Homeless Crisis Outreach Worker

JOB POSTING

Position Title: Homeless Crisis Outreach Worker

Classification: Community Health Worker, Level 1

Department: Family, Community Health & Harm Reduction

Reporting to: Manager, Harm Reduction

Positions: Casual- majority evenings and weekends

Salary Band: $27.00 per hour - $32.51 per hour

Reviewed by: Senior Manager, Harm Reduction

Circulation:INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL

Application Deadline:Friday May 5th, 2023

Apply at:https://swchc.bamboohr.com/careers/529

About us:

We are the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC), a non-profit, community-governed organization that serves over 16K clients annually. We provide a wide range of health care services such as primary health care, health promotion, community development, mental health and harm reduction.

We are deeply connected to the communities we serve. We make our work meaningful for our community by striving to ensure that our team reflect the community we serve.

We work within an anti-racism, anti-oppression framework that acknowledges systemic racism exists and seeks to ensure that systems are fair and equitable for everyone

Job Summary:
The Homeless Crisis Outreach worker will work closely with the Homeless Crisis Outreach Team and Harm Reduction Leadership Team at Somerset West Community Health Centre. This position is within the Harm Reduction Department and will have a multi-focus of coordinating homeless support within the Centre and its services, coordinating with relevant homeless service sector partners and stakeholders, and providing engagement and support with local businesses and residents as they interact with the homeless population.

The Homeless Crisis Outreach Worker will respond to SWCHC’s community response phone, which is made available to neighbours daily from 9am-9pm. Calls and emails for support may include an unhoused person or a neighbour in distress, support for the proper disposal of discarded gear or abandoned sleeping rough supplies. In close collaboration with the DOPE team, the Resilience and Recovery Health promoter and other community partners, the Homeless Crisis Support Outreach Worker will offer responsive, collaborative and understanding care while working to build a safer and more inclusive community.

The Homeless Crisis Outreach Worker will respond to a gap in services for homeless individuals in the Somerset Ward by providing assertive outreach, access to basic needs and crisis support on evenings and weekends when other services are not available. The worker may also hold some daytime hours in order to facilitate system navigation and care coordination for homeless persons in the ward in order to move clients forward in their ability to obtain housing.

The worker will help homeless clients to:

• connect to available services, including housing, medical and harm reduction supports
• support to access shelter and transportation
• coordinating and/or providing emergency supports, including food, water, clothing and hygiene products

The ideal candidate will possess a clear understanding of issues of poverty, class, drug user stigma, trauma, racism and harm reduction principles.

Hours of work may vary depending on the need of the Program and will include evenings and weekends.

Knowledge, Skills and Responsibilities:

• Degree in Social Work (BSW); Social Service Work; or related health discipline plus three years’ experience and passion for working with high risk populations OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Priority: lived or living expertise in substance use, homelessness, street-involvement are assets
• Priority: identifying as member of Black, Indigenous, Persons of Colour (BIPOC) community an asset
• Knowledge and experience with a harm reduction model of service delivery
• Knowledge and experience of people living with homelessness, substance use, mental health and trauma
• Knowledge of homeless sector agencies and community resources
• Superior skills in assertive engagement, trauma informed care, crisis support & de-escalation
• Superior skills in working independently as well as part of a large, dynamic and fast-paced team
• Drug, sex and sex worker positive
• Understanding of HIV and Hepatitis transmission
• Understanding of Harm Reduction Gear Exchange and Gear Clean-up & Collection programs. Experience with the same is considered an asset.
• Experience in providing transportation services to street involved persons an asset.
• Strong knowledge and ability in navigating issues related to clinical boundaries, professional ethics, confidentiality and relevant legislation including but not limited to PHIPPA and OHSA
• Commitment to working within a Health Equity, Person-Centered and Anti-Oppressive Framework
• Knowledge and experience working with computers
• Establishing mechanisms to ensure the ongoing engagement and full participation of substance users in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the project
• Able to organize regular meetings and ongoing communication with partners and stakeholders
• Ensuring that data collection and evaluation measures are in place

Other Job Requirements:

• Valid G class Driver’s license, personal vehicle insurance and clean drivers abstract
• Successful completion of criminal reference check for vulnerable sector
• CPR certification
• First Aid

Language Capability:

• Fluency in English required. Working knowledge of French or other priority languages in our service community (Somali, Vietnamese, Inuktitut) an asset.

If interested,please submit a cover letter and resumebyMay 5, 2023to:https://swchc.bamboohr.com/careers/529

**It is the policy of SWCHC to require COVID-19 immunization for all employees, volunteers, students, and contractors, including those who work offsite with the following exceptions: Persons with a medical reason that prevents them from being vaccinated against COVID-19; Persons with other reasonable considerations pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code that restrict them from being vaccinated against Covid 19 vaccination.**

Somerset West Community Health Centre is an equal opportunity employer who values the diversity of individuals in our programs and services.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of Indigenous, Black and racialized communities, Two-Spirit, nonbinary, LGBTQ+ people; people with disabilities; and members of other equity seeking groups. Applicants are encouraged to share accessibility needs in the application process, and every attempt will be made to accommodate them.

Due to the high volume of applicants, we can neither confirm receipt of nor respond to inquiries regarding your application. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.