Housing Based Case Manager

Join our Amazing E Fry Ottawa Team

Housing Based Case Manager (HBCM)

Job title: Housing Based Case Manager (HBCM)

Reports to: Manager, Community Programs and Services

Hours: 37.5 hours/week

Language: English Essential (Bilingual Preferred)

Salary: $24.65 (salary non-negotiable – unionized organization)

Welcome

E Fry Ottawa is committed to employment equity, actively seeks diversity in the workplace, and welcomes and encourages applications from members of equity seeking groups including women, transgender, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ individuals, First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, persons with disabilities and members of racialized and marginalized groups.

About E Fry Ottawa

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa is a not-for-profit community agency that supports and advocates for women, gender-diverse people and men impacted by the justice system. We provide a diverse array of community-based and residential programming aimed at reducing harm and oppression, supporting people to overcome barriers to reintegration, and empowering them to build a life of stability and resiliency. We are a feminist organization committed to working from a human rights and anti-oppression perspective, recognizing systemic barriers that lead to marginalization.

Our Housing Based Case Manager…

• Provides comprehensive housing-based case management services to support moderate to high acuity women and gender-diverse people in Ottawa who are in the process of being discharged from the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) to find appropriate housing, learn relevant life skills, and promote an improved quality of life.
• Assists clients in accessing community supports and services or acting in a role of advocacy when appropriate to enhance their housing stability and support long-term housing retention.
• Works with clients in areas of skill building, goal setting, and safety planning.

This position involves travel (by car) in the City of Ottawa. A valid driver’s license is required, and access to a reliable vehicle is considered an asset (with appropriate insurance) to transport clients to viewings, appointments, and meetings. A clean driver’s abstract is required to access the agency vehicle.

Core Responsibilities

Intake and Assessment

• Identify clients through in-reach activities at Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) and assess for HBCM services using a Justice Discharged VI-SPDAT (JD VI-SPDAT) as well as through case-conferencing with OCDC discharge planners and/or the Elizabeth Fry Society Community Liaison Worker.
• Consult with the City’s Housing First Data Coordinator to identify and prioritize clients that meet Housing First eligibility criteria.
• Administer agency intake and assessment tools as required to support clients.
• Maintain and record accurate, complete, up-to-date client files and case notes according to established procedures, including entering necessary information into HIFIS and ShareVision.

Release/Discharge and Housing Procurement Support

• Prior to discharge from OCDC, arrange for emergency shelter or other interim housing to support permanent housing search.
• Upon release from OCDC, coordinate essential appointments with clients regarding income benefits, transportation requirements, and identification needs.
• Assist clients by arranging viewings, speaking to property owners, choosing housing, and assisting with move-in arrangements, including the procurement of furniture and/or small household items.

Ongoing Supports

• Facilitate clients’ access to community resources to strengthen their tenancy, promote healthy living, and offer long-term support as needed.
• Empower clients to maintain the condition of their housing unit by overseeing cleanliness levels and teaching life skills.
• Support clients in preparing a monthly budget, a weekly calendar of meaningful things to do, a personal guest policy, a risk minimization plan, and a crisis plan.
• Review and adjust support service plans, gradually reducing and ultimately discontinuing HBCM supports in alignment with the preferences and evolving needs of the client.
• Conduct JD-VI-SPDAT and VI-SPDAT assessments to support triage and identify the need for more intensive housing supports.
• Assist clients in problem-solving and crisis intervention around housing conflicts and legal issues that may put their tenancy at risk.
• Provide shared after-hours on-call support to clients dealing with urgent housing-related issues.
• Provide information on tenant rights and responsibilities as needed and support clients through the eviction process if necessary.
• Support clients who need to be re-housed to select, rent, and move into new housing.
• Assist clients to access employment, educational, and volunteer opportunities that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and community integration.
• Stay informed and updated on community resources for housing and housing-related intervention supports.
• Apply for or negotiate access to social housing, non-profit housing, and provincial rent supplements as needed.

Other Responsibilities

The HBCM will collaborate with the John Howard Society of Ottawa and other community agencies using a housing-first model to share information, problem-solve, identify emergency issues, analyze data, and coordinate services. The position requires ongoing reporting on performance measurements as required by the funder (City of Ottawa) and E Fry Ottawa. Additional duties may be assigned by the Manager, Community Programs and Services.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• Experience and/or education equivalent to a post-secondary degree in social work, criminal justice, or a related field.
• Minimum 2 years experience engaging and collaborating with vulnerable populations, specifically women and gender-diverse people involved in the justice system.
• An understanding of mental health and addiction issues, including knowledge of harm reduction strategies.
• Experience recognizing and responding to women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness with trauma-informed care.
• Experience using the SPDAT range of assessment tools or willingness to be trained to use these tools.
• Experience working within a Housing First framework and its guiding principles or willingness to undergo training.
• Valid First Aid/CPR, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI), and ASIST certification considered an asset.
• Valid driver’s license required.

Required Knowledge, Capacity, and Commitment

• Possess a high level of tolerance and understanding for individuals who present with multiple needs.
• A demonstrated understanding of factors that contribute to women’s and gender-diverse people’s involvement in the justice system.
• Strong crisis management skills.
• Strong organizational and reporting skills to meet funder requirements.
• Ability to oversee a small budget to assist clients with basic needs.
• Basic budgeting skills to support development and ongoing maintenance of client budgets.
• A demonstrated understanding of the systemic reasons for homelessness.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to engage with and establish trust relationships.
• Strong motivational interviewing skills to support creation and maintenance of case plans.

Submit your resume and cover letter today We thank all who apply. We will contact only those selected for an interview.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $24.65 per hour

Expected hours: 37.50 per week

Additional pay:

• Retention bonus

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• Vision care

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Ottawa, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Education:

• DCS / DEC (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2024-08-25