Title: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Advisor

Employee Working Location: Remote

Employment Status: Temporary Full-Time (till 31 March 2025)

Salary Band: $55,993 - $81,656/year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) – one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet and an awardee on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2024 - is seeking a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Advisor to join our team.

We are guided by our Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons who share our values and want to contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace to apply.

As part of the team within Friendly Calls, the incumbent will work in collaboration to the program leadership with support from the national MHPSS unit. The incumbent will work in collaboration with CRC personnel, including friendly calls volunteers, and counterparts within provinces, to provide enhanced psychosocial support to individuals experiencing isolation, loneliness, or otherwise in need of additional supports.

In this role, you will :

• Provide enhanced psychosocial support, community connections and coping strategies to enhance their ability to self-navigate their wellness (primarily over the phone).
• Work to ensure minimum standards on participant accountability, child protection, gender and diversity are met within the CRC program and services to participants. Also provide resources and education on psychosocial issues, including stress, grief, and loss, among others that occur following traumatic events.
• Interface with colleagues on collaboration and integration of MHPSS within the the program.
• Advocate for a participant-centered approach both internally and externally in matters of mental health and psychosocial support, which recognizes issues of equity and cultural diversity.
• Review existing strengths and supports and support appropriate triage for services internal/external to CRC (e.g., demographic and contextual information, mental health and psychosocial needs, vulnerabilities and risks, capacities and resources) to meet identified needs.
• Lead capacity-building activities as relevant to the operation or program based on Advisor’s specialized and professional knowledge (e.g., harm reduction approaches, traditional ways of knowing).
• Maintain records & reporting required within the program. Attend meetings as required.
• Contribute to PSS reporting responsibilities and implementation of key monitoring tools as part of the planning and program management process.
• In addition to the above responsibilities, the MHPSS Advisor may be requested to surge into other contexts/roles to meet workforce requirements including Response deployment.

What we are looking for :

• Professional certification or degree in public health, medicine, psychology, social work, nursing, or other mental health related field (Professional Registration is an asset) 
• Training and/or experience in crisis and/or suicide intervention (e.g., ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training) and experience in an emergency environment (e.g., response to disasters, crisis events, humanitarian crises).
• Ability to analyze complex issues and prepare written reflections and recommendations for leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to advocate for and reinforce self-determination and coping mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability to work in stressful and often ambiguous conditions is required.
• Advanced level of reflexivity in order to work effectively and professionally in a fast-paced and changing environment plus strong written and verbal communication.
• Fluency in French and English is required.

Working Conditions :

• The majority of the work is performed in an environment which is mostly clean and comfortable. Mobile (remote, home or office) worker arrangements will consider the tools, resources and environment required to be effective and productive.
• Travel, including overnight travel in Canada may be required.
• Potential for deployment to disaster/crisis areas, as well as difficult and unstable conditions (environmental, physical, social, etc.) and uncomfortable conditions (noise, odors, smoke, humidity, vulnerable beneficiaries). These stressful rapidly changing environments with limited information to make decisions have the potential to affect the physical and psychological state of the responders on site and providing support over the phone.
• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible - those who apply after the selection process has started may be held for a second review if needed OR reviewed for alternative roles. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to apply and thank you in advance. 
 
If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential. 
 
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