Social Worker; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Coach (Remote)
Evoke Learning is seeking a social worker with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) certification to join the team as an ADHD and executive function (EF) coach. This is a part-time independent contractor position.
The social worker plays a crucial role in helping high school and postsecondary students overcome their challenges and reach their full potential by addressing the disorder's symptoms and supporting them in shifting from frustration to empowerment. This role is a unique hybrid model that combines the principles of CBT and the elements of ADHD and EF coaching to help foster the development of time management, organizational, and planning skills in students with ADHD and executive dysfunction.
In this role, the social worker brings expertise in the principles and strategies of CBT and a strong understanding of ADHD and executive dysfunction to their work with students. The social worker has a well-informed understanding of how CBT can target executive dysfunction, overcome emotional obstacles, and build essential skills.
Job Description
Position Title: Social Worker; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Coach
Location: Remote
About Evoke Learning
Evoke is a learning and wellness centre that supports students striving to achieve their full academic potential and enhance their social-emotional well-being. Our tutors, academic strategists, and coaches are dedicated to creating a student-centred support model using holistic approaches informed by current cognitive science. We understand that everyone’s learning journey is unique, and we consider the student to be the expert in their own life. The Evoke network is a community that puts students first.
Evoke works with many types of students, including:
- Those who are struggling academically.
- Individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities, ADHD, ASD, and/or giftedness.
- Students who are underperforming and have much greater potential to achieve their goals.
- Learners who require intensive instruction or additional time to process information without feeling stigmatized in the classroom.
- Students who can complete academic work must acquire strategies and time management skills to increase their success.
- Students who struggle with self- and emotional dysregulation that affects their academic achievement.
- Students with extraordinary goals.
The Role
The social worker supports high school (Grades 9‑12) and postsecondary students in setting and achieving personal and academic goals. By using the cognitive-behavioural model, the coach helps the student to overcome barriers to achievement by:
- Labelling and addressing cognitive distortions and emotional obstacles.
- Teaching evidence-based strategies for helping students with ADHD and executive dysfunction build essential skills for time management, prioritizing work, sustaining motivation, time management, and organization.
- Helping students to challenge and correct automatic thoughts and manage emotional distracters.
- Addressing the principal executive function deficits that characterize ADHD and help students to manage their disorder more effectively.
- Encouraging students to commit to growth.
The social worker works virtually and one-to-one with students to provide a safe and nurturing support system to help reduce and improve ADHD symptoms, strengthen student self-regulation and executive functioning skills, develop learning skills, optimize their learning experience, and improve their academic performance and overall well-being.
The role requires a reliable and professional individual who can work independently and demonstrate excellent judgement, initiative, patience, organization, strong English communication skills, and theory of mind.
Ideal candidates must:
- Have formal training (at least 40 hours) and certification in CBT
- Have recent and substantial experience in CBT as an independent professional
- Possess a strong understanding of establishing rapport and a relationship with a student.
- Have a professional understanding of the CBT model and interventions to help address ADHD symptoms and executive dysfunctions that impair students' performance.
- Have experience in using evidence-based CBT strategies to target executive dysfunction and build essential skills for time management, emotional regulation, organization, planning, and self-regulation.
- Understand cognitive assessments.
- Demonstrate excellent English verbal and written communication skills, including proficiency with the grammar and mechanics of writing.
- Have expertise/experience and demonstrated proficiency in tutoring, counselling, teaching, mentoring, and/or delivering programming and/or curricula to youth and young adults.
- Have a solid knowledge of, and comfort level with, the use of technology to support learning and to access the curriculum.
- Have strong problem-solving skills and can communicate clearly and diplomatically with diverse populations, including parents, students, teachers, and other professionals.
- Follow a framework for care rooted in principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging that ensures services are provided in a culturally safe and responsive manner.
- Have demonstrated competency in the use of cognitive and behavioural therapies
- Demonstrate an understanding of and experience with motivational strategies to enhance student engagement and readiness for change.
- Have effective planning and organizational skills, including managing and keeping track of time, maintaining notes and records to document how program time is spent, and collecting objective data to measure coaching efficacy against student goals.
