Mental Health Support Worker
Canada Summer Jobs Position | British Columbia
Outward Bound Canada is passionate about building and sustaining representation and diversity within the outdoor industry. We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. BIPoC, 2SLGBTQ+, and candidates living with a disability are highly encouraged to apply, even if your experience does not precisely match the job description for this role. Your experience, skills, and passion will set you apart — tell us about your achievements and journey to date, and the things you learned along the way.
Who We Are
Outward Bound Canada (OBC) is a national charity that equips youth with the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to thrive through powerful, life-changing experiences in nature. Our programs combine outdoor adventure with intentional learning to build leadership, social and emotional intelligence, and a deep sense of responsibility to community and the environment.
We are committed to breaking down barriers to access and creating meaningful opportunities for youth who have been historically underrepresented in outdoor and leadership spaces. Equity, inclusion, and belonging are central to our work, and we actively strive to ensure the outdoor sector reflects the full diversity of Canada.
The Role
The Mental Health Support Worker strengthens OBC’s capacity to support the mental health and well-being of our students, instructors and program staff. This role focuses on building the tools, resources, and internal supports that help our field teams show up at their best across a range of program contexts.
OBC delivers wilderness and adventure-based programs for youth across Canada, including multi-day backcountry expeditions, urban programming, and youth employment initiatives. Our instructors and facilitators work in demanding environments, guiding young people through challenge, reflection, and growth. Building the capacity of our staff to recognize, respond to, and support the diverse mental health needs of the youth we serve is central to how we deliver safe and meaningful programs.
Working closely with Risk and Safety and our program delivery teams, the Mental Health Support Worker will contribute to policy development, resource creation, staff wellness initiatives, and the systems that help OBC respond thoughtfully to mental health needs across our programs. This is a meaningful opportunity for a student in a mental health or social work related field to apply their learning in a real organizational context and make a tangible contribution to a national outdoor education charity.
This is a remote position. Preference will be given to candidates located within driving distance of our Comox Valley base on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as occasional on-site collaboration may be required.
What We Offer
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Location: Remote, with preference for candidates within the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island
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Compensation: $18.25 per hour
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Term: Summer contract, 8 weeks at 35 hours per week. Start date flexible, anticipated May or June 2025.
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Benefits: Employee Assistance Plan included
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Supervisor: National Risk & Safety Manager
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Application Deadline: Open until filled; applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Key Responsibilities
Staff and Instructor Support
- Develop resources, frameworks, and practical guides that build the capacity of instructors and program staff to recognize and respond to the diverse mental health needs of the youth they work with.
- Support the creation of onboarding and in-season wellness materials to help staff manage the demands of program delivery.
- Assist in designing debrief frameworks and check-in tools that help field teams process challenging experiences.
- Research best practices in staff well-being within outdoor education and adventure-based programming contexts.
Policy and Program Development
- Contribute to the review and development of OBC policies and procedures related to mental health, psychological safety, and staff well-being.
- Support the documentation of mental health incident protocols and reporting processes to ensure they are clear, accessible, and consistently applied.
- Assist in developing training resources that strengthen staff confidence and capacity to support youth with diverse mental health needs in wilderness and program environments.
- Contribute to national program development by sharing research, insights, and strategies for supporting youth resilience and staff well-being across OBC programs.
Organizational Support
- Maintain accurate and confidential records related to staff support resources and initiatives.
- Collaborate with People and Culture and program leadership to identify gaps and opportunities in OBC’s mental health support framework.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety, inclusion, and well-being within the organization.
- Perform other tasks and projects as required to support team and organizational goals.
Eligibility
This position is funded through Canada Summer Jobs. To be eligible, applicants must:
Be between 15 and 30 years old at the start of their employment. Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the job. Be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial legislation and regulations, including having a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment.
Qualifications and Experience
- Current enrolment in or recent graduation from a post-secondary program in mental health, counselling, social work, psychology, or a related field and/or relevent experience.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches, youth development, and resilience-building practices.
- Strong research, writing, and organizational skills with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, practical resources.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a small, distributed team in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
- Professional, empathetic, and discreet approach to sensitive information and workplace well-being.
- Proactive and self-directed with strong attention to detail.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace and comfort working with shared documents and collaborative tools.
Additional Assets
- Familiarity with Outward Bound’s mission, outdoor education, or adventure-based programming.
- Experience developing resources, guides, or policies in a health, social services, or educational context.
- Knowledge of occupational health and wellness frameworks or workplace mental health standards.
Working Conditions
Environment
Hybrid. Primarily office-based work with some on-site presence at OBC’s Comox Valley base. Occasional travel to program sites may be required.
Work Hours
35 hours per week over 8 weeks. Schedules are flexible. Some evenings or weekends may be required based on program needs.
Physical Demands
Primarily administrative and desk-based. Some light physical activity may be required during site visits.
Safety
Completion of WHMIS and other required safety training prior to or at start of employment.
We are excited to hear from you. Please share not just your credentials but your story: what brought you to this work, what you have learned, and why Outward Bound Canada feels like the right fit.
