Bilingual Counsellor - Remote - Part-Time - Outside QC/ONT

Kids Help Phone is on a transformational journey, one that will change the landscape of youth mental health in Canada.   We cannot do it without a team who are willing to be game changers and help fuel that journey. We need team members that are passionate about making a real difference in young people’s lives. 

Unlock your potential. Carve out a career as unique as yourself. Grow with us. 

Presentation of the organization 

Kids Help Phone is a Canadian and world leader, known for their expertise and continuous innovation as Canada’s only 24/7 professional crisis support, counselling and information services for young people, in both French and English. Since 1989, we have offered kids, teens and young adults a critical lifeline of hope and support through our free, anonymous and confidential services.  Young people reach out to Kids Help Phone’s professional counselors and trained volunteers from every corner of the country via phone, Live Chat and texting, and benefit from their database of local youth-serving programs.  Kids Help Phone’s website is a widely recognized model of youth-focused design; offering therapeutic tools, games, information, and counseling.    

To learn more about Feel Out Loud: the largest youth mental health movement in Canadian history:   

The Feel Out Loud Campaign Cabinet – a group of extraordinary philanthropic and business leaders who are deeply committed to unlocking hope for all youth across Canada    

What I Wouldn’t Do (North Star Calling), a star-studded anthem and video created by over 50 Canadian artists who united across the country to form the musical collective Artists for Feel Out Loud, with the sole purpose of amplifying the conversation around mental health and empowering young people to feel out loud.  

Job description and responsibilities: 

As a KHP counsellor, you will provide single session solution focused support to young people via anonymous phone and live chat. Sessions are offered on a first come first serve basis. You will be supporting young people with a variety of concerns such as: mental health anxiety, depression, family and relationships, school challenges and suicide. Support is provided through a person-centered approach and aligned with counselling best practices. 

What You’ll Bring: 

• Ability to support youth via phone and live chat based counselling services, moving between modalities on every shift. 
• Strong risk assessment and safety planning skills pertaining to youth risk and safety: Child Welfare, Suicide and Self-Injury, Substance Abuse, Threats against Others etc.  
• Ability to work independently and have sound judgement on situations that require escalation to management. 
• A strong work ethic, professionalism, and the ability to maintain boundaries, especially when addressing challenging calls that may involve individuals displaying strong emotions, including anger. 
• Reflexive practice; empowering and strengths-based, client-centered approach; non-judgmental; strong, professional boundaries; recognition of and advocate for service users’ autonomy in their journey; commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility; ability to adapt to changing client needs. 
• The ability to communicate with empathy, curiosity and professionalism. 
• The ability to merge your own personality and counselling style with Kids Help Phone’s clinical model. 
• Active engagement in individual supervision, group supervision, clinical consultations, coaching, in-service training, team meetings, and other scheduled activities. 
• Participation in a positive workplace culture by engaging respectfully and collaboratively with colleagues while embodying Kids Help Phone’s values (Courageous, Collaborative, Innovative, Resilient, Trustworthy). 
• Ability to work in a high energy and dynamic environment. 

What You’ll Need: 

• Bachelor or Master's degree or diploma in social services (Social Work, Counselling, Psychology, Sexology, Child and Youth Care, etc.) or equivalent with experience in crisis work and counselling. 
• A minimum of 1-2 years experience in crisis intervention and/or counselling, including solid risk assessment and safety planning skills (practicum/placement experience is considered); 
• Outstanding communication skills in English (spoken and written) as well as French (for bilingual positions); 
• Sound knowledge of various national and provincial legislation related to youth at risk including making decisions regarding appropriate and relevant referrals to community authorities (i.e., emergency services and Child Protective Services as required); 
• Sound typing and written communication to counsel on our Live Chat service; 
• Stable and dedicated high speed internet (minimum 25 Mbps of download speed and 10 Mbps of upload speed to the device being used); a closed private workspace 

If you reside in the province of Quebec, bilingualism is required as the majority of our calls are in English and the nature of the work (crisis intervention) requires a high proficiency in both language to ensure positive outcomes for our clientele.

Don’t meet every single qualification and requirement? Studies have shown that women and racialized people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At KHP we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles that our organization is recruiting for.

Please note our training dates below for the new year - 2025. Training is mandatory:

January 13 to January 17 from 10:00am to 6:00pm EST and

January 20 to January 24 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm EST

 February 24 to February 28 from 10:00am to 6:00pm EST and

March 3 to March 7 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm EST

  April 7 to April 11 from 10:00am to 6:00pm EST and

April 14 to April 18 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm EST

May 5 to May 9 from 10:00am to 6:00pm EST and

May 12 to May 16 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm EST

July 14 to July 18 from 10:00am to 6:00pm EST and

July 21 to July 25 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm EST

Applications for this position will close at the date at the top of the job posting

The Small Print:

 Accommodation Statement:

Kids Help Phone welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities, as such reasonable accommodations are available upon request from a candidate with a disability, thus ensuring you can take part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. If as a qualified job applicant, you request an accommodation, we will consult with you and provide reasonable accommodations according to your accessibility needs. If you wish to make a request, please provide a cover letter, when applying to this position. 

The successful candidate to this role will be asked to complete a background screen, which may include criminal, credit, employment, educational checks and/or COVID 19 vaccination checks. All offers of employment are conditional on the receipt of satisfactory results of any applicable check.

Statement on Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility (I.D.E.A.): 

Kids Help Phone provides services in one of the most diverse countries in the world. The diversity of our communities takes many forms. It includes differences related, amongst others to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, gender expression and presentation, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, and socioeconomic status. We see diversity as an asset to our organization and communities and strive to be reflective of the communities that we serve. We commit ourselves to promoting better understanding and appreciation of our human diversity; a commitment which is best realized through our individual and collective effort. 

We are professionally and personally committed to celebrating the rich diversity, equity and inclusion of people who work in our company, to those who live in our communities, and to those who access our services and resources. We believe that it is critical that our services empower freedom of thought and opinion in an environment of mutual respect. All our activities and interactions are enriched by accepting each other as we are and by celebrating our uniqueness as well as our commonality. We are guided by the principle that celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion enriches and empowers the lives of all people.  

Message to Agencies:

Kids Help Phone does not accept unsolicited telephone calls, referrals or resumes from any source other than directly from candidates. Kids Help Phone will not consider unsolicited telephone calls, referrals and/or resumes from vendors including and without limitation, search firms, staffing agencies, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies. The submission of referrals or resumes by anyone other than a candidate directly to Kids Help Phone is not welcome. Unsolicited referrals and resumes sent to Kids Help Phone will be deemed gratuitous, and Kids Help Phone will not be obligated or bound in any way to pay a referral or any other fee if a person referred to us from a source other than a direct candidate is subsequently hired.

#KDIND