Health Advocate Icc Med Dorm

About Radius Community Health & Healing (formerly Boyle McCauley Health Centre)_

Radius Community Health & Healing provides interdisciplinary, team based, integrated, comprehensive, and person-centered primary health care for vulnerable Edmontonians with complex needs.
Through primary care and health promotion, Radius Community Health & Healing improves the quality of life and well-being of populations and individuals who face multiple barriers to accessing health services. Radius achieves this by providing the highest standard of evidence-informed and client focused inter-professional care. We collaborate with our clients to address the broad determinants of health.

Radius Health Advocates are a vital component of the Team Based care at Radius. Clinical teams of nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, medical office assistants, outreach workers, health advocates, mental health therapists, and other professionals offer comprehensive, wrap-around care to Edmonton’s most marginalized population. Health Advocates fulfill a “social work” role for our clients. Understanding that the majority of Radius clients are often marginalized by society and face many systemic barriers, our Health Advocates work directly with clients to navigate social and healthcare systems, so that clients are able to access the necessary supports they require to thrive. This includes navigation of social service funding (including AISH and AB works), housing first programming, community service agencies, and many other services.

This position may also involve assisting clients at two unique projects currently in development, the Integrated Care Centre (in partnership with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS)) and the Medical Respite Unit. The Integrated Care Centre will help meet the health needs of vulnerable clients who are detained by EPS so they can safely transition back into the community, while the Medical Respite Unit will create a safe space for community members experiencing homelessness to rest and recover from illness in a safe environment.
- Key Responsibilities_
- Work in an interdisciplinary team to provide social supports in a primary care setting
- In collaboration with the healthcare team, providing the following healthcare services:

- Connection to essential services in the health and social sector
- Help clients to navigate available social supports (including financial, housing, food security, and other basic needs)
- Contributing to the client care plan, and work with other healthcare providers to achieve client-centred goals
- Assist clients to secure basic needs, documents, and services (e.g. identification)
- Management of substance misuse disorders
- Continuity of care
- Client advocacy
- Radius clients are often faced with barriers of stigma, and the role of the Health Advocate may often be hands-on, and will require direct advocacy and intervention on behalf of clients

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Qualifications_**
- Registration with Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) is preferred
- Mandatory vulnerable sector check and suitable criminal record check
- Mandatory experience with marginalized populations (e.g. homeless serving sector, social service agencies)

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Knowledge/Skills_**
- Able to balance numerous demands and conflicting priorities, strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work co-operatively within a multidisciplinary team as well as independently
- Ability to demonstrate patience and understanding for those with addictions and behavioral disorders
- Strong computer proficiency, with experience with Office 365 suite (e.g. Outlook, MS Office, Excel) an asset
- Prior experience with electronic medical record (EMR) system an asset (e.g. MedAccess)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Has a good understanding of trauma-informed care, and must be able to operate within a harm reduction model of care
- Understanding of cultural awareness an asset