Case Worker

**Employment Type**:Full-Time, Permanent
**Work Hours**:35 hours per week (rotating shifts including evenings and weekends, shares on-call responsibilities)
**Salary**:$55,939 annually (Level 7), plus comprehensive benefits
**Location**:389 Church Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2E5
**Internal Application Deadline**:Monday, January 13, 2025
**External Application Deadline**:Wednesday, January 15, 2025

**JOIN OUR TEAM**

The Case Worker - Community Engagement is responsible for leading the development and facilitation of tenant community-based initiatives with the goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive environment as well as engagement with the local community through a trauma-informed, harm reduction and anti-oppression lens. The goals of the position are to create an inclusive community, in collaboration with the caseworker team and program manager to ensure that all community engagement activities address the emotional, practical and social support needs of the tenant population. Liaise with community services and sectorial network to encourage tenant 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 389 Church Street housing team and alongside Inspirations Studio, Native Women’s programming manager and the Church Granby Neighborhood group to ensure that community engagement activities support a dynamic and culturally responsive environment with a focus on positive health and wellness outcomes.

**ABOUT YWCA TORONTO - HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM, CHURCH STREET**
YWCA Toronto Church Street facility includes 120 units of permanent housing. The integrated model creates a safe, inclusive and supportive community for tenants and is designated for women and gender diverse people who are: chronically homeless or at risk of homelessness; women and gender diverse people following transitions from provincially-funded institutions and service systems such as hospitals or prisons; and homeless Indigenous women/two-spirit people. As part of Housing Support program at the YWCA, the program goals include housing stabilization, harm reduction, health promotion and increased access to primary health care and acute mental health services.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Applies the use of trauma informed practices to support individuals and community engagement/development;
- Uses effective eviction prevention measures to assist tenants to assume and maintain their tenancy obligations;
- Provides crisis prevention, intervention and counseling for women and children and gender diverse people to respond to crisis in ways that support individual and community well-being;
- Assists tenants to resolve issues of outstanding arrears;
- Uses harm reduction principles in facilitating and supporting tenant-centered activities
- Works with a tenant support network and referral partners to develop individualized support plans that identify ongoing housing and mental health/addictions support;
- Contributes specialized knowledge and expertise in community development, tenant integration and cooperation with team members to develop meaningful and relevant services for tenants.

**QUALIFICATIONS**
- General knowledge of an academic or technical discipline normally acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree (example: Bachelor of Social Work)** (Cases for Equivalency will be considered)**;
- 3 - 5 years directly related experience working in a supportive housing setting in a direct service setting with children, youth and adults who experience impacts of poverty, homelessness/under-housing, violence/trauma, mental health/addictions, or concurrent disorders;
- Excellent crisis intervention and conflict mediation skills, with ability to remain calm in crisis;
- Proven experience working independently, developing and facilitating groups;
- Demonstrated experience in cultivating leadership within groups and developing dynamic and innovative programming;
- Supportive counseling and group-work approach that is flexible, client-centered and strengths-based;
- Life Skills certificate an asset; arts based and social media skills an asset;
- Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act, and Ontario Human Rights Code;
- Ability to deliver culturally sensitive services;
- Strong knowledge and understanding of community resources;
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Demonstrated understanding and proven ability to work from Anti-oppression, Trauma Informed, Harm Reduction, and feminist frameworks;
- Knowledge of a second language or culture an asset.

**WHAT WE OFFER**:

- Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental Coverage
- Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Benefit
- Multi-Sector Pension Plan: Employer’s contribution of 5.75% and Employee Cont