Family Court Counsellor

Job Information

Job Title: Family Court Counsellor

Job Requisition ID: 61795

Ministry: Justice

Location: Calgary

Full or Part-Time: Full Time

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week

Permanent/Temporary: Four temporary and three (3) permanent positions

Scope: Open Competition

Closing Date: November 1, 2024

Classification: Human Services Worker 5

Salary: $2,628.47 to $3, 397.79 bi-weekly ($68,603 - $88,682 per year)

The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve to best meet the needs of Albertans. Consider joining a team where diversity, inclusion and innovation are valued and supported. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/diversity-inclusion-policy.aspx .

The Court and Justice Services (CJS) Division provides a wide range of resolution and court services for people involved in legal disputes. In collaboration with the courts of Alberta, Court and Justice Services provides various programs and services including educating and helping Albertans finding solutions for legal issues, navigating the court system, offering programs at no cost or a nominal charge, and administrative support to all courts in Alberta. To learn more about Court and Justice Services, please follow the link at https://www.alberta.ca/court-and-justice-services.aspx .

Within CJS, Family Court Counsellors provide Albertans with a wide range of service delivery expertise including safety screening, assessment, education, limited conflict resolution assistance, limited support inside and outside the courtroom, guidance, information, referrals, and resources in relation to parenting from two homes. For more information please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/family-court-assistance.aspx .

Role Responsibilities

Are you a dedicated, hardworking, and caring individual looking to make a difference in the lives of Alberta families? Alberta Justice has an opportunity waiting for you!

As a Family Court Counsellor, you will report to the Team Lead, Assessment Services. You will work independently and collaboratively with colleagues in the same location and across the province to ensure seamless service delivery to Albertans. Your strong working relationships with Court Operations, Judiciary, and the legal community are crucial to ensure services are delivered to clients and the operations of the Alberta Court of Justice and/or King’s Bench family docket court.

At the direction of Management and the Team Lead, you will complete data collection and participate in program development initiatives to ensure services are provided in a user-friendly, cost-effective manner.

Operating within a team structure, you will be responsible for, but not limited to the following:

Screening, Assessment, and Referral

• Provide triage and intake services including safety screening, needs assessment, referrals as necessary, and limited assistance completing and filing Family Law Act court documents.
• Inform clients about communication and dispute resolution skills to assist clients in resolving their disputes.
• Identify and outline options available for the client to decide on a course of action.
• Deliver ongoing assessments, information, support, guidance, and assistance to clients prior to, during and following court.
  
  

Case Management

• Negotiate and facilitate terms of consent with parties in attendance at court, for the courts review and endorsements .
• Provide ongoing court support, referrals, and resources to clients as needed. Provide ongoing case management services for all self-represented parties to a related court action.
• Follow up on procedural matters, including subsequent court filings and legal service requirements.
• Continually assess for safety risks or possible barriers to service delivery and provide supports accordingly.
• Negotiate resolution of issues between the parties using conflict resolution skills including identifying the needs and interests of the parties.
• Liaise with Children’s Services workers, Alberta Supports staff, legal counsel, and community agencies to coordinate services and best support the family.
  
  

In-Court Support

• Facilitate court appearances on legislated and specified Family Law Act applications, assisting parties towards resolution, educational resources, interventions and /or transferring parties to alternate court services.
• Assist families with their various concerns in the fast-paced environment of the Resolution Services office and the Provincial Family docket court and Chamber.
• Respond to actions, directions and requests from the judiciary that fall within the scope of the role.
  
  

Consultation and Public Relations

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with external stakeholders (i.e., Lawyers, Legal Aid, Community Legal centers, women’s shelters, native counselling services and police services) to ensure information sharing and optimal client services.
  
  

Roles Continue

Administration

• Complete timely and accurate entries on the Resolutions Services provincial database relating to client services and court activity in accordance with policy/procedure.
  
  

As The Ideal Candidate, You Will Possess

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Attention to detail relating to file and legal documentation.
• Exceptional interpersonal, interviewing, assessment, negotiation, dispute resolution and decision-making abilities.
• The ability to work under pressure and assist clients in highly emotional circumstances is essential.
• A strong ability to work independently and work well as a team member with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge and awareness of changing processes, legislation, social trends, best practices and new research in family, law matters; utilizing this knowledge to maximize effectiveness of responsibilities to inform, educate and assess.
  
  

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Social Work Degree or related education, plus some related experience in areas such as negotiation, mediation and conducting client interviews and assessments.

All applicants must include a cover letter (approximately 300 – 400 words). In your letter, please describe how your qualifications, experience, and skills would be suitable for this position. It will be as a screening tool to assess writing and proofreading abilities. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Equivalency

• Related University Degree (Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, etc.) and 2 years related practical experience; OR
• Master of Social Work (no experience required); OR
• Related Diploma and 3 years related experience; OR
• Related Certificate and 4 years related experience.
  
  

Other Requirements

As per the Health Professions Act, successful applicants must be registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) if:

• they have a degree in social work from any university in North America that is accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) or the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); OR
• they have graduated from an approved social work diploma program in Alberta; OR
• They have, within the last five years, been a registered, certified, or licensed social worker in another province or with a member of the Association of Social Work Boards.
  
  

Please be prepared to provide your registration details if/when they are requested. For more information, please visit: http://www.acsw.ab.ca/ .

Assets

Preference Will Be Given To Candidates With

• Work experience in family violence dynamics.
• Work experience in demonstrating interview and assessment techniques and skills, including safety screening.
• Working knowledge of Family Law Act and the Divorce Act.
• Working knowledge of Alberta Court of Justice and Court of King’s Bench court processes.
• Training and/or certification in Family Mediation.
  
  

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards .

Notes

Position Information

• This is for four (4) temporary, full-time position with a duration of 12 months, and three (3) full-time, permanent positions, all located at the Calgary Courts Centre.
• The hours of work for this position are Monday to Friday, 8:15AM-4:30PM, 36.25 hours a week.
  
  

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Leadership and mentorship programs
  
  

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This Link Will Assist You With Understanding Competencies

https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf .

The Successful Candidate Will Possess The Following Competencies

• AGILITY: You can anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• SYSTEMS THINKING: You consistently take a holistic and long-term view of challenges and opportunities at multiple levels across related areas.
• DEVELOP NETWORKS: You proactively connect and build trust in relationships with different stakeholders.
• BUILD COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS: You lead and contribute to the conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve outcomes.
• CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: You can assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solution.
• DRIVE FOR RESULTS: You can identify what outcomes are important and maximize the use of resources.
  
  

How To Apply

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.

Instructions For Your Resume

For Employment Experience:

• Please indicate duration of employment (month, year)
• Please specify employment status (i.e., casual, part-time, or full-time)
• Ex: Youth Worker, Jan 2006 - June 2009, Part-time (three, 8-hour shifts/week)
  
  

For Any Post-Secondary Education

• Please specify your major and length of program
• Please specify the year you graduated.
• Ex: Bachelor of Social Work, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017)
  
  

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/job-application-resources#before for more information. Please visit Recruitment Principles , for more information.

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)( https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment.aspx ) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information ( https://canalliance.org/en/default.html ).

It is recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Sonya Bartley-Wynter at [email protected] .