Housing Support Worker

**Role Description**:
South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA) is committed to the implementation of Coordinated Access: a strategic prevention system in which all agencies, government departments and public systems are communicating, using common assessments, and actively referring individuals experiencing housing insecurity, energy poverty or homelessness to appropriate resources. Implementing this type of system, while challenging, is now seen as an essential component of the pathway to ending homelessness.

The Housing Support Worker plays a pivotal role in supporting the work of SSODA’s By-Name List (BNL), a real-time list of individuals who are experiencing housing insecurity, energy poverty and homelessness that allows for prioritization and triage to services in Lunenburg and Queen's County. The Housing Support Worker empowers clients who have been referred into the Coordinated Access System to maintain their housing, develop independent living skills, and pursue personal recovery and wellness by implementing a strengths based approach to case planning and management. The role is a front line position. The successful applicant must be a strong team player but also have the ability to work independently and possess strong time management skills.

**Summary of Duties**:

- Assist tenants to develop support/goal plans
- Share responsibility with the team for implementing appropriate housing supports that assist tenants in pursuing/achieving their goals
- Assist tenants with tenancy related matters such as rent payment, reducing high risk behaviours, engagement within the life of the tenant community

**Support tenants with**:

- Reminders relating to appointments,
- Accompaniment to appointments (in situations of high anxiety or distress, otherwise, it is expected the worker encourage use of public transit when available)
- Establishing and/or maintaining personal wellness routines
- Managing and supporting clients with behavioral needs
- Support the maintenance of safe/clean environment
- Directly assists with instructing how to maintain their housing
- Continually assessing the environment for safety and security issues
- Support and encourage activities/events which foster tenant engagement/participation, the development of social networks and skill acquisition
- Documentation and data entry, document all tenant contact/interactions in the appropriate case management portal through HIFIS 4
- Participate in team meetings, provide input and ideas for improving services and efficiencies and ongoing program planning.

**Summary of Qualifications**
- A minimum of College Diploma in a field relevant to the target population or an equivalent combination of training, education or experience (additional time working in a similar setting/field) will be considered. Higher level post-secondary education will be considered an asset
- A minimum of 2 years direct or transferable experience suitable to working effectively with the relevant target population
- Knowledge of local community resources relevant to the target population being served and/or demonstrated ability to search for applicable resources/information is considered a strong asset
- Ability to design and implement group activities and facilitate group meetings
- Ability to work remotely and independently with mínimal supervision
- Good crisis management and dispute resolution skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)
- Basic computer literacy (Word, Excel, E-mail)
- Experience in community mental health and/or in supportive housing settings
- Basic understanding of different psychiatric conditions
- Experience with the development of tenancy recovery plans
- Experience working with developmentally delayed or addictions is preferable

**Applicable trainings that are considered an asset**
- First Aid/CPR
- Mental Health First Aid
- ASIST Suicide Prevention
- Trauma Informed Care/Practices
- Nonviolent Crisis Intervention
- Harm Reduction
- Naloxone

We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Pay: $20.00-$24.50 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

**Education**:

- Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

- First Aid Certification (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2025-02-07