Case Worker

_YWCA Toronto transforms lives. As the city’s largest multi-service women’s organization, we help women and gender diverse people escape violence, move out of poverty and access safe, affordable housing._
- We work tenaciously to break down barriers that hold women and gender diverse people back from achieving equality._
Internal and External Job Posting
**Case Worker
- Harm Reduction**

**Housing Support Program - Church Street**

**JOB ID: CHUR797**

**Employment Type**: Full-Time, Permanent

**Work Hours**:35 hours per week (rotating shifts including evenings and weekends, shares on-call responsibilities)

**Salary**:$55,385 annually (Level 7), plus comprehensive benefits

**Location**:389 Church Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2E5

**JOIN OUR TEAM**

The Case Worker - Harm Reduction is responsible for leading the design and implementation of programming that promotes harm reduction principles and approaches that empower tenants and tenant-led initiatives. The position is also responsible for supporting tenancy through eviction prevention, developing and implementing community development initiatives, with the goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive community, engagement with broader community, through a Trauma Informed, harm reduction and Anti-Oppression lens that meets the emotional, practical and social support needs of the tenant community.

**ABOUT YWCA TORONTO - HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM, CHURCH STREET**

YWCA Toronto Church Street facility includes 120 units of permanent housing. The integrated model creates a safe, inclusive and supportive community for tenants and is designated for women and gender diverse people who are: chronically homeless or at risk of homelessness; women and gender diverse people following transitions from provincially-funded institutions and service systems such as hospitals or prisons; and homeless Indigenous women/two-spirit people. As part of Housing Support program at the YWCA, the program goals include housing stabilization, harm reduction, health promotion and increased access to primary health care and acute mental health services.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Uses effective eviction prevention measures to assist tenants to assume and maintain their tenancy obligations;
- Uses harm reduction principles in facilitating and supporting tenant-centered activities (e.g. tenant committees related to areas of importance for residents such as safety, health and wellness, building-related issues, housing stability, etc.);
- Provides harm reduction strategies that will empower individuals as they address issues related to substance use, mental health, health and wellness and housing;
- Provides crisis prevention, intervention and counseling for women and children and gender diverse people to respond to crisis in ways that support individual and community well-being;
- Engages individuals in identifying needs, developing treatment plans, and assists tenants to problem solve and access relevant community support plans that identify ongoing housing and mental health/addictions support;
- Works with a tenant support network and referral partners to develop individualized support plans that identify ongoing housing and mental health/addictions support;
- Creates and delivers programming specifically designed to build community capacity with the use of a harm reduction framework that will give individuals and groups of residents the opportunity to develop and use harm reduction strategies in all aspects of their lives (health, relationships, independent life skills, housing, etc.).

**QUALIFICATIONS**
- General knowledge of an academic or technical discipline normally acquired through the completion of an undergraduate degree (example: Bachelor of Social Work in mental health and health field, Occupational Therapy, etc.) **(Cases for Equivalency will be considered);**:

- 3 - 5 years’ experience working in a supportive housing setting in a direct service setting with children, youth and adults who experience impacts of poverty, homelessness/under-housing, violence/trauma, mental health/addictions, or concurrent disorders;
- In-depth understanding of harm reduction, trauma, mental health and substance use;
- Demonstrative experience, knowledge and understanding of harm reduction approaches as a holistic frame work that incorporates supportive housing, community development, advocacy and peer support;
- Demonstrated experience in cultivating leadership within groups and developing dynamic and innovative programming;
- Supportive counseling and group-work approach that is flexible, client-centered and strengths-based;
- Life Skills certificate an asset; arts based and social media skills an asset;
- Working knowledge of the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act, and Ontario Human Rights Code;
- Excellent crisis intervention and conflict mediation skills, with ability to remain calm in crisis;
- Proven experience working independently, developing and facilitating groups;
- Ab