Street Outreach Worker Position

**STREET OUTREACH WORKER**

**Albion Neighbourhood Services**

**Job Posting**

**Full Time (**_Unionized_**)**

This person will work as a member of a van-based street outreach team or on multiple teams either during the weekday and occasional weekend/ evening shifts, which contacts, and works with, people who are homeless and on the street in the designated catchment areas to offer housing supports. The street outreach team helps clients to access private market housing and other types of housing, emergency shelters, hotel programs and other homeless services. The staff must have a current Ontario driver’s licence record and maintain a good driving record which is essential to ensuring that project mandates, response and services are delivered effectively. A vulnerable sector police check will be required periodically along with ANS receiving notifications from our automobile insurance company occasionally to verify that the program staff are maintaining a client driving record to ensure that the safety of other staff and clients who are supported in the program are upheld. If there is a violation in maintaining a clean driving record, this can/ may lead to termination or may lead to relief shifts being assigned to another staff. This position is a **_Union _**position.

This position reports _directly _to the Team Leader who will oversee the overall/ daily operational duties for this specific program.

**Responsibilities**
- To maintain a clean driving record which is a high requirement to ensure that safety for all is upheld and to not put hardship cost towards the agency when our insurance provider conducts occasional evaluations
- Conduct van-based outreach to contact homeless people staying in parks, bus shelters, squats and ravines, railway yards, living in their vehicles wherever homeless individuals are known to reside and to offer services
- Drive agency van and conduct outreach on foot at specific locations, as required
- Provide timely response to Concerned Citizen Calls, 311 routed through City of Toronto
- Assist clients in attaining and maintaining housing, including helping with housing searches, ID replacement and resolution of barriers to housing, working with landlords, OW, ODSP, and other organizations to assist service users
- Provide supportive counselling, case management, information, and referrals to homeless clients
- Provide transportation in agency van for homeless clients to housing appointments, shelters, drop-ins, or other safe locations, and facilitate their access to same
- Ensure timely maintenance and upkeep of vehicle by informing Team Leader of concerns when they arise
- Provide enhanced services during extreme cold and extreme heat alerts
- Assist clients in accessing services that can help them to achieve greater self-sufficiency and resiliency, i.e.: identify document replacement programs, income support programs and housing search services
- Provide clients with housing stabilization support, complete case discharges using Checkmarket Survey/ equivalent and submit for case transfers to follow up supports
- Maintain effective liaison with The City of Toronto, Streets to Homes, and other sources for client referral
- Engage with local businesses in the catchment area
- Attend Streets to Homes Frontline Worker meetings and other meetings organized for Streets to Homes Outreach team
- Adhere to City of Toronto OSIS guidelines as per funder requirements.
- Maintain up-to-date records of client interactions in accordance with agency and City requirements.
- Maintain accurate and updated data records in logbook, SMIS, TGRIP and other case management systems as required by agency and funder
- Actively participate in regular supervision sessions and team meetings
- Identify and attend training sessions related to this position
- Submit/ complete reports as required, including daily, monthly, and semi-annual reports and year end reports to the City of Toronto
- Competency in Harm Reduction practices and distributing and administering naloxone when required
- Other duties as assigned and in accordance with funder

**Qualifications**:

- Post Secondary Degree/ diploma in Social Work or related discipline pertinent to the work/ or the equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum 3 years experience working with specific street outreach/ homelessness clients
- Good oral and written communication
- Strong ability to problem-solve and provide recommendations to other team members
- Valid Class G driver’s license and maintaining a clear drivers abstract **_required _**:

- Ability to drive an outreach van in all seasons and weather conditions
- Knowledge of issues of homelessness
- Excellent interpersonal skills, sound counselling skills and ability to form relationships with marginalized individuals
- Sound judgement and good problem
- solving skills
- Knowledge of community resources for homelessness, health, meal programs, substance abuse etc.

**Work Schedule*