YWCA Toronto- Community Engagement Worker Mental Health and Addictions

Posted on May 16, 2024

YWCA Toronto transforms lives. As the city’s largest multi-service women’s 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

Internal and External Job Posting
Community Engagement Worker – Mental Health and Addictions (Contract)
YWCA Elm Housing Support Program
JOB ID: ELM1017-Repost

Employment Type: Full-Time, Contract
Work Hours: 35 hours per week including evening and weekend hours; shares on-call duties
Salary: $55,939 annually (L7), plus comprehensive benefits
Location: 150 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0B1
Contract Period: June 3, 2024 to May 30, 2025
Internal Application Deadline: Friday, May 24, 2024
External Application Deadline: Monday, May 27, 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 orientations.

The Community Engagement Worker - Mental Health and Addictions is responsible for leading the design and implementation of programming that promotes mental health and wellness and effective harm reduction strategies to support safer use or abstinence goals of tenants. The goals of the position are to create an inclusive community, encourage participation in the broader community, work one-on-one and through group programming to identify and develop effective strategies that meet the emotional, practical and social needs of tenants and the community as a whole. The position will work within the Community Engagement Program team and alongside the Jean Tweed case management team to ensure that community engagement activities support a positive and dynamic environment with a focus on health outcomes.

ABOUT YWCA TORONTO – YWCA ELM CENTRE

YWCA Elm Centre includes 300 units of permanent housing for three different resident groups: 165 units of affordable rental units for women and gender diverse people, 50 units for women and gender diverse people, women-led families and gender diverse-led families of Indigenous descent (including 10 women-led and gender diverse-led families fleeing violence) and 85 units for women and gender diverse people who are experiencing significant mental health challenges or concurrent mental health/addictions disorders. The program will provide services to the entire residential community, with a dual focus on community building and individualized supports.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Acts as a specialist consultant to YWCA Manager, YWCA Elm support team, Jean Tweed Centre case managers and tenants in the area of innovative community engagement and capacity building with marginalized and mixed communities;
• Provides leadership in developing and delivering services that promote inclusion, participation, creativity and empowerment to build a vibrant community where safety and wellbeing are shared values;
• Develops, implements and evaluates evidence-based workshops, groups and other programming that incorporate health promotion and harm reduction strategies to empower individuals as they address issues related to substance use, mental health, health and wellness and housing;
• Works with staff and participants to help tenants build and expand their strengths, skills and leadership by developing and participating in community activities and tenant-led initiatives;
• Creates programming specifically designed to build staff and community capacity through activities that promote awareness of mental health and addictions as a key component of overall health and well-being;
• Communicates and advocates effectively with health care providers and relevant circles of support to ensure tenants are receiving appropriate care;
• Uses trauma-informed practice to identify and support individual and community needs;
• Uses harm reduction principles in facilitating and supporting tenant-led and tenant-centered activities, like tenant committees related to areas of importance for residents;
• Assists the Intake Coordinator with intakes and move-in orientation process;
• Supports tenants in addressing and resolving legal notices related to lease infractions such as arrears, Rent Geared to Income (RGI) documentation and/or behavior issues;
• Attends and, when necessary, acts as a witness at the Landlord Tenant Board hearings as required;
• Participates in the development of program policies and procedures and ongoing program evaluation;
• Compiles program statistics and prepares reports as required and assists in the preparation of the Annual Program Report.

QUALIFICATIONS

• General knowledge of an academic or technical discipline normally acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree in a social services or health field (examples: BSW/Social Work, Occupational Therapy, etc.) (Cases for Equivalency will be considered);
• 3 - 5 years of demonstrated experience working in diverse, direct and complex service settings with adults and families who experience the impacts of poverty, homelessness/under-housing, violence/trauma, mental health and or substance use challenges, and other sources of marginalization or oppressions;
• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated clinical skills in client engagement, holistic assessment, supportive counseling and group programming that is flexible, feminist, trauma-informed, harm reduction-informed and strengths-based;
• Demonstrated knowledge and use of evidence-based modalities including bio-psycho-social model, strengths model, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and trans-theoretical stages of change;
• Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, facilitating and evaluating group-based programming and psycho-educational workshops that are evidence based and that cultivate peer-led initiatives and individualized capacity building;
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse individuals and groups, delivering culturally competent services and programming that value the dynamic diversity of Elm community, building shared understanding and respect;
• Demonstrated ongoing commitment to critical self-reflection and anti-oppression practice;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of community resources relevant to the position;
• Demonstrated ability to collaboratively work and build partnerships with external community partners and stakeholders, including resource brokerage and advocacy for client access to relevant community supports, services and programs as necessary;
• Demonstrated conflict mediation skills and crisis intervention skills, including creating effective safety plans and thorough follow-up;
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communications skills;
• Current First Aid and CPR certification;
• Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act an asset and arts-based or graphic design skills an asset.

Vaccination Policy : In accordance with YWCA Toronto’s 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 Health. 

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.

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