Housing First Outreach Worker

The Community Bridge to Housing First project utilizes a housing first approach to provide services to homeless individuals in Williams Lake. We work in partnership with a variety of other community organizations and service providers to connect participants to housing, support their transition to a home of their own, and provide ongoing support toward healthy living and recovery, based on participant choice. The program follows the principles and approaches of the housing first model:

• Immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements
• Consumer choice and self-determination
• Recovery orientation
• Individualized and participant-driven supports.
• Social and community integration

Wage: $27.54-31.61/hour

Position’s Primary Objectives

This position provides comprehensive case management and intensive support services for participants of the Community Bridge to Housing First project by:

• Assisting participants to find, secure, and maintain appropriate housing.
• Encourage and support individuals to live as healthy and independent as possible within the local community, providing information, emotional support, organizational and practical support, and life skills (budgeting, cooking etc.) as appropriate.
• Developing and managing participant case plans to promote long-term housing stability.
• Using an integrated team approach, collaborating with partner agencies and a variety of other community organizations to support the participants’ long-term housing stability.
• Establishing and maintaining successful relationships with CBHF participating landlords.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Assisting participants to find, secure and maintain appropriate housing through:
   •Completing a Vulnerability Assessment with each participant
   •Facilitating tenancy application, rent subsidy, and move-in process.
   •Mediate between the landlord and participant when necessary as well as problem solve with building managers and landlords.
2. Using a strength-based client centered approach, provide comprehensive ongoing case development and management services to promote long-term housing stability, including:
   •initiating a therapeutic relationship with new participants and assisting them in securing permanent private market housing.
   •identifying participant strengths and barriers to stability and assisting participants in setting goals.
   •working with participants to become familiar with each person’s situation and developing an individualized case/service plan including advocating for medical, financial and employment benefits, as needed.
   •facilitating access to, or provision of support for development of life skills, financial literacy, etc.
   •transporting and assisting participants to and from appointments, shopping and social/leisure activities as needed.
   •facilitating weekly support meetings with participants and providing ongoing support based on need.
   •providing on-going updates in both oral and written form to the Program Manager on participant case management issues.
3. Using an integrated and coordinated team approach, engage with partner agencies and a variety of other community organizations to advocate for participants, share information, access resources, provide emergency referrals, and collaborate in joint initiatives, including:
   •participating in the PICC (Partners in Community Collaboration) to share information and address emerging issues.
   •providing referrals to appropriate community resources, agencies or government ministries as dictated by needs assessment.
   •providing emergency referrals to appropriate services (e.g. detox, CCRT, treatment, hospital, police) and following up on referrals made on behalf of participants.
   •initiating, leading, or participating, in collaboration with partner agencies, to case coordinate and problem solve.
4. Establish and manage successful relationships with landlords to advocate on behalf of participants’ and support long-term housing stability, including:
   •assessing participants’ stability in housing placements through regular and on-going contact with landlords.
   •mediating complex issues between the landlords, other community service providers, stakeholders, and participants.
   •coordinating and participating in participant move out activities including assisting directly with moves such as lifting furniture, packing, loading, and cleaning.
   •coordinating repairs and remediation of units with landlords within guidelines and approved budgets.
5. Maintain case files and perform a variety of other functions to support the successful delivery of the Community Bridge to Housing First Program, including:
   •collecting and maintaining complete records and program statistics following the Community Bridge to Housing First principles and intensive case management process.
   •maintaining concise and accurate participant files including current case notes and information about each participant’s progress with their respective case plans.
   •representing Community Bridge to Housing First in meetings and professional settings.
   •attending and participating in case conferences, staff meetings, training sessions and workshops.
   •assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
   •contributing to ongoing learning and evaluation processes for program improvements.

Education

•Diploma or bachelor’s degree in social work or psychology, OR Counselling, Mental Health or Addictions Worker qualifications or other related social services field from college or university
•Conflict resolution/crisis prevention training and experience required.

Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years recent related experience with homelessness, addictions, mental health outreach
Note: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Skills & Abilities

•Demonstrated knowledge of the impacts of addiction, mental health, homelessness, and poverty
•Demonstrated ability to work with individuals who have multiple barriers to stable housing.
•Demonstrated ability to work independently and be part of an integrated community team.
•Knowledge of local community resources
•Awareness of harm reduction and ‘Housing First’ theory and practice
•Awareness/familiarity with trauma informed practice
•Familiarity with issues related to historical and residential school trauma impacts for Aboriginal people.
•Demonstrated conflict management/crisis prevention skills.
•Skills in mediating conflict between various interests
•Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with clients, staff, and community professionals.
•Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Informed Practice and Motivational Interviewing Training an asset.
•Proficient in MS Office programs including Word, Outlook, and Excel

Conditions of Employment

•Completion of a Criminal Record Check through the Ministry of Justice is required.
•Must sign and agree to the Conflict of Interest, Code of Conduct and the Oath of Confidentiality forms.
•Must have valid driver’s licence and access to a reliable vehicle with a suitable insurance to transport clients.
•Level 1 First Aid required and Violence Prevention Training an asset.

Application email: admin.ccb@cmhacariboo.org