YMCA Job Board

The MSW Counsellor is a core clinical member of the Live-In Treatment (LIT) team, providing assessment, therapeutic intervention, and intensive family-based treatment to youth presenting with complex and high-acuity mental health needs. Youth served within LIT may present with significant emotional dysregulation, trauma histories, suicidality, self-harm, attachment disruptions, and behavioural escalation. This role operates within a structured 24-hour therapeutic milieu and requires confidence in high-acuity situations.

A central component of this role is intensive family engagement and discharge-focused intervention. The Counsellor works collaboratively with youth, caregivers, Child & Youth Workers, psychiatry, psychology, hospital teams, child welfare, and community partners to ensure safe stabilization and sustainable reintegration into home, school, and community environments.

Key Responsibilities

Assessment

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial and risk assessments.
  • Develop trauma-informed clinical formulations to guide individualized treatment planning.
  • Complete and review Plans of Care consistent with Ministry of Health requirements.
  • Conduct suicide and safety risk assessments and contribute to safety planning as required.

Therapeutic Services

• Provide evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group therapy.
  • Deliver structured caregiver coaching and family therapy to support stabilization and reintegration.
  • Utilize evidence-informed approaches such as TF-CBT, attachment-based models, DDP-informed practice, DBT-informed strategies, Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), and strength-based interventions.
  • Support therapeutic integration of treatment goals within the residential milieu.

Crisis Intervention

• Effectively respond to crises using de-escalation, emotional regulation, and safety planning strategies.
  • Support residential staff during high-risk situations and participate in post-incident debriefing.
  • Contribute to Serious Occurrence Reporting and clinical risk documentation as required.

Family Systems Intervention

• Engage caregivers who may be overwhelmed, ambivalent, or experiencing high levels of conflict.
  • Support families in developing consistent behavioural strategies aligned with clinical formulations.
  • Lead structured discharge planning focused on relapse prevention, safety, and sustainable reintegration.
  • Collaborate with child welfare and community providers where applicable.

Milieu Integration & Clinical Consultation

• Provide clinical consultation and guidance to Child & Youth Workers to ensure alignment between clinical goals and daily programming.
  • Translate clinical formulations into practical behavioural strategies within the 24-hour care environment.
  • Participate in case conferences, system planning meetings, and discharge coordination.

Skill Development

• Facilitate skills-building groups and coping strategies to support emotional regulation, social skills, distress tolerance, and resilience.
  • Prepare youth and families for successful reintegration into home, school, and community environments.

Support & Advocacy

• Help youth and families navigate healthcare, education, and community systems.
  • Advocate for client rights and equitable access to services.

Documentation & Quality

• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in EMHware, including assessments, progress notes, treatment plans, and discharge summaries.
  • Ensure compliance with Ministry of Health standards, agency policies, and professional regulatory requirements.
  • Participate in outcome measurement and quality improvement initiatives.
  • Provide therapeutic summaries and warm handovers to external service providers when transitioning care.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW).
  • Registration in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
  • Minimum 3 years post-MSW clinical experience working with youth and families experiencing complex or high-acuity mental health challenges.
  • Experience in live-in, residential, inpatient, crisis, or intensive treatment settings preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience delivering family therapy in high-conflict or high-risk situations.
  • Demonstrated experience in trauma-informed, attachment-based, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.

Clinical Expertise Required

• Strong suicide risk assessment and safety planning skills.
  • Experience working with trauma, attachment disruptions, emotional dysregulation, and behavioural escalation.
  • Ability to engage resistant or ambivalent caregivers.
  • Confidence leading case conferences and interagency coordination.
  • Excellent judgement under pressure.

Who Thrives in This Role

• Clinicians who believe change happens within family systems.
  • Professionals who remain steady and grounded during crisis.
  • Practitioners comfortable balancing empathy with accountability.
  • Team-oriented clinicians who value collaboration within a structured residential setting.

Role Information:

Clinical Employees are expected to operate on flexible hours to conform to the needs of clients.

This is an in person role based in Owen Sound.

Start Date: ASAP

Apply with Resume to: Human Resources at careers@kcyfs.com

Internal Date Posted: March 11, 2026

Internal Closing Date: March 18, 2026

Posted externally until filled

Why Keystone?

At Keystone, we’re on a mission to care for our team as well as our team takes care of our community! Here’s what

you can expect when you join us:

• Comprehensive Health benefits package to support your health and well-being
• HOOPP pension plan – a defined benefit plan
• 18 Days’ Vacation
• Employee & Family Assistance Program (FEAP)
• Professional development and training throughout the year, including ongoing training to advance your skills, Professional Development
• Opportunities for growth within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment
• A passionate, purpose-driven team that values connection, collaboration, and of course the occasional team lunch!
• The chance to make an impact — every day, your work helps strengthen children, youth, and families across Grey and Bruce Counties!
• Pay Scale: OPSEU Counsellor (MSW) Classification as of April 1^st, 2026

Starting rate depending on Experience and progression based on CA

By Email: careers@kcyfs.com

Keystone is the Lead Agency for child and youth mental health in Grey and Bruce. We help ensure services are accessible, effective, and well-connected across our community.

As part of this role, we lead system planning, identify gaps in care, and advocate for fair and equal access. We also support collaborative programs such as One Stop Talk and the Ontario Intensive Treatment Pathway, so families can get the right help when they need it.

We work with over 25 partners, including schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, and Indigenous organizations, to provide strong, coordinated support for children, youth, and their families.