Job Description

Description

Housing Specialists procure housing through landlord engagement and subsequently connects chronically homeless individuals and families with prescreened housing choices and landlords that enable housing stability. Housing Retention supports will include but are not limited to housing searches, transportation, viewing, application assistance, housing income supports warm transfer referrals, landlord tenant act training, eviction prevention supports, rapid rehousing and housing based time limited critical time intervention case management that will contribute to successfully getting housed and/or staying housed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Written and Verbal Communication

• Facilitate housing assessment specific to individual youth clients to provide the most appropriate support/housing options
• Provide statistical reports of number of apartment searches, placements, etc.
• Create Housing Map of Pro Housing First Landlords in York Region
• Create Service Agreements with Landlords
• Provide housing support, advocacy, and referals for homeless/at risk, and low to moderate income level youth in York Region
• Process applications and documents for youth living in the transitional program
• Assist clients with applications for social assistance and liaising with Ontario Works/ODSP/Rent Geared to Income Housing
• Performing all relevant documentation related to Housing including but not limited to: intake/discharge forms, client HIFIS notes, shift logs, incident reports, client forms, medication documents, client applications, etc.
• Responsible for maintaining personalized MyArmy work account/password for all strategic work purposes including email, UltiPro (time and scheduling), Salvation Army corporate information systems, Microsoft teams, etc. This is done with support from management, supervisory staff and I.T support personnel
• Staying up to date on all communications including: management/supervisory emails, client case notes, meeting minutes, training communications, policy, and procedures updates, etc.

Reporting

• Engage in formal evaluation sessions with Program Director at 3 months during first year of employment and annually thereafter
• Participate fully and constructively in staff meetings and in-service training
• Responsible for reporting monthly Housing performance stats to OCE.YHSS@salvationarmy.ca email address.
• Fulfilling and communicating all relevant Incident reports, including IIR (Internal reports) to the team, and CIR (critical reports) to supervisory staff
• Completing all required aspects of ongoing PEAC performance appraisal and coaching documents
• Work as a member of the team to ensure that the program operates efficiently and effectively (and to ensure that other staff\'s responsibilities are covered when they are away)
• Participate in and represent the organization at external committees & forums
• Participate in internal committees and/or activities relating to the organization (e.g., joint staff, annual general meeting, other social recreation events, etc.)

Case Work

• Maintaining regular responsibility for case clients, as related to housing support work
• Enter case notes daily into HIFIS system for all aspects client case work
• Participating in on-call staff support rotation

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• This is a temporary full time positions for 6 months based on 40 hours per week average 8 hour shifts
• Housing Worker staff work onsite at Sutton Youth Services facility; approximately 60%. They also have responsibility to leave premises for work related tasks (client, meeting, training, supplies purchasing, housing appointments, meetings with landlords etc.), approx. 40%
• Housing Worker staff members work within the facility building, and outside of the building, onsite

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor of Social Work preferred
• College diploma in Social Sciences field
• Valid Ontario Class \xe2\x80\x9cG\xe2\x80\x9d Driver\'s License and a current copy of a Driver\'s abstract for review and verification that is satisfactory to The Salvation Army, in its sole discretion, is required
• Alternative combinations of education and experience may be considered

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Experience, knowledge and understanding of mental health/addictions
• Previous experience with people experiencing homelessness (one to three years)
• Knowledge of the Tenant Protection Act
• Must have functional knowledge and understanding of youth issues related to homelessness, mental health and addictions
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of and a commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and equity
• Good knowledge of community resources

SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES:

• Working to find housing and providing life skills training for homeless and at-risk youth in York Region
• Ability to facilitate regular workshops based on housing supports and housing stability life skills programming
• The responsibilities associated with this position demand a high degree of confidentiality
• Strong oral and written communication skills are essential
• Word processing, Desktop Publishing, Spreadsheet/Graphing; Database computer skills are essential
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Participate in our online Armatus Abuse Training and Health and Safety training required upon hiring
• Must have good interpersonal/time management skills
• Must exhibit strong empathy, understanding and support for all youth, including difficult-to-serve young people, in our service sector
• Working to find housing and providing life skills training for homeless and at-risk youth in York Region
• Ability to facilitate regular workshops based on housing supports and housing stability life skills programming
• Ability to undergo applicable screening and background checks successfully that are satisfactory to The Salvation Army, in its sole discretion (i.e., The Salvation Army Abuse Registry) and provide an original copy of a Background Check with vulnerable sector screening
• Ability and willingness to develop an understanding and support for the mission and purpose of The Salvation Army in Canada and its implications as related to position responsibilities

The Salvation Army offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment process. If you are contacted to participate in an interview or screening process, please advise us if you require accommodation.

We thank all applicants, however, only those candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.

You must advise your managing supervisor of your intentions prior to submitting your application.

The Salvation Army