AMANI Mental Health Therapist

About This Role

This mental health therapist position focuses on providing culturally responsive services and care to Black youth and their families who are dealing with mental illness and/or co-morbid addiction. The role involves delivering care within the AMANI model, which recognizes the lived experience of Black youth who have faced anti-Black racism and oppression.

Responsibilities

• Devise and deliver goal-focused, trauma-informed assessments and treatment in partnership with youth, and at times their families, and other supports working toward improving functioning in the community and overall wellbeing
• Engage with clients to develop a trusting, supportive and sustained long-term relationship
• Utilize a strengths-based approach, provide support, encouragement, information and feedback that enable youth and family members to realize their goals
• Develop and deliver programs and organize groups for identified priority populations
• Ensure appropriate treatment is delivered by maintaining client records and assessment notes, and correspondence within the safeguard of confidentiality
• Use an anti-oppressive and Afrocentric practice
• In collaboration with the AMANI Case Manager, develop working relationships and rapport with community service providers in providing culturally adaptive language and services which consider the experiences of the African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) community around racial trauma and racial gas lighting
• Assist clients (and families) in identifying and advocating for their civil and legal rights
• Link clients and family members to supports and services that will promote their well-being, enhance their ability to meet their mental health needs and support the exhibition of adaptive behaviours that address problematic substance use
• Provide case management

About the Company

The Rexdale Community Health Centre (RCHC) is a multi-service centre providing primary health care, health promotion, and community support services, including settlement and community development activities for families, children, youth, adults, and seniors of diverse backgrounds. RCHC is expanding services to African Canadian and Caribbean Youth through its partnership with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) and its Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY), known as AMANI. AMANI provides culturally responsive services and care to youth (between ages 14 and 29) from the Black community, rooted in holistic, healing-centred, Afrocentric, and culturally responsive care, offering a range of prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented services.