Date Posted: 07/20/2026
Req ID: 49384
Faculty/Division: Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Department: Office of Learner Affairs
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00059805
Existing Vacancy: Yes
Description:
About us:
Home to over 40 departments and institutes, the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine lies at the heart of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network and is a global leader in ground-breaking research and education, spanning clinical medicine, basic science and the rehabilitation sciences sectors.
Your opportunity:
Residing in the Office of the Vice Dean, Medical Education, the Office of Learner Affairs (OLA) is dedicated to working with and supporting learners from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s undergraduate medical education (MD and MD/PhD), Postgraduate Medical Education, Medical Radiation Sciences, Physician Assistant, and Occupational Therapy programs to optimize the learning environment and experience at individual and systems levels, and enable learners’ development into and as health care professionals.
As Learner Life Specialist, you will provide mental health and learning environment intervention and support to learners (medical students, residents and fellows) through a needs assessment, navigation and case management approach. You will facilitate the development and provision of care plans through internal and external resources. You will provide short-term counselling to learners in distress while making referrals or developing case management plans as appropriate. You will act as a first of contact for learners who wish to discuss concerning behaviour that theyhave experienced or witnessed in the learning environment.
Your responsibilities will include:
Screening learners to determine suitability for short-term counselling, providing clinical counselling andpsychotherapy and making referrals to appropriate resources
Determining life-threatening situations, risk of self-harm or harm to others and independently applying appropriate interventions
Developing and implementing components of treatment plans based on appropriate therapeutic approaches
Providing case management support to learners requiring the coordination of multiple services
Advising groups on how to develop strategies and skills to address their emotional and behavioural concerns
Fostering positive relationships with campus resources and community health services providers
Essential Qualifications:
Master's Degree in social work, occupational therapy, counselling/psychotherapy or equivalent. Must be in good standing with professional college
Minimum five years experience counseling in the educational context, preferably health professions education with experience at the Undergraduate Medical Education(UGME) and/or Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) level
Experience working with health professional learners in academic difficulty and from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds
Superior understanding of the issues of physician health, particularly those related to physicians in training
Familiarity with trauma-informed approaches as well as with anti-oppression/anti-racism frameworks
Experience leading and facilitating group workshops, seminars and outreach activities
Experience developing educational tools and identifying emerging trends/patterns and developing recommendations
Experience working in a highly diverse community with learners from varied backgrounds and a variety of age groups, presenting a range of difficulties and personal issues
Advanced proficiency, including MS Office Suite and Adobe Professional
Skill in working with university-aged young adults, and individuals in crisis
Superb oral and written communication, leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills
Expert communicator with staff and senior academic administrators about issues facing learners in crisis and make recommendations on strategy
Able to work effectively and collaboratively with professional staff in the university, to set up networks of aid and response for learners in difficulty
Demonstrated ability to exercise patience, tact, judgment and discretion
Must be able to relate to adult learners, staff, and faculty in ways that build confidence and trust
Understanding of and experience with an adult learning model
Demonstrated ability to recognize the limits of one's own scope of practice
Ability and willingness to travel between the St. George and Mississauga campuses
Assets (Nonessential):
Understanding of the postgraduate medical training environment, including the educational framework and standard evaluation tools
Experience working with individuals and groups including Indigenous, Black, LGBTQI, persons with disabilities, religious minorities and other marginalized groups
To be successful in this role you will be:
Approachable
Intuitive
Perceptive
Self-directed
Team player
Please note:
This is a one (1) year term position from October 2026 - October 2027.
Closing Date: 08/04/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Budget - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 15 - $97,348. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $124,491. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Student Services
Recruiter: Sharon Hung
Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.
Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.
Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.
Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.
The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.
If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact
[email protected].
Job Segment: Rehabilitation, Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Medical, Counseling, Healthcare
