Housing Support Worker

Come Build Hope and Homes with Us!

Housing Support Worker- Full Time

King William Program- 253 King William St., Hamilton, ON

24 units of Specialized Supportive Housing

Salary: $45,900-$54,600

Position Description:  Reporting to the Program Supervisor, you will work alongside residents who have experienced mental health concerns and/or substance use to maintain housing stability. You will support individuals in developing and working through their personal service plans striving towards health, wellness and belonging. Promoting and demonstrating the vision, mission, and values of Indwell within the workplace and community. Also, working within the context of a collaborative interdisciplinary team reflecting the principles of person-centered and evidence-based care by assisting with coordinating and delivering mental health and addiction services to tenants. This program serves individuals who have experienced long term housing instability and/or long stay hospitalizations. This position will require a high level of resilience and willingness to work in close proximity to challenging situations.    

As this program will be supporting tenants from Black and racialized communities, we are seeking a Housing Support Worker who self-identifies as a visible minority or Black, understanding the challenges faced by the BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

What matters to you? Being in a work culture that operates out of their core values of DIGNITY, LOVE and HOPE- embracing diversity, promoting equality and inclusion. A place that sees you as a LEADER contributing your individuality to champion the vision of creating communities that TRANSFORM lives. 

About Indwell:  Founded in 1974, our Christian charity continues to thrive and grow exponentially as we serve people impacted by poverty and homelessness through our vision of HOPE and HOMES for All.   We are the fastest growing developer in Ontario creating affordable high quality efficient housing communities coupled with supportive programs to over 1200 tenants to meet their needs of health, wellness, and belonging.   To learn more, go to: indwell.ca/our-model

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week. The program operates 7 days a week, including public holidays. Flexibility is required to meet program needs, which will include evening and weekend hours. Participation in the on-call schedule rotation is required to support the tenants and each other on the team. The on-call rotation consists of carrying a work cell phone 24/7 for one week at a time, responding to urgent needs.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

• Building therapeutic relationships with tenants with a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed approach, promoting hope and trust
• Using a harm reduction approach with Comfort and familiarity
• Come alongside residents to develop, contribute to, and carry out individual resident support plans, including any relevant assessment tools
• Work individually with residents to identify and achieve goals as it relates to their individual support needs and recovery
• Connect residents with supportive community resources, including both clinical and informal supports, facilitating case coordination and case management
• Referring to local resources with strong familiarity
• Utilizing crisis management and intervention skills with confidence
• Respond to resident complaints/concerns with care, compassion, and efficiency
• Reinforcing residents’ life skills, including spiritual, social, and coping skills
• Assist with intake and orientation of new residents
• Develop and facilitate relevant group programming
• Complete required documentation in a thorough and timely manner with a focus on maintaining and protecting resident health records

Leadership   

• Consistently show initiative and engage in creative problem solving
• Leading and/or guiding internal teams to accomplish shared goals
• Take the lead on internal program development and projects
• Establish relationships with community partners within the local social service sector
• Reinforce a positive workplace culture and tone through your skilled verbal and written communication.
• Keep interdisciplinary team informed of community opportunities and emerging trends related to best practices in housing stability
• Play a coordinating role on the team around duties such as apartment checks and pest management.
• Carry out landlord responsibilities such as pest management, rent collection, and eviction prevention

Support, Direction, and Commitment to Interdisciplinary Team

• Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide direct and indirect support to residents, encouraging housing stability. These supports may include: medication administration, apartment checks, oversight of pest management protocols, community events, meal delivery, and other supports as necessary
• Support unit vacancies and turnover
• Support and collaborate with Volunteer Coordinator to integrate program volunteers into housing support activities
• Assist in the orientation and support of staff, students and volunteers.
• Keep apprised of new research and developments relevant to your role, through workshops, journals, websites, and literature. Transfer knowledge back to the team and residents in the most effective manner available
• Follow applicable regulations, policies and procedures
• Work collaboratively with Facilities, supporting and reporting maintenance needs to ensure upkeep of buildings and resident units

Health, Welfare and Safety Practices

• Maintaining a safe and healthy working environment
• Upholding organizational policy and procedures
• Using appropriate procedures when responding to emergency situations
• Complete required safety checks and inspections as assigned.
• Attending and participating in all required training to maintain and develop new skills
• Other duties as required

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:  

• Degree or diploma in a related field, or equivalent and related experience.  Lived experience valued.
• Experience working in mental health and/or addictions is beneficial with harm reduction approaches to substance use
• Experience working within a case management framework with individuals with serious mental illness, substance use, or other special needs.

• A client centered approach, using trauma-informed strategies to support residents
• A warm, sensitive and caring approach with a genuine interest in supporting a diverse population of people living with mental illness
• Demonstrated ongoing learning and experience around supporting diverse individuals and communities (i.e. cultural safety, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, etc.)
• Strong communication, listening, interview and assessment skills, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities

• Effective crisis intervention and conflict management skills
• Ability to work effectively in a high stress environment, work independently, be flexible, organized, responsible and take initiative
• Excellent written, verbal, time management and organizational skills
• A commitment to interpersonal collaborative teamwork and care and continuous professional development
• Familiarity with SPDAT/ the Ontario Common Assessment of Need is an asset

We want you to thrive: 

• Vacation: 3 weeks paid with 8 HEAL days (sick and personal appointments) per year 
• Benefits ($6,000/year) paid: Extended health (100% medication coverage- some exceptions may apply), dental and vision care.  Life Insurance 
• Employee Assistance Program- primary care and professional consulting services
• Group RRSP: Indwells gives 5% of salary, you can opt in for further contributions 
• New Staff Orientation Days  
• Professional and Personal Development- annual Leadership Conference (themed with guest speaker) + Spiritual Ranch Retreat (reflection and recharge with various outdoor activities).  Cliffs Strengths Finder Assessment facilitated by People Developer for mentoring opportunities, Lunch and Learn Webinars, Indigenous Cultural Competency and 2SLGBTQ Awareness. Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI), First Aid/CPR/Naloxone, Therapeutic Relationships and Applied Suicide Intervention (ASIST) 
• Social Events:  Indwell’s Hope and Homes Banquet yearly to celebrate the important work we do + team gatherings 

As Indwell works to support diverse tenant populations, we are seeking to create a diverse work culture that closely matches the diversity of our communities with qualified individuals who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives.  Our supports, services and employment are open to people from every creed, race, ethnicity, sex, ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.  And we especially invite applications from Black, Indigenous peoples, members of racialized communities and intersectionalities.  Indwell’s leadership are motivated by the example of Jesus Christ as reflected in Indwell’s statement of faith.  

Inspired to JOIN OUR TEAM, we invite you… 

To APPLY:  Please forward your cover letter and resume to our website: www.indwell.ca/careers. We thank all for your interest; however, only those applicants that are being considered will be notified.  

Personal information submitted will be used only for employment opportunities within Indwell in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.    

Accommodation will be provided to applicants who make their needs known in advance for the duration of the hiring process as required under Indwell’s Employment policy.