At the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle, community is at the heart of everything we do. We are a well-established Indigenous-led and governed organization working across Simcoe County, Muskoka, and northern York Region to support the wellness of Indigenous people and communities. We believe in working together, alongside community members, partners, and organizations, to listen, learn, and respond to what matters most.

Our work is guided by values of self-determination, lifelong learning, and meaningful community participation.

We offer a variety of programs and services that reflect the strengths and needs of our communities and support anyone seeking wellness, including seniors, families, and children.

Through Mamaway

Wiidokdaadwin (Everyone Helps), our Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team, we bring together a wide range of supports through primary care, including traditional healing, clinical services, midwifery, counselling, therapy, community addiction services, and land-based healing programming. This package includes enhanced days off to support employees, as well as 5 days of Indigenous cultural training and a work environment that values and supports training and lifelong learning. This position is part of a team-based model of care that is accountable to the communities we serve.

Work is grounded in the principle of Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands. In alignment with Indigenous and provincial standards, the organization upholds excellence in care, accountability, and compliance centred on Indigenous self-determination in health. We look for a commitment to reflexive practices as part of ongoing professional development, including deepening the understanding of Indigenous histories and experiences.

As an important part of the interdisciplinary team, the Outreach Counsellor will perform assessments and treatment planning and provide direct service in collaboration with others.

The Outreach

Counsellor will support clients who wish to detox in their own homes or a similar setting. Evening and weekend hours will be required to provide support.

The Outreach

Counsellor will use a wholistic approach to support clients and their mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health as they progress toward their substance use goals. MWMS is a collaborative service that supports an individual to safely withdraw from substances in their home, the home of a family member or friend, or another community support location.





The Outreach

Counsellor will also help facilitate an addictions support program on a rotating schedule. Assist in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services. Maintain a strong commitment to quality improvement and support the continuous improvement of client care at the team level.

Comply with agency policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures. Provide individual and group counselling to individuals wishing to address substance use. Use crisis intervention strategies and support and educate clients, as appropriate, in relapse prevention, community withdrawal management, treatment referral, self-care strategies, and family support and education.

Liaise with referring primary care providers and other agencies. Provide information and strategies for health promotion and prevention. Provide client-centred advocacy and assist clients in identifying and advocating for their civil and legal rights.

Work in partnership with ethno-racial communities and organizations to facilitate the appropriateness of services for members of these communities. Facilitate connections to needed and wanted services, supports, and resources, including those in the broader community. Day/Evening Program Provide individual and group counselling to individuals wishing to address substance use.

Provide information and strategies for health promotion and prevention. Collect data, including participant/client demographics, service statistics, and goal achievement, as well as information required by other systems that may be developed.

Community Relations

Maintain positive relationships with networks, professional organizations, and other related service providers. Represent the mission, values, and philosophy of the agency in the community, including at networks or meetings as requested. Assist in the training and mentoring of students, new staff, and/or volunteers.

Relevant post-secondary education related to mental health, or an equivalent combination of education, training,



and/or lived experience with mental health and addictions. Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous communities and clients to provide wholistic, culturally safe, and trauma-informed care. Knowledge of community resources and experience navigating and connecting with mental health and addiction services.

Experience in mental health and/or addictions, with a community-based setting preferred. Access to a vehicle, a valid Ontario driver’s licence, and adequate automobile insurance, as well as a driving record that permits insurance through BANAC. Understanding of provincial and local legislation, as well as government policies, procedures, and practices pertaining to services provided by the agency.

Knowledge and practice of harm reduction, client-centred recovery philosophy, and community service delivery. Knowledge of community resources connected to the provision of mental health and addiction services. Good interpersonal and networking skills.

Knowledge of assessment, planning, and skill-teaching strategies. Our work is accountable to Indigenous communities, guided by relationships, knowledge, and practices that shape how we serve and learn together. We work alongside community members, Indigenous organizations and the broader community to ensure our programs reflect the voices and strengths of those we serve.

Our full-time permanent employees enjoy: a generous group health benefits package, including HOOPP enrollment in our Employee Assistance Program, paid time off, cultural leave days and extended holidays professional training opportunities and the opportunity to work in a dynamic community-based supportive work workplace. Work is typically performed in BANAC clinics, offices and / or in community settings. Regular travel to meetings and communities is required; access to a personal vehicle is required.

Reliable

Vehicle – Regional Travel Required. Regular overtime work may be required from time to time. BANAC work site locations are periodically exposed to smoke due to the burning of sacred medicines: tobacco, sweet grass, sage and / or cedar.

R. and A.E.Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you require accommodation for disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please advise the Human Resources Department at: HR@banac.

📌 Mental Health & Addictions Outreach Counsellor (Orillia)
🏢 Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle
📍 Orillia