Client Advocate Days

Mission Services of Hamilton; Hamilton; Sur place; CAD 27 000 - 39 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

Mission Services of Hamilton is seeking two Part-Time, Permanent Client Advocates to support women, transgender and non-binary individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges. You will deliver feminist, trauma-informed, low-barrier supports, help with basic needs, safety planning and referrals.

Shifts include day, afternoon and night with flexible scheduling; minimum 7.5 hours per pay period. Prior experience in harm reduction and crisis intervention is valued; two-step TB test

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in human services, social work, or equivalent.
• Experience and education in Concurrent Disorders an asset.
• Experience serving women with complex needs including homelessness, trauma and addiction.
• Strong crisis intervention, de-escalation and group facilitation skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational and time management skills.

Responsabilités

• Maintain space safety and enforce behavior expectations using CPI and de-escalation.
• Conduct health and safety checks of washrooms, showers and client areas; manage paraphernalia disposition.
• Provide trauma-informed, harm-reduction services to women, transgender and non-binary individuals.
• Facilitate therapeutic groups and 1:1 supports.
• Assist with housing referrals and connect to community resources.
• Distribute harm-reduction supplies and provide overdose education.

Connaissances

Crisis intervention

De-escalation

Group facilitation

Verbal communication

Time management

Problem solving

Teamwork

Formation

Degree or Diploma in human services

Description du poste

Emma's \\ Willow's Place Part Time Permanent Front Line Worker Hamilton, ON, CA

Community Services and Outreach

Client Advocate

Part-Time, Permanent

2 Positions

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Client Advocate will provide feminist, trauma-informed, compassionate, low barrier and innovative supports. Client Advocates will assist women, transgender and non-binary individuals whom predominantly have high acuity mental health and addictions, with meeting their basic needs. This includes access to food, showers, laundry facilities and a safe place to rest. The Client Advocate will support individual goals and plans including making referrals to appropriate community agencies/supports. The Client Advocate will assess the safety of the individuals they support and work with them to create personal safety plans as required. The Client Advocate will also provide support with developing coping strategies and education on harm reductions strategies and any other self-identified goals. The Client Advocate will prevent, manage and defuse any behavioural issues that may arise in the space, and encourage a caring, healthy, safe and positive work environment for both peers and service users.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure the overall safety of the space by ensuring that basic expectations of behaviour are met. Utilizing CPI techniques as well as other de-escalation strategies to minimize conflict, aggression and resulting service
• Health and safety issues are addressed/reported immediately; complete regular spot checks in washrooms, showers and other client areas; clean up and dispose of paraphernalia according to Mission Services Policies
• Demonstrated ability to provide person-centered, trauma and antiracist anti oppressive informed services and supports to women, transgender and non-binary individuals with diverse experiences and identities; engage through structured activities, meal time, and 1:1 opportunities
• Provide therapeutic groups for women, transgender and non-binary individuals
• Provide strategic engagement for women, transgender and non-binary individuals who are precariously housed; provide support and resources to prevent homelessness
• Provide strategic engagement for women, transgender and non-binary individuals who are chronically or episodically homeless; provide support and resources to find appropriate housing including a referral or our in-house systems navigators
• Distribute harm reductions supplies; as well as reviewing their use and purpose; overdose education and complete naloxone training reviews
• Create overdose prevention plans for substance users who are considered high risk
• Respond to overdose events in coordination with fellow coworkers, connecting with EMS, and follow-up post over-dose
• Make appropriate referrals to services based on service user identified needs and priorities; maintain updated community resources
• Monitor, maintain and distribute health, hygiene and laundry supplies
• Connect and work effectively with community agencies re: partnerships/initiatives; promote the space through outreach efforts
• Support other members of the team (i.e. volunteers and students), ensuring that each individual is familiar with the day to day operations and philosophies of the space
• Track daily, weekly and monthly statistical information that will help guide the future developments of the space
• Adhere to a strict policy of confidentiality
• Ensure Mission Service’s workplace Health & Safety policies and procedures are followed at all times
• Other duties as required to ensure the continuation of service to participants in the space

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree or Diploma in human services, social work/social services or equivalent work experience and education
• Experience and education in Concurrent Disorders an asset
• Experience working in programs serving women with complex and intersecting needs including poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, addictions and trauma
• Skilled in crisis intervention, de-escalation, conflict resolution and group facilitation
• Comfortable working with women in crisis; there may be risk of exposure to unpredictable behaviours and situations
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of harm reduction
• Capable of adapting to a flexible and sometimes chaotic work environment
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong problem-solving, team building, decision-making and priority setting skills
• Second language is an asset

HOURS OF WORK :

• Minimum of 7.5 hours per pay period, with shifts including day, afternoon and night, and the opportunity to pick up shifts as needed
• Ability to work a flexible schedule dependent on program needs, including day, evening, night and weekend shifts

REQUIREMENTS:

• Two-Step Tuberculosis Skin Test

COMPENSATION:

• Hourly wage starts at $24.13 per hour

At Mission Services of Hamilton, we value diversity in our employees and we work from an anti-racism/anti-oppression framework and strive for equity and inclusion.

We strive to foster an organization that reflects the diversity of the community we serve and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We encourage applications from individuals from underserved and underrepresented cultural and racial communities, from First Nations Inuit and Metis communities, Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA+ communities, people living with disabilities, and those with lived experience of abuse, food insecurity, homelessness, mental health difficulties and addictions.

Mission Services is also committed to developing an inclusive, barrier-free selection process and work environment.

We thank all applicants, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. If contacted, please advise us if you require any accommodation measures to ensure you will be interviewed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.

We are committed to a fair and transparent hiring process. While our recruitment system may use AI‑assisted tools to help screen applications, final decisions are made by our recruitment team, and all applications receive human review.