Position Title: Social Worker Francophone (AMANI Mental Health & Substance Use Program)
Company/Program: Windsor Essex Community Health Centre – Teen Health site
Classification: Permanent, Full-Time (35 hours/week)
Date Posted: August 18, 2025
At weCHC, we’re more than a workplace — we’re a purpose-driven team passionate about creating healthier communities. Our work supports a diverse population, often with complex and unique needs, and we meet this challenge with compassion, innovation, and commitment. Whether you’re looking to grow your career or take the next step in a meaningful role, weCHC offers the opportunity to contribute to something bigger, alongside colleagues who value collaboration, inclusion, and belonging.
What We Offer
1. A dynamic and supportive work environment
2. Comprehensive employment package* supporting your health and wellbeing
- Professional development opportunities
- Wellness and Personal days
- Your birthday off
- Minimum 3 weeks' vacation
- Group health benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
*Eligibility based on employment status
3. A welcoming, inclusive, and accessible space for all.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
weCHC is expanding services available to African Canadian, Caribbean, and Francophone Black youth through its partnership with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) and the AMANI Mental Health & Substance Use Program.
AMANI provides culturally responsive services and care to youth (between ages 12 and 29) from the Black communities. AMANI’s model is rooted in holistic, healing centered, Afrocentric, and culturally responsive care. Offering a range of prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented services, to assist youth and their families/caregivers in reducing harm, moving toward recovery, and making healthy choices for themselves and their family. The program places focus on the full spectrum of social determinants of health and is grounded in shared community values. The service also recognizes the resiliency and strength, cultural diversity and intersectional experiences of Black youth. AMANI is individually tailored to respond to the lived experiences of anti-Black racism, and systemic oppression.
The AMANI model recognizes that mental health, and health services more generally, have historically and presently, harmed Black and Indigenous peoples. We recognize that access to these systems; even though these services will be Black led, still exist within systems that perpetuate anti-black racism, colonialism, and patriarchy. We recognize that access to these systems can be unsafe, and much of the work is to provide culturally safe, strength-based, resourceful, healing centered, and low barrier care.
Clinical interventions include outreach, assessment, case management, individual and group therapy. AMANI staff meet clients where they are at, work from a healing centered and holistic model of care and incorporate this into an approach that affirms a strong sense of identity from which clients can grow. Staff operate within an anti-racism/anti-oppression and resisting anti-Black racism frameworks.
This position will predominantly serve Black Francophone youth and families, offering bilingual (French/English) services. weCHC encourages applications from individuals reflecting the diversity of the communities we serve, with priority given to Black, Francophone, and intersectional applicants.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION
This position will support the mission, vision and values of weCHC. The Social Worker Francophone position will:
- Work largely with Black Francophone youth and their families/caregivers who are dealing with mental illness and/or co-morbid addiction, providing bilingual (French/English) mental health and substance use services and, as necessary, providing consultation and referrals to other providers serving this population
- Deliver care within the AMANI model that recognizes the lived experience of Black youth who have faced anti-black racism and oppression as it relates to the many aspects of their lives, including social determinants of health (ex. housing, employment and education)
- Utilize healing-centered, trauma-informed, Africentric approaches in all client interactions
- Utilize a strengths-based approach, provide support, encouragement, information and feedback that enable clients and family members to realize their goals
- Perform intake assessment, counselling/therapy and crisis intervention functions to individuals, families and the community and manage case loads effectively
- Engage with clients to develop a trusting, supportive and sustained relationship
- Inform clients (and their family/network) about services available and assist them in choosing potential service providers/partners that are most likely to have culturally adaptive services
- Assist clients (and families) in identifying and advocating for their civil and legal rights
- Provide client accompaniment as appropriate
- Outreach to new referrals who identify or appear to have a service need, assuring sufficient time and flexibility to initiate a working relationship and promote the engagement process
- Endeavour to provide flexible and timely services in the client’s environment of choice
- Monitor, regularly review and revise service plans with clients & supports
- Implement appropriate strategies by working with the inter-professional team using a client centered approach, providing individual, family and group work services to clients
- In coordination with the AMANI Caseworker, develop working relationships and rapport with community service providers in providing culturally adaptive language and services which take into account the experiences of the Black Francophone community (ex. racial trauma, racial gaslighting)
- Support program development and clinical evaluation and be an active participant in continuous quality improvement and research activities
- Contribute to chart documentation as per college and weCHC standards; participate in chart review and case conferences
- Promote health, psychoeducation, and harm reduction strategies tailored to Black Francophone youth
- Ensure that professional boundaries are discussed and respected
- Supervise graduate students in field placement practicum or internships as appropriate
- Support a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable and regulatory requirements
- Collaborate with community partners to support population health from a social work perspective
- Ensure adherence to applicable provincial and federal legislation, including: AODA, OHRC, PHIPA, and FLSA requirements
- Perform other duties that support the mission and vision of the organization and/or as assigned based on position responsibilities and/or site requirements.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in counselling/therapy, with preference to experience in a community health setting, preferably with Black and/or Francophone communities
- Demonstrated skills and experience in working with African Canadian and Caribbean youth, in addition to lived experience and must identify as a member of the Black Francophone community.
- Demonstrated experience as a role model is essential
- Skills and experience in the assessment and treatment of substance abuse and/or mental health treatment inclusive of individual and group counseling.
- Capacity to work with complex high-risk clients and demonstrated excellence in applying best practices to clinical care is required
- Excellent documentation, organizational and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment where standardized data collection is used to evaluate outcomes is essential
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an inter-professional team environment
- Strong communication skills (verbal and written) combined with computer literacy are required
- Ability to negotiate, communicate and maintain a supportive, trusting relationship with those being served
- Knowledge of community resources for African Canadian and Caribbean youth and their families in substance abuse treatment is essential
- Understanding of intersectional issues affecting disability, homelessness, immigrant/refugee populations, and 2SLGBTQAI+ youth.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation: Ontario Mental Health Act, PHIPA, AODA, FLSA, OHRC.
- Comprehensive knowledge of the unique challenges faced by African Canadian and Caribbean youth and their families across the social determinants of health
- Experience in program development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
- Additional supervised clinical training an asset
- Adherence to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of Social Work
- Clean driver’s abstract, current, valid Class “G” Driver’s License and reliable transportation to support travel across Windsor-Essex County and the province, as required
- Comprehensive knowledge of the French-Language Services Act (FLSA) and compliance standards (e.g., active offer principles).
- Bilingual (English/French) language skills are required. Proficiency will be validated during the recruitment process.
Education and certificate requirements
- Graduate degree in Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a recognized University; or Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) with 5 years relevant experience and CBT training (required), DBT (preferred), ACT (preferred), and trauma training (preferred)
- Formal training in addictions and/or mental health with two or more years of clinical experience in the treatment of concurrent disorders
- Member in good standing and current registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers required.
LANGUAGE
- English is the primary business language of weCHC; applications must be submitted in English.
- Bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to submit materials in French alongside their English application.
CLOSING DATE
Please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected] no later than August 29, 2025. Include the posting number AMSWF25AP in the subject line.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: $70,600.00-$85,100.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Wellness program
Application question(s):
- How many years counselling/therapy experience do you have?
- Do you speak French?
- Do you have lived experience as a member of the Black community?
- Do you have an MSW or BSW degree?
- Do you have CBT, DBT, ACT or any other similar training?
- Are you registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW)?
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 2025-08-11
