Description
The Student Accessibility Services Team in Student Experience and Support is currently seeking a Full-time Temporary Relief Neurodiversity Support Advisor for approximately 9 months.
The Neurodiversity Support Advisor (the Support Advisor) reports to the Senior Manager, Student Accessibility Services. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is a complex, multi-faceted work environment responsible for promoting an accessible campus environment for students with disabilities. The Neurodiversity Advisor plays a crucial role in promoting a social model of disability and strength-based approaches to neurodivergence.
This role will help neurodivergent students navigate the complexities of the post-secondary system to ensure they maximize opportunities for success. The position supports enriched quality and breadth of learning in the university community by coordinating proactive and consistent responses to neurodivergent student populations. This Support Advisor provides leadership by intervening and consulting when neurodivergent students require support and engaging with this student community on an outreach basis thereby promoting student retention and success. This position will work with community partners (e.g., the Sinneave Foundation) to ensure coordinated care and support for neurodivergent students.
This position is predominantly located at the U of C Main Campus; however, travel to the other campuses may also be required. Work is complex, with peak periods and short timelines for completion. This is a unionized position working 35 hours a week, Monday to Friday, including early evenings, with occasional requirement to work outside of regular hours.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Wellbeing Support Advising
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Demonstrate a high standard of performance in the provision of a welcoming first point of contact for students.
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Meet 1-1 with students in the pursuit of individual well-being and support.
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Provide accurate and relevant referral information to students based on presenting concerns, along with tailored support to aid in accessing and engaging with various services.
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Provide mental health triage and assess the needs and level of risk of students with the intent of providing appropriate service/referral and reducing barriers to additional on-campus mental health supports.
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Work collaboratively with other members of the Student-at-Risk team and Student Wellness Services staff.
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Assess the emergent nature of intakes and prioritize appointments accordingly.
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Evaluate the needs of students without documentation of disability to determine if further assessment (medical, psychoeducational, or neuropsychological) is appropriate.
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Arrange for further assessment as appropriate and manage the referral process in order to obtain further support for students.
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Supports Faculty and instructional staff to informally resolve issues, conflicts, or challenges related to non-academic conduct of neurodivergent students in collaboration with the conduct office.
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Maintains client files according to protocol and ensures files are updated in a timely, thorough, and ethical manner.
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Ensure all analysis and reporting efforts are compliant with university processes, FOIP, and the Health Information Act.
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Establish collaborative relationships with Residence, Student and Enrolment Services units, faculties, and external referral sources to support students.
Program Coordination
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Maintain the NICE Lounge and the neurodiversity ambassador peer program.
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Deliver programs for this student population, considering issues such as access to services, location, and hours.
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Recruits, trains, mentors, and provides in-scope supervision of student volunteers.
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Identifies and facilitates affinity groups from students with individual and visible disabilities through an intersectional lens.
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Establishes programming goals in collaboration with the Student Success Centre team and other stakeholders and creates and maintains records for accurate data reporting.
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Coordinates assessment evaluation of neurodivergent programming, including the development and delivery of annual reports.
Community Engagement, Partnerships, and Collaboration
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Provide leadership, direction, guidance, and expertise to others within the University community on neurodiversity.
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Work to support the broader university community to understand the needs of neurodivergent students.
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Create and provide programming and training regarding working with and supporting neurodivergent students.
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Serves as the primary contact for neurodivergent support programs within the SAS, liaising directly and maintaining strong relationships with campus staff in the development and refinement of programs.
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Contributes to campus initiatives and participates in working groups designed to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of the University of Calgary for neurodivergent students.
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Work to support the broader university community to understand issues of accessibility and accommodations, including educating the campus community on the distinction between formal accommodations and informal supports.
Qualifications / Requirements:
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Bachelor's degree in Education, Psychology, Social Work, Adult Learning, or equivalent. Master's degree preferred.
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2 years of experience working in supporting young adults in a wellness or mental health-related capacity.
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Experience with crisis intervention, suicide intervention training, and at-risk student behaviors.
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Experience with supporting neurodivergent students.
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Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across various units to move forward with inclusivity and accessibility initiatives for neurodivergent student populations.
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Strong working knowledge of post-secondary student experience and needs across various student intersectional identities.
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Experience successfully handling a large student caseload with a positive student-centric attitude in a highly collaborative environment.
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Strong leadership and organizational skills.
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Demonstrated a strong regard for issues of confidentiality and dealing with highly sensitive material.
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Proven ability to work effectively with multiple departments, organizations, and people in sensitive and complex situations.
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Effective communication skills and the ability to model these skills to students and staff.
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Strong presentation and group facilitation skills.
Application Deadline: June 4, 2026
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 2.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).
Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
