At Karis Disability Services what you do matters.  Since 1965, our team has come alongside people with developmental disabilities, and their families, to celebrate each person’s unique gifts as we promote communities where everybody belongs.  Driven by our values which are firmly rooted in the Christian faith, together we serve more than 1,500 people each year across Ontario and Saskatchewan, supporting them wholistically - body, mind, soul and spirit.  Believing each person is made in the image of God, we welcome everybody to find the personalized supports they need to thrive.  Beyond Canada, our global work impacts over 300,000 people across 70 communities in six countries. Learn more about Karis Disability Services at www.karis.org [http://www.karis.org].

 

Help us build a culture where every loss is met with care through equipped, coordinated response and meaningful support.

 

Part Time / Permanent

Compassionate Care Response Specialist

24 hours/week

 

Compassionate Care Response Specialist supports all Canadian locations. Therefore, the successful candidate may work out of the Waterloo office, or another community office, (depending on space availability). Karis Disability Services operates offices in Waterloo, London, Toronto, Huntsville/Sudbury, Peterborough/Durham, Ottawa, and Saskatoon).

 

Karis Disability Services is seeking a Compassionate Care Response Specialist to support staff, people supported, and their families through experiences of grief, loss, trauma, and critical incidents.

This new role plays a key part in both direct compassionate care and organizational systems development, ensuring a coordinated, thoughtful, and values-aligned response across the organization. The Specialist will contribute to strengthening protocols, delivering training, and providing pastoral and emotional support grounded in dignity, compassion, and respect for diverse faith traditions.

 

The Compassionate Care Response Specialist embraces the Christian Faith Foundation of the organization; ensures the Christian ethos and the Values, Vision and Mission permeate their job responsibilities; and personally commits to the expectations as outlined in the Statement of Faith.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 Grief, Loss & Critical Incident Support

• Serve as a central and trusted point of coordination during critical incidents and times of loss
• Provide emotional, pastoral, and relational support for individuals navigating grief, trauma, or crisis
• Facilitate or support post-incident debriefs and ensure appropriate follow-up care
• Assist with memorials, celebrations of life, and commemorative practices
• Coordinate Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) supports in collaboration with HR
• Connect individuals with mental health, community, and faith-based resources
• Facilitate virtual and in-person grief support sessions
• Support diverse forms of grief, including anticipatory grief and non-death loss

 

Systems Development & Capacity Building

• Assess current grief and loss supports and identify gaps or opportunities
• Help develop and refine compassionate care response protocols and processes
• Create and maintain training materials and resources for staff and leaders
• Deliver workshops, training sessions, and learning initiatives
• Contribute to resilience-building and post-incident evaluation efforts
• Stay current with best practices in grief support, trauma-informed care, and end-of-life care

 

Collaboration & Integration

• Partner closely with Human Resources to align staff support efforts
• Collaborate with internal teams on critical incidents and complex situations
• Support integration of training with Learning and Development initiatives
• Maintain relationships with external mental health and community support resources
• Work alongside the Advocacy and Spiritual Practice Specialist to embed compassionate care into organizational culture

 

Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in grief support, pastoral care, counselling, crisis response, or a related field
• Experience in faith-based or disability-serving organizations is an asset
• Diploma or degree in Theology, Counselling, Social Work, Thanatology, Chaplaincy, or a related field
• Specialized training in grief and loss, pastoral care, or bereavement support preferred
• Grief support and bereavement care experience
• Experience with providing Pastoral care across diverse faith backgrounds
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and anticipatory grief approaches
• Knowledge of crisis response and critical incident facilitation
• Intermittent travel expected

 

Why Should You Apply?

• Live out our shared values, help others, and find purpose in your work every day.
• Receive competitive wages.
• Find support through a Comprehensive Benefits Plan and an Employee and Family Assistance Plan.
• Grow your leadership with mentorship, training, career development, and tuition reimbursement.
• Collaboration and Teamwork—Working together on a team, we tackle challenges, share insights, and support one another in fostering a thriving workplace culture.

 

Application Deadline:  July 13th 2026- 9:00 am

 

Apply with a cover letter and résumé by 9:00 am on July 13th 2026, to the attention of the Director of Culture & Mission Alignment via the Apply Now feature.

 

Start Date: Mid-August, 2026

 

Hourly Range: $30.07- $33.97

 

At Karis Disability Services we strive to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We remain dedicated to meeting all provincial human rights, accessibility, and employment standards. We seek to provide accessibility through all stages of the hiring process for all applicants with disabilities, consistent with our Accessibility Policies and the AODA. Please let us know if you require accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.