Job Description

At Support House, we open doors, minds, and possibilities. We build opportunities, we inspire change, and we transform health care. We believe everyone deserves support.

Support House is directed by our core values. They guide our agency's decisions and actions, unite our staff, define our brand, and inspire our culture. We connect by building meaningful relationships. We put people first by supporting them to direct their own path. We focus on holistic wellness. We foster engagement through designing housing, supports and the system together.

Support House offers supportive housing options, community outreach, peer support and building system capacity.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Support House is committed to leveraging diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our employees in order to provide services to an equally diverse community and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.

The main purpose of this position

The Clinical Outreach Worker, Support House Response Team, will assess and address the mental health and substance use needs of people who are unhoused and experience complex mental health and substance use challenges. Working within the community--including shelters, supportive housing, and street-level outreach--this role will meet individuals where they are to provide holistic support.

As part of an assertive outreach team, communication and collaboration are essential to ensure positive outcomes for the individuals we serve. The role involves a responsive approach to community homelessness support needs, including addressing crises and moments of distress.

Key areas of support include building trusting relationships, providing crisis intervention, mental health and addiction support, offering supportive counseling, connecting individuals to healthcare resources, delivering harm reduction resources, and co-creating individualized, holistic care plans.

Responsibilities

Internal Role

Connect daily with individuals in shelters, supportive housing, and other community spaces who are unhoused and experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, building trusting relationships to offer essential support. Establish rapport with individuals using creativity and patience, fostering meaningful connections to support holistic well-being. Work alongside the Support House Response Team, community partners, and allied organizations to address immediate counseling and support needs including crisis intervention, primary care, and harm reduction. Focus on preventing, de-escalating, and stabilizing crisis situations, supporting individuals facing social and physical harms related to chronic substance use, ongoing suicidal ideation, and other high-risk emotional or behavioral situations. Help individuals maintain current housing arrangements or transition to more suitable supportive housing options, offering guidance through complex housing and tenancy challenges. Provide both formal and informal education on mental health diagnoses and related interventions to fellow staff and partners, as well as advocating for individuals' needs in housing and healthcare.
External Role

Collaborate closely with healthcare, primary care, and addiction medicine providers to deliver coordinated, wrap-around care to individuals in need. Act as an advocate and representative for Support House's values in all community interactions, committees, and partnerships. Maintain a working knowledge of Support House services to provide individuals with appropriate resources and referrals. Recognize how various social and identity factors affect individuals' access to housing, mental health, and substance use support services, and advocate for equity and inclusion. Promote a "no wrong door" philosophy, ensuring warm handoffs and connections to appropriate partners to foster a supportive, accessible care network for all individuals served.
Professional Development

Aligning your practice with your professional discipline code of conduct and ethics as relevant to your role. OCSWSSW. Remaining current with training and learning opportunities. Participating in regular supervision, annual reviews and debriefs with supervisor and team. Demonstrating a commitment to applying the principles of intersectionality to the work of Support House. Participating in relevant Communities of Practice.
Personal Development

Regular personal reflection and awareness around how you are showing up to work and recognizing self-awareness strategies to inform your work. Be open and share any work-related needs to the appropriate staff, for the purpose of accommodation, support, and clarity. Participating in regularly scheduled breaks and other wellness activities to maintain your work and practice. Maintaining your personal wellness through ensuring your own supports and balance. Understanding how your own positionality and identities impact and influence your ability to exert power and privilege, particularly as it relates to individuals who face multiple forms of systemic oppression. Disclosing and navigate dual relationships within the organization and with individuals, as needed.

Knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in this role

Ability to build genuine connections with people through curiosity and interest in getting to know people. Bachelor of Social Work degree is required. Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers is required. 5+ years of relevant experience in supporting people who are unhoused and who experience mental health and substance use concerns. Strong understanding of the Housing First philosophy and extensive knowledge of the unhoused population. Experience in harm reduction best practices and overdose prevention. Trauma-Informed training and experience. Confidence and experience in crisis intervention, mediation and de-escalation including non-violent crisis/suicide intervention skills. Risk assessment skills and relevant experience. Demonstrated complex problem solving in crisis-based work. Able to mediate and negotiate situations. Working knowledge of the justice system. Experience with the LOCUS / OCAN / VI-SPDAT assessments is an asset. Experience in geriatric support. Must possess a broad knowledge of community resources and the ability to strongly advocate for clients and make professional referrals. Understanding of intersectionality principles and practice, and how it may impact an individual's experience with systemic oppression and support systems. Excellent verbal communication and comfort with one-on-one crisis and de-escalation dialogue. Excellent written and documentation skills. Working knowledge of PHIPA is an asset. Able to work independently and co-operatively in a busy multidisciplinary environment. Self-motivated, comfortable working with minimal oversight. Proven ability to work on an Electronic Healthcare Record. Proven computer proficiency to facilitate the use of automated assessment tools and Microsoft products. A valid driver's license and access to a vehicle. Current First Aid & CPR certification, Naloxone and ASIST training is an asset.

Working conditions

The Support House Response Team will be available in the community 7 days a week. The funder, Support House, and the Support House Response Team will work together to determine 7-day coverage. Each member will work 37.5 hours per week. Support House prioritize flexibility and work-life balance.The target salary rate for this position is $63,240.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 9 months

Pay: From $63,240.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Dental care Disability insurance Employee assistance program Extended health care Flexible schedule Life insurance Mileage reimbursement On-site parking Paid time off RRSP match Vision care
Schedule:

8 hour shift Day shift Monday to Friday Weekends as needed
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2025-07-01