Psychosocial Support Worker

Come Build Hope and Homes with Us!

Psychosocial 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 the Program Supervisor, as Psychosocial Support Worker, you will come alongside tenants who have experienced mental health concerns and/or substance use to optimize housing stability. Using a service plan, you will offer support services and assist tenants to learn skill sets needed for independent living to flourish within the community. Engage in a collaborative assessment process of tenant’s progress, helping them achieve their social inclusion and community development goals, focusing on purpose-filled planning and intervene in crisis situations. As part of an interdisciplinary team, you will also enhance community engagement, tenant-led initiatives, and develop a safe environment for our tenants to thrive. 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 Psychosocial 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 residents 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:

• Attend trainings on recovery; psychiatric rehabilitation, trauma, supported employment practices, substance use and cultural competency.  Keep apprised of new research and developments in these areas through journals, web sites and literature to transfer knowledge to the team and tenants in the most effective manner available.  
• Assist tenants in gaining access to needed psychiatric, medical, social, residential, financial, and other services appropriate for the individual. Actively engage tenants in services including visits, appointments, programming, and activities within the community.  
• Connect tenants to community resources and peer supports to promote community integration and inclusion. Provide education on available treatment or support models available in the community, completing referrals when needed and preparing individuals for such connections.    
• Ensure all required documentation is completed in a timely, comprehensive, and legible manner and that health records are protected. 
• Consult and collaborate with all team members on a regular basis. The goal of the Psychosocial Support Worker role is to holistically support a tenant within an interdisciplinary team. Therefore, team approaches should always be considered. 
• Complete required assessment tools according to appropriate timelines.
• Coordinate, lead, and/or contribute to service planning for tenants.
• Take responsibility for a primary case load under the supervision of Program Supervisor or Program Manager.    

Psychosocial Support Duties:  

• Assist tenants in developing and practicing the skills defined in their service plans in consultation with tenant and interdisciplinary team.  This may include accompanying tenants to appointments, leisure activities or other activities of interest including religious, educational, or vocational opportunities to provide support and encouragement. 
• Providing support with identifying early warning signs of mental health decline, developing coping, crisis, and safety plans and developing and facilitating psychoeducational, self-help groups through a biopsychosocial and psychosocial rehabilitation lens: facilitating tenants’ learning of coping skills to help handle stressful situations / environments and developing resources that reduce future stressors. 
• Championing the importance of skill development as part of an interdisciplinary team. This involves coming alongside the tenant in their goals; coaching independent living skills, coaching through appointment coordination, maximizing abilities to promote community independence, encourage tenants in maintaining good personal hygiene, self-confidence, and work with their social inclusion goals.  
• Strive to help reduce bias and stigma, while fostering social inclusion within program communities through program development and implementation.  
• Assist tenants to build relationships with external partners and supports. Facilitate referrals as needed to connect tenants to clubs, employment, vocation programs, and more. Focused on Informal partnerships and interest groups, the role will include supporting the tenant through participation, coordination, or other levels of support to assist with social inclusion in the external community. Coaching tenants to independently participate in their chosen communities.  
• Support will also address relationships with family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers. Examples of this could include conflict resolution education and coaching around how to be a good neighbour. 
• Participate in quality improvement and data gathering as assigned. Consult on effective service plan and assessment tool development when necessary.  
• Monitor, review and update the tenants support plans on a scheduled basis and revise the plan, as necessary, ensuring flexibility to meet the tenants’ needs.  
• Foster tenant-led initiatives within the program to encourage inclusion and purpose for tenants and the Indwell community.   
• Educate tenants on conflict resolution techniques that will develop skills for neighbour conflicts and further social inclusion within the Indwell program and larger community.  Working with tenants to improve the capacity of the community so that it becomes “physically, mentally healthier and a better-prepared community.” 
• Develop initiatives, programming, and support mechanisms to promote the value of safety within a community for tenants and for staff.    

WHAT YOU WILL BE 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
• Demonstrated ongoing learning and experience around supporting diverse individuals and communities (i.e. cultural safety, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, etc.)
• 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 tenants
• A warm, sensitive and caring approach with a genuine interest in supporting a diverse population of people living with mental illness
• 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, 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.