August 21, 2026 Job Posting #1570
YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth. We are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces. YouthLink works towards equitable outcomes for youth in our community and, as such, is committed to equity-based hiring practices.
We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, and racialized people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences. We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma-informed lens. We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and will embrace working outside of Euro-centric practices.
YouthLink Benefits are Top of Class!
· Competitive pay
· Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of 20 working days per year.
· 5 ‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
· 3 paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months’ service.
· Eligibility to participate in pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with generous matching contribution from employer.
Youth and Family Therapist
(Temporary Contract, Full-time, 35 hours/week)
(ASAP – September 20, 2027)
Bargaining Unit Position
This position is responsible for delivering exceptional client service related to individual psychotherapy, family and group therapy for individuals aged 12-24 and their families. This includes capturing a bio/psycho/social assessments, administrating, scoring and delivering results of standardized assessments, treatment planning, case management, psycho-education, advocacy, clinical consultations, individual/family/group psychotherapy, discharge planning, preparation of reports for clients presenting with mental health, emotional or behavioural issues. Additionally, this position develops and implements group therapy curriculum, maintaining confidential and accurate client records for all psychotherapy interactions in the electronic health record (EHR).
Attachment-based, family-focused, healing-centered, and trauma-informed therapeutic models of intervention are required; utilizing an equity, anti-racist, inclusion lens. Therapists create a flexible work schedule with a minimum of two consistent evenings to meet client needs while working as a team to deliver counselling and therapy programs. Services are provided both in-person and virtually depending on therapist’s recommendations. Responsible for a caseload of youth and their families, generating a minimum of 15 attended sessions and 10.5 direct client contacts hours per week. This position reports to the Senior Manager of Clinical Services.
Your Role
Assessment & Treatment Planning
· Establishes and builds rapport through routine contact to initiate the facilitation of a therapeutic alliance and space.
· Ensures informed consent is received prior to proceeding with assessment and/or external communications; utilizes PHIPA to guide the process.
· Completes a Bio/Psycho/Social/Spiritual Assessment including intergenerational content to formalize case conceptualization.
· Determines appropriate assessment tools to administer to enhance the assessment formulation; risk assessment and safety planning as required.
· Administers, interprets and delivers results of appropriate, specialized, standardized clinical assessments.
· Delivers professional recommendations for level of care and life areas for improvement to client’s and family members, where appropriate.
· Engages collaboratively with youth and families to create Treatment Plans that represent therapeutic goals and assessment recommendations.
Individual, Group & Family Therapy
· Creates an atmosphere that allows for client intrapsychic change; supporting clients in attaining goals and a higher quality of life.
· Provides psychotherapeutic and case management service, informed by a trauma lens, attachment, and family systems theories, as well as an anti-oppression, anti-racism and equity framework.
· Develops and delivers psychotherapy interventions appropriate for client’s presenting issues.
· Researches and prepares appropriate documents and other resources for clients.
· De-escalates both individual and family situations as it relates to psychotherapy.
· Directs and implements safety planning for both suicidal and homicidal clients.
· Reports to the appropriate person or body any incidents that may jeopardize client, staff or community safety.
· Develops professionally through individual clinical supervision having an isomorphic impact on the client.
· Takes all necessary precautions to ensure client confidentiality and privacy.
· Develops and delivers group psychoeducation and group therapy, for youth and caregivers with similar presenting issues.
Report Writing and Documentation
· Formulates timely, standardized, succinct, Clinical Reports at the time of Assessment, Treatment Review and End of Service.
· Prepares Ministry of Health Serious Occurrence reports and internal incident reports, when appropriate.
· Records accurate clinical notes contemporaneously.
· Takes all necessary precautions to ensure client confidentiality and privacy.
Health Record Management
· Maintains records and reports as required by Ministry guidelines,
· Accreditation and YouthLink policies and procedures.
· Ensures clear, accurate and consistent client file management, including maintaining electronic document filing and physical records.
