Sophiatown Community Psychological Services is a community mental health service targeting vulnerable population groups in the inner city of Johannesburg, and in and around Soweto. Sophiatown CPS offers a range of counselling and other psycho-social support services, with a particular focus on children and families whose emotional well-being has been impacted by HIV/AIDS and bereavement; forced displacement and war; violence in the home and the community; extreme poverty; the burden of care, and other forms of economic and social marginalization.
Job Title: Counsellor/Project Coordinator
Job Location: Soweto
Purpose of the position is to be part of the Sophiatown counselling team, run counselling groups for children and youth, and manage an innovative family-based intervention project in Soweto.
Responsibilities:
- Individual and family-based counselling
- Facilitation of group-based psycho-social support interventions
- Facilitation of therapeutic holiday programmes, parenting workshops, retreats and other community interventions
- Coordination of a community project involving HIV/AIDS affected children and their families
- Ongoing professional development
- Effective record-keeping, report-writing and other administrative tasks
- Design and implementation of basic participatory M and E processes
Requirements
- Grade 12
- Fluent in spoken and written English and fluent in at least two other official SA languages
- Successful completion of a Counselling Course with a reputable organisation
- At least three years’ experience in counselling in a related organisation
- A professional, non-judgemental, authentic and empathic approach to all people, and commitment to the ethos of Presence, Solidarity, Integrity and Dignity
- Proven experience in running counselling groups with children, as well as with caregivers
- Proven experience in community work
- Ability to work both independently and in teams
- Proven ability to write process notes and reports on work done
- Computer skills (MS Word and Outlook)
- Emotional resilience and stability
- A valid police clearance certificate
- Valid Code B driver’s license
Desirable skills, experience, and knowledge:
- Knowledge and experience in diverse settings of psycho-social work particular to South Africa such as trauma, bereavement, displacement, domestic violence, violence and abuse, HIV and AIDS
- Training and experience in trauma counselling
- Ability to integrate psycho-social theory and practice
- Ability to reflect on experience and engage with supervision
- Ability to guide, mentor and support other team members
- Proven experience in community project management
- Ability to build networks of support with partner organisations, schools and other service providers
- Initiative and creativity to solve problems in resource deprived settings
- A willingness to go beyond the call of duty
- Resident in the greater Johannesburg and Soweto area
To apply
Please send a motivation letter and a CV, together with three contactable referees to [email protected]
Application Deadline: Wednesday, 3 July, 2019