Job Description

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Work Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: $55,939 per annum (L7), plus comprehensive benefits
Location: 68 Bergamot Avenue, Toronto, ON, M9W 1V9
Internal Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 2, 2024External Application Deadline: Thursday, April 4, 2024
JOIN OUR TEAM
YWCA Toronto strives to uphold anti-discrimination practices and anti-oppression principles to ensure that the rights of all individuals are respected and protected. We work to promote a climate that is welcoming of all women and individuals who identify as Trans, intersex, non-binary, agender, and/or Two-Spirit. We encourage applications from women and gender diverse people from all races, ethnic origins, religions, abilities and sexual orientationsThe Community Support Worker is responsible for working in collaboration with tenants to develop and implement community development initiatives, with the goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive community, engagement with broader community, and effective strategies to meet the emotional, practical and social support needs of the tenant community. The worker will work with the Manager and the team to ensure that community development activities are integrated into the overall program delivery. The worker will provide leadership in development and facilitation of initiatives to support the community to generate individual and community solutions to address their needs.ABOUT YWCA TORONTO - HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM
YWCA Toronto Housing Support Program offers a range of housing options for women and women led households, including permanent and supportive housing at a variety of YWCA owned and operated locations. Individual and group support assists tenants to identify and build the skills required to the address the barriers they experience in their lives and to maintain their housing. Barriers tenants and their children experience include mental health and/ or addictions, poverty and experiences of violence. Supports are intended to assist women to build the skills required to participate in their community both inside and outside of the building and if they are able and ready, to move to housing without supports.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working with the Manager, participates in the team as a specialist in the area of innovative community development and capacity building with marginalized and mixed communities;
• Develops, implements evaluates and facilitates workshops, groups and individual supports that address tenant mental health, addictions and woman abuse issues, with specialized attention to peer support needs;
• Assumes lead role in implementation of initiatives to address the needs of the community including strategies to creatively support the growth of core community structures (e.g., tenant meetings, learning circles etc.);
• Supports the tenant community to use community resources effectively;
• Assists tenants to assume and maintain their tenancy obligations;
• Provides crisis prevention, intervention and counseling for women and children to respond to crisis in ways that support individual and community well-being;
• Assists tenants to problem solve and access relevant community supports;
• Maintains a working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act, Ontario Human Rights Code and Rent Geared to Income calculations;
• Assists in the preparation of legal documentation; and may be required to attend Landlord Tenant Board hearings;
• Shares on-call duties for all permanent housing site.

QUALIFICATIONS

• General knowledge of an academic or technical discipline normally acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree, example: Bachelor of Social Work, (Cases for Equivalency will be considered);
• Over 3 to 5 years experience working in a supportive housing setting in a direct service setting with children, youth and adults who experience impacts of poverty, homelessness/under-housing, violence/trauma, mental health/addictions/ or concurrent disorders;
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating leadership within groups and developing dynamic and innovative programming;
• Supportive counseling and group-work approach that is flexible, client-centered and strengths-based;
• Life Skills certificate an asset;
• Arts based and social media skills an asset;
• Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act and Ontario Human Rights Code;
• Excellent crisis intervention and conflict mediation skills, with ability to remain calm in crisis;
• Proven experience working independently, developing and facilitating groups;
• Ability to deliver culturally sensitive services;
• Very good knowledge and understanding of community resources;
• Familiarity with Windows and Excel programs;
• Excellent oral and written communication;
• Ability to work within an anti-oppression and feminist framework;
• Knowledge of a second language or culture an asset;
• Valid drivers license and access to a vehicle is an asset.

Please note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate prior to hiring. YWCA Toronto is a unionized workplace. Staff are represented by CUPE Local 2189. This position is within the Bargaining Unit. Please indicate on your cover letter if you are an internal candidate. For internal applicants, this position is not secondable.Posting date: March 22, 2024YWCA Toronto transforms lives. As the citys largest multi-service womens organization, we help women and gender diverse people escape violence, move out of poverty and access safe, affordable housing.We work tenaciously to break down barriers that hold women and gender diverse people back from achieving equality.Vaccination Policy: In accordance with YWCA Torontos COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, all YWCA Toronto employees, students and volunteers are strongly encouraged to obtain all COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses as recommended by Toronto Public HealthPlease note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate prior to hiring.YWCA Toronto promotes the principles of anti-oppression and adheres to the tenets of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We encourage applications from women and gender diverse people of all races, ethnic origins, religions, abilities and sexual orientations.YWCA Toronto provides accommodation during all parts of the hiring process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. If contacted, please advise us if you require any accommodation. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.YWCA Toronto is a Scent-Sensitive Workplace.Powered by JazzHR

YWCA Toronto