Community Outreach Worker (CF) - First Steps Program

Catholic Social Services is currently seeking a Contract Full time 40 hours per week, Community Outreach Worker in EDMONTON to join our First Steps team. Providing excellent client-centered care, you are confident, thoughtful, and motivated to achieve success when supporting others in your community

This position has a weekly schedule of: Monday to Friday (6 months contract)

Program Overview

The First Steps PCAP program provides support and resources to women and gender diverse people who are pregnant, or who have recently given birth, who have used alcohol or drugs during their pregnancy and lack effective connection to other community services. The program uses a harm reduction, client focused, strength and relationship based approach to work with clients over 3 years. First Steps assists individuals to connect to community supports such as, treatment centers, health care, and financial support services while also providing emotional support and advocacy.

Job Summary:

As a Community Outreach Worker, you will advocate for and with clients to help process information. You will be responsible for assessing the needs of clients to address challenges, access resources, and to assist them in developing life and social skills. You will ensure the clients have an ongoing network of support while providing emotional and practical support to foster independence. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Assessing the needs of the client, determining suitability of services, and identifying objective goals and developmental plans with the client
• Helping clients to gain an understanding of issues and establish access to other community resources such as health care, prenatal care, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) assessments and supports to meet their core needs
• Building social and other support networks to assist in clients' transition to be independent, autonomous, and self-determined as appropriate to their abilities and experience
• Facilitating practical changes and/or initiate activities to enhance in the clients' physical and social environments to promote their well-being and self-esteem
• Providing consistent teaching and support around parenting skills, and specific life and social skills. Supporting clients with problem-solving, communication, and conflict resolution through modeling and coaching
• Assisting clients with different aspects of daily living, including but not limited to arranging appointments, transportation, and financial support as needed.
• Performing crisis intervention to any supporting clients to access crisis supports in emergency situations 
• Submitting required program documentation within established timeframes
• Attending all team meetings, case consultations, and service reviews
• Other duties as required.

What This Job Requires:

• Minimum 2-year Diploma/Degree in Human Services (or equivalent).
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience counselling families, working with women, and children experiencing substance use issues. 
• Experience with community outreach, mental health, and family or domestic violence would be an asset.
• The ability to work independently in the community and effective case management are requirements of this position.
• Certification or training in Indigenous Awareness, Abuse Awareness, Standard First Aid, and Violence/Crisis Intervention is a definite asset.
• The ideal candidate will have an organized and compassionate approach to the work, strong teamwork skills, a commitment to developing positive supporting relationships, and experience supporting women and children.

Other qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is required
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of the Harm Reduction Model
• Proven ability to provide effective communication, collaboration, crisis intervention, and conflict management with clients
• Demonstrated assessment, problem solving, and critical thinking skills
• Knowledge of community resources is required
• Intermediate competency with Microsoft Office and other Agency computer applications
• Demonstrated ability to act with professionalism, confidentiality, and diplomacy
• Proven case documentation and effective information reporting practices
• A reliable Vehicle, Valid Driver’s License (held for a minimum of 2 years), Vehicle Registration and Third Party Liability Insurance (amount of two million)
• Police Information Check including vulnerable sector search, and Intervention Record Check current within six (6) months
• Summary of driving record with no more than six (6) demerit points current within one (1) year.

You can apply online for Police Information Check including Vulnerable Sector Search and Intervention Record Check.

For Police Information Check, including Vulnerable Sector Search, please visit the City of Edmonton's police service website.

For Intervention Record Check, please visit the informalberta.ca

Police Information Check including vulnerable sector search, Intervention Record Check and/ or summary of driving records are conditions of employment and the financial responsibility of the candidate. 

What We Offer:

• The annual salary for this position is $50,446.08 to $56,772.72 based on qualifications and experience
• We offer flexibility and supportive working environment.
• Flexible benefit options when eligible.
• Work within a highly collaborative, team-oriented organization, where your ideas are heard, and you can see your impact daily.
• Growth Opportunities: apply and grow your skills within a dynamic, innovative and expanding Agency that is taking a leadership role in our industry.

About Catholic Social Services:

You will be joining an established Agency that is guided by faith to care for and bring hope to people in need with humility, compassion and respect.

With more than 60 years of service delivery, Catholic Social Services is one of the largest multi-function social services agencies in Canada, with more than 1900 staff, and hundreds of volunteers delivering 130+ programs throughout Central Alberta and Edmonton. 

Our values are at the core of everything we do!

• Humility: We acknowledge with gratitude our human abilities and limitations. We demonstrate humility by doing the best that we can with the resources that we have.
• Compassion: We respond to people in need with love. We demonstrate our compassion by caring for people without judgment and without condition.
• Respect: We demonstrate our respect by being personally present, open and attentive to those we care for and by honouring their dignity and freedom.