Support Within Housing Counsellor - Contract

Family Transition Place; Orangeville; On-site; CAD 48,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Family Transition Place in Ontario is seeking a Support Within Housing Counsellor on a full-time contract through March 2028. The role supports women with mental health challenges to secure stable housing, conducting screening, intake and discharge, and coordinating referrals with community agencies.

You will provide supportive counselling, advocacy, crisis management and group activities, while collaborating with SHIP staff and other service providers to help residents build independent,

Qualifications

• Post secondary education in the social service field or related area.
• Eligible for registration with a counselling/social work college or regulatory body.
• Knowledge of violence against women, mental health and addictions.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate screening, intake and discharge processes for housing program.
• Provide supportive counselling, advocacy and referrals to residents.
• Liaise with SHIP staff and community agencies to secure supports.
• Deliver crisis management and life skills development activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Crisis intervention

Conflict resolution

Advocacy

Group facilitation

Education

Post secondary education in social service field

Eligible for registration with counselling/social work college

Job description

This is a contract position until March 2028

Under the direction of the Legal and Transitional Support Supervisor, the Support Within Housing Counsellor will assist clients as they establish violence-free lives in the community. This includes providing support and assistance with goal and safety planning, making referrals, liaising and coordinating with other community support agencies.

Purpose of the Position:

• To coordinate the Support Within Housing Program for women with moderate to severe mental health issues who require support with housing
• To provide screening, referral, intake and discharge for housing within specific program units in the community
• To provide supportive counselling, transitional support, crisis management, day program and drop in activities
• To provide individual advocacy and referrals

Managing the screening, intake and discharge process of the program by:

• Screening and referral of potential women for the program
• Completing orientation, intake and discharge paperwork
• Coordinating the referral procedure, assessing and selecting residents for the program
• Providing appropriate admission and orientation for new residents
• Encouraging a positive, supportive relationship among residents, and providing conflict resolution when needed
• Liaising with SHIP’s Tenant Relations and other staff

Providing service to the clients by:

• Facilitating peer and group support and resident input into their housing environment
• Assisting each woman in identifying and achieving her personal and career goals
• Providing ongoing individual and group intervention and support to program participants
• Providing crisis support and intervention
• Providing support, options, referral and liaison with community resources and agencies as required
• Participating in case management through regular consultation with staff and attendance at appropriate meetings
• Providing support services to individuals with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of being homeless
• Connecting with landpeople, matching people to housing, conducting housing advocacy and teaching life skills
• Actively working and collaborating with the SHIP staff to ensure residents receive all the necessary supports and services
• Working with other staff to assist in the development of policies and program procedures
• Providing individual advocacy for residents and former residents as appropriate.
• Providing referrals for clients as required
• Developing and coordinating program and drop in activities
• Working with the SHIP staff to facilitate peer and group support around the activities of daily living
• Partnering with local agencies and organizations to establish community connections and opportunities for the clients

Working on targeted community advocacy projects by:

• Working towards building partnerships in the community with those involved in the mental health, abuse, housing and addiction sectors
• Participating on relevant community and regional committees
• Exploring and developing opportunities to address the stigma associated with abuse, mental health and housing
• Educating the community on issues relating to abuse, mental health and housing
• Providing occasional education/informal presentations to professional and community groups
• Developing and distributing program information to the community
• Participating in SHIP’s Initiatives
• Providing suggestions that will improve efficiency, working conditions or procedures to Coordinated Access Table (CAT)

Committing to the agency’s core values of: Compassion, Integrity, Respect, Inclusiveness, Continuous Learning and Innovation

Adhering to FTP policies and procedures and compliance with required legislative and regulatory requirements such as OHSA, AODA, etc.

Demonstrating initiative and a dedicated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, showcasing a proactive approach to continuous learning and active participation in fostering an inclusive work environment

Performing other duties or responsibilities as negotiated and assigned

Qualifications and Core Competencies:

• Post Secondary education in the Social Service field or a related field with some experience in the same or similar setting
• Eligible for registration with a Counselling/Social Work focused College or Regulatory body
• No previous violations or breach of professional practice standards
• Knowledge of issues of violence against women and children, including the intersection with mental health and addictions
• Extensive knowledge of woman abuse, mental health, addiction and housing issues
• Strong written and oral communication, case management and report writing skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and within the context of team structure and atmosphere
• Demonstrate empathy while maintaining objective analysis of client circumstances
• Ability to engage and build rapport with clients from various social-economic and cultural backgrounds
• Ability to identify risk related to client services and taking appropriate action in consultation with the Supervisor
• Excellent crisis management, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act
• Maintain a current understanding of feminist philosophy
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Works from an ARAO/Intersectionality lens

Employment Requirements:

• Vulnerable Sector Police Clearance Certificate and maintaining clearance requirements during course of employment
• Valid driver’s license and insurance to allow for client transport
• CPR and First Aid Certification

Physical / Mental Effort:

Based on the work schedule/flow the frequency of the following tasks will vary according to need:

• Changing priorities and workflow to accommodate needs of others, and imposed deadlines
• Working with individuals in crisis situations
• Working under pressure to meet program targets and imposed deadlines while performing daily duties
• Using interpersonal skills, empathy and acute listening skills
• Using good problem solving and crisis management skills
• Attending Support Within Housing community residential units

Working Conditions:

• Shared office environment
• Community residential units / community drop-in
• Busy environment with many interruptions
• Many activities occurring in community settings
• Rural and urban driving conditions in all seasons

The successful candidate will join a compassionate, caring and forward-thinking family of professionals. We provide an attractive benefits package that includes vacation, sick and personal time. As well, we provide flexible work arrangements.

Our steadfast feminist and family-first approach guides the work we do. We are committed to ensuring that FTP continues to boast strong staff retention and satisfaction through consistent collaboration, communication, skills and culture development opportunities throughout our organization.

Our commitment to our internal agency values of compassion, respect, inclusion, continuous learning and integrity is unwavering, and we are striving to create a culture rooted in inclusiveness. We are committed to unlearning biases and working towards undoing systemic racism and oppression towards, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, 2SLGBTQ+ and all marginalized identities.

We are focused on innovation and enhancement of our services for our clients; we are equally focused on creating a workplace that ‘works’ our staff.We are deeply proud of the culture we have developed, and the staff who continue to help us shape it. We’d love to have you join us!

Family Transition Place is dedicated to achieving a workplace that reflects the diversity of the community it serves and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We thank all applicants, however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

AI will not be used in the candidate selection process

This position is to temporarily fill an existing position