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.

Rexdale Community Health Centre is expanding the services available to African Canadian & Caribbean Youth through its partnership with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health- CAMH and its Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian & Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY), known as AMANI.

The Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth, AMANI, provides culturally responsive services and care to youth (between ages 14 and 29) from the Black community. AMANI's model is rooted in holistic, healing-centred, 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 families.

Primary function

This position will work largely with Black youth/clients and their families, as appropriate, who are dealing with mental illness and/or co-morbid addiction and, as necessary, provide consultation and referrals to other providers serving this population. The successful incumbent will 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.

Accountability

Considering Rexdale Community Health Centre's commitment to participatory management, staff in this and all other positions in the Centre are expected to be willing, when requested,



to explain the reasons for a decision or action to other staff or community members, particularly when others are affected by the decision or action. In addition, all staff are expected to offer information and opinion, when relevant, to staff responsible for the development of program or Centre policies and procedures; correspondingly, all staff with responsibility for the development of policies or procedures are expected to efficiently and effectively solicit information and opinion from staff who may be affected by those policies and procedures.

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 & services which consider the experiences of the African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) community around racial trauma and racial gaslighting.
- 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 support for youth, including working collaboratively with formal and informal support systems.
- Identify and coordinate community services to support youth and families’ mental health needs within their daily workplace, including school, home, employment, legal, and other community domains.
- Utilize strong case management and advocacy skills, with extensive knowledge of resources within the community.
- Prioritize demands effectively to balance the complex needs of youth.
- Conduct risk assessments in the community.
- Provide culturally responsive counselling and information to reduce the incidence, duration and intensity of a crisis.
- Provide one-on-one counselling, including psychosocial assessments by gaining an understanding of health risks based on the Social Determinants of Health framework (e.g. socio-economic position, housing, educational, financial and legal needs).
- Coordinate, implement and evaluate treatment plans as well as implement group support programs.
- Collect data relevan

📌 AMANI Mental Health Therapist (Canada)
🏢 Rexdale CHC
📍 Canada