Prevention Diversion Case Worker

**Job Title**:Prevention Diversion Worker

**Reports to**:Manager of Youth Services

**About Kingston Youth Shelter**

The Kingston Youth Shelter (KYS) is a non-profit agency, established in 1999, that provides temporary emergency shelter for young women and men ages 16 through 24 years. It expanded its mandate in 2015 and provides transitional beds and life skills programming for youth ages 16-24. The KYS is also running a successful program called Kingston Youth Families, providing support to families to help address family breakdown, youth/parent conflict, and general communication difficulties that may leave youth at a greater risk of entering homelessness. Additionally, the KYS has a Prevention Diversion Worker who supports youth in the acquisition of permanent housing. The Kingston Youth Shelter provides these services through a complement of 3 separate locations in the Kingston area (Nelson St, Yonge St. and Elmwood Ave.) All services provide a safe environment with in-house counseling services appropriate to reintegrating youth within the employment and social contexts. Particular attention is paid to those determinants of health critical to the support environment needed to meet the Kingston Youth Shelter’s mission. _**It is the only shelter in Kingston exclusively devoted to youth.**_

**Job Summary**:
The staff of the Kingston Youth Shelter and Transition Homes maintain a clean, safe, and supportive environment. The Prevention Diversion Worker provides the full range of services offered in the Prevention/Diversion Program in adherence with the Operating Standards for the Prevention/Diversion Program. They complete the screening and the intake protocol for individuals and families who are experiencing a housing crisis and provide diversion services and targeted prevention to resolve the immediate housing crisis. They provide outreach to engage people “living in the rough” to obtain housing assistance. They initiate referrals to other organizations as appropriate.

**Time Commitment & Remuneration**

**Major Responsibilities**
- Implement diversion strategies consistent with the screening and intake results;
- Complete intakes to verify tenancy problems, barriers to housing, risks, wellness, financial needs and other issues for those who cannot be diverted or have been transferred from the Emergency Shelter Program;
- Provide pre-screening, intake and triage as per the coordinated access protocols
- Complete shifts at coordinated access locations;
- Provide general housing assistance or information on a limited basis to the general public who access the coordinated access locations;
- Provide outreach services to those “living in the rough” to understand their housing needs and begin the engagement and triage process;
- Provide prevention/diversion services to clients referred from the emergency shelter system;
- Work with the established institutional discharge protocols so that persons who are being discharged from institutions have a housing or shelter plan prior to discharge;
- Help prevent imminent evictions by negotiating with landlords and consulting with community legal services as required;
- As necessary, support clients through the eviction process, helping them to locate housing resources in the community and providing follow-up services when necessary;
- Address the immediate housing crisis based on the intake results and needs of the individual or family through the provision of brief intervention services within a shared accountability approach which may or may not include referral to an emergency shelter if homeless;
- Assist in developing a plan within a brief intervention approach that decreases the likelihood of a future or recurrent housing crisis (“homelessness proofing”) including assisting with connections to other resources and services;
- Participates in system-wide Prevention/Diversion program meetings and seek out the Prevention/Diversion Coordinator for support and technical assistance as required;
- Keep clear and concise written documentation;
- Prepare monthly statistics and outcome reports;
- Provide updates to the Manager of Youth Services of any developments, concerns or problems;
- Perform all requested tasks by the Manager of Youth Services or designate;
**Minimum Requirements**
- A degree/diploma in the human services field;
- Skills in providing solution focused approaches;
- Ability to work closely with adolescent care workers, Ontario Disability Support Program workers and Ontario Works;
- Demonstrated knowledge of homelessness, mental health/addiction issues and resources available;
- Ability to identify and assess risk and implement strategies which minimize risk to self, the client and others;
- Strong problem solving, conflict resolution and mediation skills within a solution-focused framework;
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written;
- Excellent computer skills;
- Minimum of 2 years ex