Supportive Housing Worker

CMHA Kelowna & District is hiring for full-time Supportive Housing Workers for our Supportive Housing Programs. Full time means 32 – 40 hours per week. We have five Supportive Housing Sites located throughout Kelowna that have been successfully housing and supporting individuals who are unhoused or at risk of being unhoused for more than 20 years.

WHO IS A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORKER?

Supportive Housing Workers within our organization provide assistance, support and basic life skills training to housing Program Participants who are often marginalized members of our community. The Program Participants come from a variety of backgrounds that may include a combination of trauma, drug/alcohol use, experiences of being unhoused, mental health challenges and/or mental illness. It is important to recognize that the Supportive Housing site is their home, and this position uses a client centered approach to support each individual with their unique needs. Ensuring the safety and security of the Program Participants and their living environment while encouraging independence, self-responsibility and developing a sustainable lifestyle, will be critical to success in this role. The goal of the program is long term housing success.

WHAT DOES A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORKER DO?

• Work through a trauma informed lens;
• Provides feedback and input regarding participants’ needs;
• Monitors medication to participants and provides medication reminders, in accordance with established policy;
• Participates in and oversees various participant-focused social and recreational activities;
• Identifies available social, economic, recreational, and educational services and resources in the community that will meet participants’ needs;
• Works directly with participants in client-led goal setting;
• Work alongside participants in creating and maintaining a healthy living space;
• Recognizing participant’s strengths and honouring their abilities while offering flexible person-centered support;
• Crisis response, mental health and substance use, suicidal ideation and overdose response;
• Encompassing a harm reduction and housing first lens;
• Completes and maintains related records and documentation such as statistics, progress reports, and daily logs;
• Receives participant feedback, inquiries and complaints, and responds as required;
• Perform housekeeping duties such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, and laundry;
• Performs outdoor residence maintenance such as sweeping, snow shoveling, garbage pick-up and other light maintenance as required;
• Provides directions to training/onboarding new hires, volunteers/practicum students as required;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

YOUR STRENGTHS & EXPERIENCE:

• Grade 12 as well as a Diploma in Community Social Service or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience or other qualifications determined to be reasonable and relevant to the level of work;
• Criminal Record Check in the Vulnerable Sector is required;
• Certificates in CPR, First Aid, Naloxone, ASIST and Food Safe are considered an asset;
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position;
• Ability to recognize personal and position limitations;
• Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing;
• Ability to organize and prioritize;
• Ability to observe and recognize changes in participants;
• Ability to establish and maintain rapport with participants;
• Ability to instruct;
• Ability to analyze and resolve challenges;
• Conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills.
• Ability to maintain consistent professional boundaries
• Working knowledge of community resources is considered an asset.

WHO IS CMHA KELOWNA & DISTRCIT?

At CMHA Kelowna & District, we are dedicated to Mental Health in our community. No matter how old or how young, we provide support for families and individuals through programs that promote positive mental health and support recovery, while championing the elimination of barriers that can prevent people from thriving. We are a dynamic, innovative and visionary organization. We are looking for someone who shares our vision of a mentally healthy Kelowna and are passionate about making a difference in our community by bringing their particular expertise to our organization. To learn more, check out our website at www.cmhakelowna.org

CMHA KELOWNA & DISTRICT OFFERS YOU:

• A competitive wage of $26.57/hour
• Dental, Health & EAP Benefits
• RRSP matching program
• Vacation & Personal Health Days
• A workplace culture that fosters learning, transparency, trust and teamwork

As an employer, CMHA Kelowna & District strives to create a workplace that respects and values all individuals, minimizes bias, and promotes the equity, diversity, and inclusion of different perspectives and ideas. At CMHA Kelowna & District that means welcoming diversity in mental health, race, ethnicity, and culture. It also means diverse abilities, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, gender identities, education, marital status, language, and physical self-expression. These values are embedded in the work CMHA Kelowna & District does every day.

We appreciate and thank all applicants for their interest, however only short-listed candidates and those legally eligible to work in Canada will be contacted.