File No: OP-25-252
Date Posted: July 22, 2025
Closing Date: Until filled
Location: Various Specialized Accommodations
Dates of Vacancy: September 29, 2025
Hours of Work: 24 hours minimum guarantee (per pay)
Wage: Hourly: Start – $32.12 6 Months – $32.70 One Year – $33.16
POSITION: To provide specialized supports which are empirically-based and out-come driven as part of a multi-disciplinary team for individuals with a developmental disability and a mental health diagnosis and/or challenging behaviour. Treatment Counsellors will work under the direction of the Supervisor-Specialized Accommodations &Intensive Supports and will support persons served in a specially designated transitional treatment home, and/or designated long-term specialized accommodation. Treatment Counsellors will be appointed as primary counsellors for specific persons served and will work collaboratively with families, agencies and other members of Ongwanada’s multi-disciplinary team utilizing a bio-psycho-social model.
DUTIES:
- Working in a manner that incorporates health promotion, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, cultural sensitivity and anti-stigma approaches; recognizes the social determinants of health
- Assisting with activities of daily living, i.e., feeding, dressing, bathing, ambulation and support in toileting and hygiene requirements;
- Observing and reporting any unusual physical or behavioural symptoms;
- Completing ongoing data collection, recording and analysis as it relates to such factors as behaviour, skill acquisition, seizure activity, temperature, weight, specimen collection etc;
- Being alert to any changes in a person served conditions and taking appropriate action as well as reporting changes to the Supervisor- Specialized Accommodations & Intensive Supports and appropriate professional i.e. nurse, physician, psychiatrist, psychologist etc.;
- Accompanying persons served to appointments with professionals and implementing recommendations.
- Transcribing physicians’ orders;
- Monitoring, preparing and administering medication as prescribed with a high accuracy rate;
- Performing Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPI) and first-aid as required.
- Preparing and collating assessments and attending support plan meetings as the Primary Counsellor;
- Completing ongoing data collection, recording and analysis as it relates to behaviour;
- Designing/implementing Behaviour Support Plans/treatment strategies as assigned in all environments;
- Assessing needs, designing and implementing programming that will prepare for discharge and their return home.
- Encouraging choice and helping persons served to participate in community living to the best of their abilities;
- Participation in regular staff meetings with the treatment home manager to plan and review the progress of each person served based on observable and measurable outcomes;
- Participation in other staff and meetings as assigned;
- Participation in individual supervision meetings with treatment home manager on a bi-weekly basis;
- Participating in training exercises which will include direct observation, modelling and feedback as well as teaching of others;
- Participation in ongoing data collection, analysis and display to evaluate the efficacy of behaviour support plans/treatment plans designed to reduce challenging behaviours and increase the persons served skills;
- Utilizing video surveillance as an observational and training tool for support in addition to monitoring safety.
For the complete position description please contact careers@ongwanada.com
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED:
- Incumbent must be a graduate of a Developmental Service Worker (DSW), Behavioural Science Technologist (B.S.T) or B.A. Psychology or a Registered Nurse (RN/RPN) or another acceptable post-secondary program deemed to be appropriate;
- Incumbent must have successfully completed/maintain Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, Advanced Crisis Intervention Training, Behavioural Analysis Training and any other course deemed appropriate by Ongwanada;
- Training in ASIST, anti-human trafficking, overdose prevention and trauma informed care is an asset
- Current CPR/First Aid certificates and complete re-certification as per Ongwanada standards;
- Incumbent must have successfully completed a Pharmacology course deemed acceptable to Ongwanada and maintain medication training in keeping with Ongwanada policies;
- Must possess and maintain a valid G Driving License with full driving privileges in order to provide transportation as required. Applicants will be expected to drive Ongwanada vans as part of their assigned duties;
- Strong interpersonal skills to facilitate professional, warm, friendly, clear assertive communication with persons served, their families, colleagues, agencies and members of the larger community will be required in this position;
- Incumbent must have good oral and written skills, as well as good observational and recording skills;
- Experience working with dual diagnosis individuals as well as highly physically aggressive individuals in an intense work environment is a requirement of this job;The incumbent must meet and maintain the physical and cognitive requirements of the position. In addition, the candidate must have maintained a satisfactory attendance record;
- Shift work will be required;
- Experience working in an environment which supports a bio-psycho-social approach would be an asset;
- Competent computer literacy skills and experience working in a vocational, non-vocational or basic life skills program would also be an asset.
Please submit a Cover Letter and Resume quoting file number by the noted closing date to:
Human Resources Specialist
Ongwanada
191 Portsmouth Avenue
Kingston, ON K7M 8A6
Fax (613) 548-8135 Email: careers@ongwanada.com
Please note consideration will be given to internal bargaining unit members before proceeding with external applicants.
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Pay: $32.12-$33.16 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee assistance program
- On-site parking
Schedule:
- 12 hour shift
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Evening shift
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- Night shift
- On call
- Weekends as needed
Work Location: In person
Expected start date: 2025-09-29