Edmonton City Centre Outreach Integration Worker

**Edmonton City Centre Outreach Integration Worker, Street Outreach**

**Reports To: Outreach Services Manager**

“Despite great challenges we believe unhealthy cycles can be broken, new opportunities created and, through healing, health restored.”

Reporting to the Outreach Services Manager the Street Outreach Worker supports individuals sleeping rough throughout Edmonton (including in the river valley/parkland areas) and assists them in transitioning to a safer lifestyle, while increasing understanding among community stakeholders about the target population and street-related challenges.

Edmonton City Centre (ECC) Outreach is a new program and partnership between Boyle Street Community Services and ECC’s Security team wherein outreach will work in tandem with Security agents at City Centre Mall.

The overarching goal of ECC Outreach is to support individuals who are frequenting Edmonton City Centre mall and experiencing homelessness, addictions, and mental illness. The role of the outreach worker is to work collaboratively with ECC’s security team to reduce the risk of negative interactions and outcomes between the community and ECC security team. The outreach team will create a co-learning environment for the agents, businesses, and patrons of ECC. ECC takes a human-centered approach, assessing a person’s day-to-day needs and planning for long-term solutions as they work towards a better quality of life.

“We stand with our clients, side by side, patiently and for as long as they want - a constant and consistent caring force”

**Position Responsibilities**
- Build rapport with identified marginalized individuals to gain an understanding of their history and assess their needs.
- Connect individuals to resources and advocate on their behalf to access services, such as, but not limited to: housing, income, medical supports, identification etc.
- Housing diversion work that increases the outcome of individuals being served becoming housed; such as re-connecting community to family, transportation, etc.
- Liaise with storeowners, community groups, residents, City of Edmonton, EPS, EMS, hospitals and other service agencies that interact with individuals frequenting City Centre mall and surrounding area.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to determine best practices and how to have healthy levels of coexistence, tolerance, and respect.
- Identify gaps in services, data entry, and provide information that will be used to create reports for the organization and City Centre mall administration.
- De-escalate and provide crisis intervention and support as and when needed.
- Ensure ongoing follow up for individuals by referring and connecting with various agencies, services, and resources.
- Facilitate and participate in educational presentations to the public, stakeholders, and other relevant parties.
- Any other duties assigned by the Outreach Services Manager. BSCS is more than a workplace. It is a community where everyone helps and contributes to the whole, and there is an expectation that all employees will take part in events (during the work week and occasionally during weekends and evenings). This includes fundraising campaigns, running community meals, medicine picking etc.

**Qualifications**
- Ability to work in a highly stressful and ever-changing environment.
- Must have excellent boundaries and sound self-care practices.
- Mental resiliency is key.
- Must be a creative worker and resourceful advocate.
- Excellent case manager, an expert facilitator, an effective communicator and be able to nurture a culture of collaboration amongst diverse and competitive stakeholders.
- Exposure to or direct work history with principles of evidence-based practice, client centered, and harm reduction models.
- Able to work in a fast paced, ever changing, often demanding, sometimes traumatizing environment.
- Must be willing to work with individuals who experience many barriers and have a history or currently experiencing mental illnesses and addictions.
- At least two years of experience delivering community-based services.
- Experience networking with a range of partners and stakeholders
- Must be a team player and role model positive team interactions. This includes sharing expertise and knowledge to support, coach and develop others.
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of poverty-related issues, trends and services, particularly within, but not limited to the urban Indigenous population.
- Experience in working with diverse communities and awareness of Edmonton’s inner-city communities and their needs.
- Completion of training in trauma-informed practice and/or cultural sensitivity training would be considered.
- A Valid Class 5 Driver's License with access to a reliable vehicle as well as $2 million liability insurance is considered an asset, but is not required.
- Police Check with the Vulnerable Sector and Child and Youth Intervention Check completed within the past six months.
- Vali