Building Futures Together
Responsive, compassionate services for children, youth, and families to build better and more hopeful futures.
Intensive Treatment and Family Therapist - #26-02
About Keystone:
Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services is a dynamic, not-for-profit organization and the designated Lead Agency for Children’s Mental Health in Grey and Bruce Counties. Since 1974, we have been dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families by delivering compassionate, responsive mental health services.
At Keystone, we provide a full continuum of services, including counseling, prevention and well-being programs, short-term live-in treatment, crisis stabilization, youth justice services, and special needs programming. Our focus on coordinated access ensures that every child and youth aged 0-17 receives tailored, multi-disciplinary care to meet their unique needs.
Position Overview:
The Intensive Treatment and Family Therapist is a specialized clinical member of Keystone’s Intensive Treatment Services continuum, providing assessment, stabilization, therapeutic intervention, family systems engagement, and coordinated transition planning for youth presenting with complex and high-acuity mental health, behavioural, emotional, and relational needs.
Youth served within Live-In Treatment (LIT) and Intensive Treatment Services may present with:
- emotional dysregulation,
- suicidality,
- self-harm,
- attachment disruptions,
- trauma-related responses,
- family conflict,
- behavioural escalation,
- acute mental health destabilization,
- and risk of hospitalization or placement disruption.
This role operates within a structured 24-hour therapeutic milieu and requires advanced clinical judgement, confidence in crisis situations, and the ability to integrate treatment planning across residential, family, hospital, school, and community systems.
A central component of the role is intensive family systems engagement and reintegration-focused intervention. The Intensive Treatment Clinician works collaboratively with youth, caregivers, Child & Youth Workers, psychiatry, psychology, hospital teams, child welfare, schools, and community partners to support stabilization, continuity of care, and sustainable reintegration into home and community environments.
The role supports youth across the continuum of intensive treatment services, including:
- stabilization,
- step-up/step-down transitions,
- hospital diversion where appropriate,
- discharge planning,
- and coordinated transitions between levels of care.
Key Responsibilities:
Clinical Assessment & Formulation
- Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial, risk, and family systems assessments in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams.
- Develop trauma-informed and attachment-informed clinical formulations to guide individualized treatment planning.
- Complete and review Plans of Care consistent with Ministry standards and organizational expectations.
- Conduct suicide risk assessments, safety planning, and crisis response interventions.
- Monitor treatment progress and adjust interventions based on clinical presentation and treatment outcomes.
Intensive Therapeutic Intervention
- Provide evidence-informed therapeutic interventions to youth and families within a live-in treatment environment.
- Deliver individual, family, and caregiver-focused therapeutic interventions aimed at stabilization, emotional regulation, relational functioning, and reintegration.
- Utilize evidence-informed approaches such as:
- TF-CBT,
- attachment-based interventions,
- DDP-informed approaches,
- DBT-informed strategies,
- Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS),
- family systems approaches,
- and strength-based interventions.
- Support integration of treatment goals within the residential milieu and daily programming environment.
Family Systems & Reintegration Work
- Engage caregivers and family systems who may be overwhelmed, ambivalent, high-conflict, or experiencing significant relational strain.
- Facilitate family engagement and participation throughout the treatment process.
- Support caregivers in developing consistent relational, behavioural, and emotional regulation strategies aligned with treatment goals.
- Lead reintegration and discharge-focused planning to support sustainable transitions back to home, school, and community environments.
- Coordinate continuity of care and warm transitions between residential, hospital, community, and outpatient services.
Crisis Stabilization & Transitional Care
- Provide clinical support for youth experiencing acute emotional or behavioural escalation.
- Collaborate with hospital and community partners to support step-up/step-down treatment transitions where appropriate.
- Support crisis stabilization planning, relapse prevention, and continuity of care.
- Participate in high-risk case reviews, safety planning, and post-incident clinical debriefing.
Milieu Integration & Clinical Consultation
- Provide clinical consultation and guidance to Child & Youth Workers and residential staff to support alignment between treatment goals and daily programming.
- Translate clinical formulations into practical relational and behavioural interventions within a 24-hour therapeutic environment.
- Participate in case conferences, systems meetings, treatment reviews, and discharge coordination.
- Support the development of a trauma-informed and therapeutically consistent residential milieu.
Systems Coordination & Advocacy
- Collaborate with hospitals, schools, child welfare, youth justice, community mental health, and other service providers to support integrated treatment planning.
- Advocate for equitable access to services and supports for youth and families.
- Support coordinated transitions between levels of care and service systems.
Documentation & Quality
- Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation including assessments, progress notes, treatment plans, safety plans, discharge summaries, and system coordination records.
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies, Ministry requirements, professional standards, and regulatory expectations.
- Participate in quality improvement, outcome measurement, and program development initiatives.
Qualifications:
Required
- Master’s degree in social work or psychology or Registered Psychotherapist
- Registration in good standing with the appropriate professional regulatory college.
- 4-5 years of directly relevant clinical experience working with youth and families experiencing complex mental health, behavioural, emotional, or relational challenges.
- Experience within intensive treatment, live-in treatment, residential, inpatient, crisis, or high-acuity youth mental health environments
- Demonstrated experience in family systems intervention, caregiver engagement, and reintegration-focused treatment planning.
- Strong crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, and safety planning skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary treatment environments.
Preferred
- Experience supporting transitions involving hospital, schools or acute care systems.
- Training or experience in trauma-informed, attachment-based, DBT-informed, DDP-informed, or family systems approaches.
- Experience providing clinical consultation within residential or milieu-based treatment settings.
- Experience working with child welfare and complex service coordination systems.
Clinical Competencies
- Advanced clinical judgement and decision-making skills.
- Ability to remain grounded and therapeutically effective during crisis situations.
- Strong relational and engagement skills with youth, caregivers, and interdisciplinary teams.
- Ability to balance empathy, accountability, structure, and therapeutic boundaries.
- Strong systems-thinking and collaborative practice skills.
Who Thrives in This Role
- Clinicians who believe meaningful change happens within relationships and family systems.
- Professionals who are energized by complex treatment environments and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Practitioners who can integrate therapeutic work within a 24-hour residential milieu.
- Clinicians who are comfortable balancing crisis stabilization, family engagement, and long-term reintegration planning.
Role Information:
Hours: 40 hours/ week. Clinical Employees are expected to operate on flexible hours to conform to the needs of clients.
Location: This is an in-person role based in Owen Sound.
Start Date: ASAP
Apply with Resume to [email protected]
Compensation: in line with CA Classification [OPSEU] – Intensive Treatment & Family Therapist: starting rate between $46.50 - $50.78
Why Keystone:
At Keystone, we’re on a mission to care for our team as well as our team taking care of our community! Here’s what you can expect when you join us:
- Comprehensive Health benefits package to support your health and well-being
- HOOPP pension plan - a defined benefit plan
- 18 Days’ Vacation
- Employee & Family Assistance Program (FEAP)
- Professional development and training throughout the year, including ongoing training to advance your skills, Professional Development
- Opportunities for growth within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment
- A passionate, purpose-driven team that values connection, collaboration, and of course the occasional team lunch!
- The chance to make an impact — every day, your work helps strengthen children, youth, and families across Grey and Bruce Counties!
Accommodation:
We are dedicated to creating an accessible organization, fully compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please let us know, and we will work to meet your needs. Accommodation is available upon request throughout the application process. For any accommodation requests, please contact our Human Resources Department.
Pay: $46.50-$50.78 per hour
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Owen Sound, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
- Master's Degree (required)
Work Location: In person
