on sexual health, consent, and healthy relationships, developing educational materials and videos for the community.

 • Work alongside the Community Services Team to develop and deliver community education focused on prevention, understanding trauma, creating safety, and supporting healthy relationships, using various mediums such as social media, print resources, and workshops. 

• Host community gatherings, workshops, and meetings centered on the importance of safety, healing, and resilience, ensuring that community members, especially the most vulnerable, are supported by a strong and caring circle. 

• Provide services, support, and referrals to individuals impacted by sexualized violence, abuse, and assault, particularly those disclosing during the Holding Up Our Women and Girls Project.

 • Create and distribute resources such as referral forms, pamphlets, and manuals to support community healing. • Foster partnerships with the Warriors Program and Men’s Group to offer joint programming that addresses sexual health, abuse prevention, and consent through culturally relevant teachings.

 • Collaborate with other staff to respond to crises, mobilizing the community to support and strengthen one another in times of need.

 • Integrate traditional Indigenous healing practices with Western counseling methods, creating a bridge that honors both systems of knowledge.

 • Ensure the proper management and confidentiality of client records and documents in accordance with the Nation’s policies and practices.

 • Approach sensitive matters with discernment and respect, honoring the trust of the community and adhering to the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation’s Confidentiality Agreement and Human Resource Policies. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Applications will be accepted until position filled. Submit your resume and cover letter demonstrating how you meet these qualifications to: Lis Kingsley, Human Resources Manager Email: jobs@tla-o-qui-aht.org or drop at the office in a sealed envelope at #1119-A Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino. Only successful applicants granted an interview will be contacted