- Exercise good judgment and use discretion with confidential information
- Be available and able to commit to a one-year contract.
- Be available for at least six hours a week, three days a week, including after school, evenings, and possibly weekends.
Contract duties and deliverables include:
- Using cognitive-behavioural therapy approaches to target the executive functioning deficits regularly compromised in students with ADHD and executive dysfunction.
- Using evidence-based strategies, helping students with ADHD and executive dysfunction build essential skills for time management, organization, planning, emotional regulation, motivation and activation.
- Helping students set and refine personal, behavioural, and academic goals (making them specific, realistic, and actionable), based on their learning plan, for a minimum of 13 one-hour sessions.
- Helping students better understand the nature of their challenges, how emotions affect efficiency, and other factors that have become barriers for them.
- Customizing each CBT approach based on the student’s experiences and age.
- Building student confidence and self-esteem.
- Helping students learn to recognize their distorted thoughts and replace them with realistic thinking.
- Helping students address daily social-emotional challenges such as procrastination, motivation and task avoidance.
- Assisting students in understanding assignments, planning, and chunking their work into manageable steps.
- Helping students initiate assignments.
- Promoting the development of student self-efficacy.
- Helping students understand the patterns in their self-criticisms (or criticisms of others), avoidance patterns, and self-defeating behaviours.
- Developing students’ learning skills (how to study for tests and exams, note-taking strategies).
- Assisting students in their understanding and use of assistive technology.
- Helping students develop self-advocacy skills.
- Developing action plans for what the student will do in between sessions, including completing take-home exercises.
- Helping students change negative thinking patterns and develop simple mantras, e.g. “If it’s not in the planner, it doesn’t exist,” to help remind them to change thought patterns.
- Proactively monitoring student academic progress and performance using Evoke progress tools, keeping parents and Evoke apprised of student progress.
- Maintaining accurate, thorough, up-to-date records of student sessions and their outcomes, growth, progress, feedback, and performance, ensuring the confidentiality of all records.
- Preparing for student sessions, as required.
- Maintaining responsibility for own schedule, booking and rescheduling sessions directly with Evoke clients
- Collaborating with Evoke, as necessary, in support of student needs.
- Participating in orientation related to Evoke materials and new materials as required to ensure understanding of programming.
Education, Certification and Experience
- A master’s degree in social work, psychology, counselling psychology, or a related field.
- At least two years’ experience in a similar student service or advising role within a diverse secondary and/or postsecondary context.
- Relevant experience in a mental health and/or education setting is preferred.
- CBT certificate recognized by the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT).
- An active member of the CACBT-ACTCC.
- A registered member in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
- ICF-certified coaching training and/or certification.
- Practitioners are required to hold current liability insurance.
Hours: A minimum commitment of six hours per week over a minimum of three different days of the week.
This is a remote, independent contracted position. Independent contractors are responsible for providing tools and equipment (i.e., laptop, mobile device, webcam, headphones, etc.) and creating schedules. Evoke does not provide in-home services to clients. All services are delivered virtually.
Successful candidates will need to complete a background check and submit references. The salary range for this position is $60-$65 per client hour.
At Evoke, we value diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all our clients, contractors, and employees. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and will consider all applicants for employment without discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or other legally protected factors.
To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please provide details on your qualifications, experience working with diverse populations, and availability to work at least six hours a week, three days a week, including after school, evenings, and possibly weekends. We appreciate every applicant's interest; however, we contact only those selected for an interview.
Job Type: Freelance
Salary: $60.00-$65.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Flexible schedule
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- How many years of student service experience do you have?
- Do you have formal training (at least 40 hours) and certification in CBT?
- What is your professional understanding of the CBT model and interventions to help address ADHD symptoms and executive dysfunctions that impair the performance of students?
- Tell us about your expertise/experience and demonstrated proficiency in counselling, mentoring, and/or delivering programming and/or curricula to youth and young adults.
- Tell us about your knowledge of, and comfort level with, the use of technology to support learning and to access the curriculum.
- Are you available to commit to a one-year contract?
Education:
- Master's Degree (required)
Work Location: Remote
