Trauma-Informed Residential Advocate for Women

Mission Services of Hamilton; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 48,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Mission Services of Hamilton is seeking a Residential Client Advocate to support women and dependents experiencing abuse or homelessness. The role covers days/afternoons and involves risk assessments, safety planning, admissions, programming, and crisis response in a trauma-informed, anti-racist framework.

You will work with community partners to ensure safety, provide referrals, and maintain shelter operations, bed logs, and reporting while upholding the organization's mission and values.

Qualifications

• Minimum diploma in Social Service Work, or related field.
• Preference for a degree in Social Work.
• Minimum two (2) years of work experience in gender-based violence, addiction, mental health, concurrent disorders, counselling or other social service positions supporting vulnerable women.
• Preference for two (2) to four (4) years of experience in the above fields.
• Demonstrated understanding of gender-based violence, child abuse, mental health disorders, addiction, poverty and homelessness.
• Demonstrated understanding of working from an intersectional feminist lens.
• Demonstrated ability to provide person-centered, trauma-informed and anti racism anti oppression services and supports to women and children with diverse experiences and identities.
• Excellent counselling, crisis intervention, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and in crisis situations.
• Confident decision maker and enthusiastic team player.
• Committed to upholding the organization’s mission, values and standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct service to all women-identified individuals and their dependents including, but not limited to, conducting risk assessments, safety planning, completing assessments and admissions, facilitating programming, providing emotional support, offering housing information and completing housing applications, arrangement of interpreters, participating in conflict resolution and offering crisis intervention by phone and through web and text-based services
• Support the development of a risk assessment and detailed personal safety plan for women-identified individuals and their dependents who have experienced abuse and violence and review and update as the service user situation changes
• Identify child welfare concerns and comply with Duty to Report obligations in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act and work in collaboration with Hamilton Child and Family Supports, Catholic Children’s Aid Society, or any child protection agency to best support clients.
• Providing information and referrals to community resources as identified by service users
• Clean service-user’s rooms, as well as other areas of the building on weekends when cleaning staff are not available, and at other times during the week if needed
• Ensure nightly that the bed board is accurate and up to date
• Ensure the in and out log of residents is up to date and women have returned to shelter by time the resident has indicated
• Complete Mission Person’s Report with Hamilton Police Service when needed according to the HPS/Emergency Shelter Protocol
• Ensure nightly tasks are completed such as run dishwasher, refill water filter pitcher, RCA space is clean and organized, submit completed check list to Manager of Residential Programming at the end of each shift
• Ensure the overall management, safety and security of the shelter is maintained

Skills

Crisis intervention

Counselling

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Decision making

Trauma-informed care

Anti-racism & anti-oppression

Client-centered approach

Conflict resolution

Adaptability

Education

Diploma in Social Service Work

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work

Job description

Mission Services of Hamilton is seeking a Residential Client Advocate to support women and dependents experiencing abuse or homelessness. The role covers days/afternoons and involves risk assessments, safety planning, admissions, programming, and crisis response in a trauma-informed, anti-racist framework.

You will work with community partners to ensure safety, provide referrals, and maintain shelter operations, bed logs, and reporting while upholding the organization's mission and values.