· Opens and closes clinical files according to best practice.
· Takes all necessary precautions to ensure client confidentiality and privacy.
· Supports data collection and program evaluation by maintaining complete and consistent records.
Meetings, Committees and Collaborative Networking
· Collaborates within the clinical team to deliver programs across the continuum of care, contributing to onboarding of new counsellors/therapists in program processes.
· Incorporates an intersectional lens that includes all community members promoting diversity and equity into practice.
· Participates in Community initiatives and engagements.
· Attends and participates in team meetings and internal committees.
· Collaborates across organizational boundaries to achieve common goals.
· Develops professionally through group supervision, team meetings, case consultations, clinical rounds, and community of practice, internal and external training events.
· Contributes to the Agency’s Strategic Plan by participating in initiatives and committees to support the overall Plan.
· Takes all reasonable and necessary precautions to protect his or her own health and safety and that of co-workers by complying and demonstrating knowledge of the policies, procedures and safe practices established by YouthLink.
Other duties as assigned.
What You Bring
Education and Training
· Master’s degree in a therapy/psychotherapy related field.
· Licensure/registration in a regulated health college which permits the delivery of the Act of Psychotherapy.
· Associate or Canadian Association for Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT) is an asset.
· Coursework specific to family systems theory is an asset.
· Coursework that demonstrates the ability to provide clinical supervision to Master’s Level students engaged in practicum or internship for psychotherapy is an asset.
· ASSIST Certification is an asset.
Experience
· Minimum of (2) years post masters experience providing healing-centered engagement practices, trauma-informed individual psychotherapy to youth and/or adults.
· Minimum of (2) years post masters experience facilitating psych-educational and group therapy.
· Experience providing service to youth and their families through complex mental health challenges, crisis management and safety planning.
· Experience with attachment and developmental approaches in working with youth and families.
· Experience with substance use/harm reduction theory and practice as applied to youth and families.
· Expertise working with 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
· Experience supporting BIPOC communities and working with youth and families from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds; providing high quality, culturally safe, anti-racist support.
· Experience working in a Children’s Mental Health setting is an asset.
· Expertise in group curriculum development is an asset.
· Experience providing family therapy from a systemic framework is preferred.
· Experience providing clinical supervision to Master’s Level students engaged in practicum or internship is an asset.
Additional Requirements
· Must be able to obtain a Broad Record Police Check.
· Medical clearances including up to date immunization record and 2 step tuberculosis testing is required.
Full job description available here: https://youthlink.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JD-Youth-and-Family-Therapist-May-2026.pdf
Work Conditions:
· This position requires evening hours of 2 evenings per week with individual and family sessions ending at 8:00pm. There are some risks involved in this position such as crisis management.
· Travelling to various YouthLink sites is required.
. 636 Kennedy Rd, Scarborough, ON
. 747 Warden Ave, Scarborough, ON
. 596 Danforth Rd, Scarborough, ON
. 1 – 3545 Kingston Road, Scarborough, ON
. Live-in Treatment
Salary Range: Starting $65,914.
How to Apply
· Submit application to [email protected] -Please quote posting #1570 in the subject line
. As an organization committed to equity and justice in our community, we believe lived experience and knowledge of equity, diversity, belonging and anti-Black racism is a critical component in our recruitment process. If you have a disability and require accessibility accommodations with the application process, please contact [email protected].
· Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.
AI Disclosure:
Our Hiring Process & Use of Technology:
At our organization, people are at the heart of everything we do—including how we hire. We utilize an HRIS platform with integrated AI capabilities to support elements of our recruitment process, including application screening and candidate evaluation. These tools are used to enhance efficiency and consistency but do not replace human decision-making.
We are committed to fair, inclusive, and equitable hiring practices, and we regularly reflect on our processes to reduce bias and ensure all candidates are treated with care and respect.
If you require accommodations during the recruitment process or have any questions about how your application is reviewed, please feel free to reach out— we’re happy to support you.
Pay: From $65,914.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
