Housing Focused Shelter Worker

Walking alongside The Mustard Seed's community participants who are utilizing the shelter and have experienced significant trauma and barriers to housing, food, and other basic needs, the Housing Focused Shelter Worker encourages them in their journey and connects them with programs and services so that they can achieve a positive, coordinated, and sustained exit from the shelter. The Housing Focused Shelter Worker will provide housing support to shelter guests by connecting them with internal and external resources to divert them as soon as possible from the shelter and ensure they are sustainably housed. A Housing Focused Shelter Worker is on the front line and responds to participants' needs on an ongoing basis. The Housing Focused Shelter Worker fulfills the mission of The Mustard Seed by maintaining a high level of professionalism, and respect for all who enter the building and neighborhood.

Employment Type: Casual/Relief
Reporting to: Shelter Supervisor
Location: Strathcona Shelter, Edmonton
Number of Positions to Fill: 2
Schedule: As needed
RFR: 1759

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• As the first point of contact for participants seeking support, you will be expected to provide excellent service that promotes dignity, kindness, and equity for all

• Respond quickly to individuals in crisis, both inside and outside the building. This includes, but is not limited to, physical or mental health concerns, anger and aggression, and interpersonal crises. The worker must identify the crisis, minimize the harm to the individual and others, use de-escalation skills and assist the individual to explore healthy alternative options

• Use case management tools to help shelter or drop-in participants work on short-term and long-term goals in relation to housing

• Enforce shelter rules, expectations, and suspensions with participants when necessary

• Engage in conflict resolution and lead discussions to foster reconciliation

• Provide support to community members seeking shelter by addressing basic needs

• Assist with daily meal programs

• Assist with various janitorial and maintenance tasks as needed to uphold the cleanliness and functionality of the shelter

• Ensure the daily operation of the shelter, including tasks such as laundry, cleaning common areas, operating the locker room, conducting security checks, and supervising shelter activities

• Model healthy relationships with community participants and volunteers through active listening, advising, providing appropriate referrals, and being open to spiritual conversations

• Be a supportive and proactive member of the team, including volunteers and other visitors

• Participate in staff training, attend staff meetings, and have one-on-one sessions with supervisor

• Collect data and maintain accurate client records in CCMS using FDARP

• Submit incident reports when necessary

• Respect proper boundaries with participants

• Provide and maintain a safe, clean environment for respite, for adult community participants

• Take initiative and use critical thinking to assess situations and make appropriate decisions to support participants

• Through a person-centered approach, you will encourage community participants to seek resources and services that support them in achieving their goals

• Adhere to the privacy and confidentiality standards as outlined by FOIP and the Health Information Act

• Perform other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• 1 year of experience working with a marginalized population.
• Experience working within the culture of the inner city and/or with the less fortunate.
• A demonstrated passion to be involved in ending homelessness in Alberta is essential.
• Follow organizational protocols of front-line programs to completion.
• Experience in case management and advocacy is considered an asset.
• Able to multi-task and demonstrate organizational skills with shifting priorities.
• Experience working in a volunteer-based organization is considered an asset.
• Strong communication (written and verbal) and conflict resolution skills.
• Customer service experience an asset.
• A self-starter with the ability to work in a cross-functional team.
• Strong desire to work with a marginalized and vulnerable population.
• Desire to serve in a Christian ministry.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• As The Mustard Seed is a Christian Ministry, we require our employees sign an agreement indicating that they will respect and not detract from our Statement of Faith
• The working environment for this position requires moderate amounts of walking, climbing, standing, sitting, lifting, carrying, and daily interactions with colleagues and community participants
• This position is often fast-paced and requires a moderate amount of mental effort to analyze information and problem solve
• This position requires varied mental and emotional effort and must be able to respond appropriately to intense situations, provide conflict resolution, and work directly with clients at risk
• Employees are to be aware that many of our clients may experience difficulties or impairment at times, which could result in them uttering threats, discriminatory statements, and other insults at your person. This may in a raised voice, or in seeing unpredictable behaviour up to and including the possibility of them becoming aggressive
• Training on how to respond is provided, but this is to be considered typical working conditions. Many of our clients are unaware of the impact of these comments
• This position requires training in the usage of a two-way radio communication system, MS Office-based computer programming, as well as familiarity with the HMIS database system, FDARP, FOIP, First aid, NVCI, and SafeTALK.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• An Employment Background Check is required for all positions at The Mustard Seed.
• As The Mustard Seed is a Christian ministry, we require our employees to agree to respect and not detract from The Mustard Seed's Employment Values during their employment at The Mustard Seed.
• Must have legal authorization to work in Canada on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• The Mustard Seed offers all casual staff a $200 health spending account.
• An overnight premium is provided for all overnight shifts to recognize and compensate for the unique demands of working during these hours.
• All The Mustard Seed employees have access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides support for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, addressing mental health concerns, and focusing on personal development in various areas.

NOTE

• Your privacy is important to us. The information we collect is used solely for consideration for employment.
• We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. The Mustard Seed reserves the right to amend job advertisements. No phone calls please.
• Please visit our careers page to see more job opportunities.