Job Description

JOB POSTING

JOB TITLE: Community Worker, Homeless Crisis Outreach

CLASSIFICATION: Support Worker

JOB TYPE: 0.5 FTE, 17.5 hours/ week, term ending March 31, 2025

DEPARTMENT: Harm Reduction

REPORTS TO: Senior Manager, Harm Reduction

PAY RANGE: $21.30 - 25.64/per hour

Benefits: Excellent benefits package including Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)

DEADLINE TO APPLY: July 4, 2023 at 5pm EST

WHERE TO APPLY:



About us:

We are the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC), a non-profit, community-governed organization that serves over 16K clients annually. We provide a wide range of health care services such as primary health care, health promotion, community development, mental health and harm reduction. We are deeply connected to the communities we serve. We make our work meaningful for our community by striving to ensure that our team reflect the community we serve. We work within an anti-racism, anti-oppression framework that acknowledges systemic racism exists and seeks to ensure that systems are fair and equitable for everyone

JOB SUMMARY

Working on the Homeless Crisis Outreach team and wider Harm Reduction team at Somerset West Community Health Centre, the Community Worker (CW) will support engagement with people experiencing crisis in the Somerset West Community Health Centre catchment areas with a priority to People Who Use Drugs and/or people precariously housed/experiencing homelessness. Services will focus on providing outreach response to street involved persons experiencing distress; improperly discarded drug use gear; and abandoned sleeping rough supplies.

Community Workers will assist with providing informal care coordination supporting clients to navigate the homeless/housing sector in collaboration with sector partners. Workers collaborate as a part of the whole Harm Reduction Department. They work with Harm Reduction Workers, Nurses, the Team Leads, the Manager, and other members of the team. Workers also collaborate with and contribute to the overall services, programs and functioning of the Centres.

We work within an anti-racism, anti-oppression framework that acknowledges systemic racism exists and seeks to ensure that systems are fair and equitable for everyone.

Applicant Requirements: Applicants must clearly self-identify as a person with lived experience in their application to be considered.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education

• No educational requirement, this position is designated for people with lived experience, specifically illicit drug use
• High School or post-secondary education is an asset

Professional Experience

• Lived experience of illicit drug use, homelessness, street involvement or sex work is an
• asset
• Experience advocating for people who are precariously housed/street involved and/or
• people who use drugs is an asset
• Experience with overdose response is an asset
• High School or post-secondary education is an asset
• 1-2 years experience volunteering or working in a harm reduction, drop-in or shelter
• program is an asset

Key Competencies

• Lived experience with illicit substance use, homelessness, street involvement or sex work
• Understanding of the challenges people who use drugs face
• Know about peer to peer support
• Know about harm reduction gear and support
• Able to work with and be around active drug use
• Strong de-escalation skills, able to stay calm under pressure and always be respectful
• Welcoming and non-judgmental
• Ability to keep client information confidential
• Strong communication skills
• Strong problem solving and boundaries
• Experience with overdose prevention and emergency response, naloxone training is an asset
• Knowledge and understanding of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections like HIV and Hepatitis transmission
• Know about community resources
• Availability to work evenings and weekends
• Ability to work well with others as part of a team
• Excellent attendance, reliability and punctuality

• Basic knowledge of and experience working with computers
• Commitment to the principles of health equity, inclusion and anti-racism/anti-oppression

Linguistic profile

• English
• French is an asset
• Proficiency in other languages considered an asset

• Personal Suitability

Commitment to the principles of health equity, inclusion and anti-racism/anti-oppression

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Community Workers will support and do things like:

• Connect clients to the Homeless Crisis Outreach program
• Offer peer support
• Offer Harm reduction education
• Give out harm reduction gear
• Learn and follow policies & procedures
• Read emails
• Document all client contacts and program specific data on tablet
• Actively participate in operational regular check-ins as well as team/department
• meetings

• We will give you training on the required parts of your job
• Community Workers will need to be able to read and write in English and have basic

email skills

• Community Workers will need to be able to use a computer

Other Job Requirements

• Needle exchange and safer inhalation training
• Non Violent Crisis Intervention training
• CPR & Standard First Aid
• Overdose Prevention and Naloxone training

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Contributes to the Centre\xe2\x80\x99s activities to collect, analyse and report on data and relevant

information and participate in research

• Preserves confidentiality of all client and employee information and seeks to minimize

risk while working with data

• Submits records of time worked and time off in a timely manner
• Complies and adheres to all applicable Centre policies and procedures
• Contributes to operationalizing the organization\xe2\x80\x99s anti-racism and anti-oppression policy

The Community Worker must also work within the scope of all legislative and Centre policies related to occupational health and safety. In this capacity, the employee:

• Must read and follow the Centre\xe2\x80\x99s occupational health and safety policies.
• Must have an OH&S Review at the beginning of their employment.
• Must participate in any mandatory training the Centre provides including Worker or Supervisor
• Safety Awareness Training and WHMIS Training.

• Must complete the AODA training
• Must participate in Non Violence Crisis Intervention Training

If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume by July 4, 2023 at 5pm EST to:

**It is the policy of SWCHC to require COVID-19 immunization for all employees, volunteers, students, and contractors, including those who do not work on site with the following exceptions: Persons with a medical reason that prevents them from being vaccinated against COVID-19; Persons with other reasonable considerations pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code that restrict them from being vaccinated against Covid 19 vaccination.**

Somerset West Community Health Centre is an equal opportunity employer who values the diversity of individuals in our programs and services.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of Indigenous, Black and racialized communities, Two-Spirit, nonbinary, LGBTQ+ people; people with disabilities; and members of other equity seeking groups. Applicants are encouraged to share accessibility needs in the application process, and every attempt will be made to accommodate them.

Due to the high volume of applicants, we can neither confirm receipt of nor respond to inquiries regarding your application. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Somerset West Community Health Centre