Wellness Worker

House of Friendship of Kitchener; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A community service organization is seeking a Wellness Worker in Kitchener to support individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction. The role includes connecting with program participants, maintaining safety, and participating in health initiatives. Additional benefits include a competitive compensation package, health benefits, and support for mental health. Applicants should have relevant experience and a commitment to inclusive practices. This is a full-time overnight position, with both full-time and casual options available.

Benefits

Extended Health Care

Dental benefits

Employee & Family Assistance Program

Matched Group Pension Plan

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a social service environment is preferred.
• Health and social services training is important.
• Passion for supporting people with mental health and addiction challenges.

Responsibilities

• Connect with individuals in the program.
• Complete regular checks of buildings to ensure safety.
• Participate in the Needle Syringe Program.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal communication skills

Knowledge of addictions and recovery issues

Ability to work independently

Commitment to a team approach

Education

Post-secondary education in a related field

Job description

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is!

This is an overnight awake position. The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is a newly funded program aimed at addressing critical health and social needs in our community. The HART Hub will support individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction, offering services that include addiction treatment, housing support and collaborative care. The Supportive Housing program is part of Housing Services and provides varying levels of support to tenants. The Wellness Worker will provide support to individuals in the program and complete regular rounds of the property and buildings.

Two positions are available: one full‑time role, and one casual/relief role. Full time role is 37.5 hours per week (Sunday to Tuesday from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am and Wednesday from 10:00 pm to 7:30 am) with paid sick time, personal days, vacation time; group health benefits and a defined contribution pension plan. The casual relief role works on an as‑needed and as‑available basis, with the requirement of working at a minimum of three shifts each month and is provided with 2 paid personal days and enrolment in the Employee and Family Assistance Program.

Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) is required pre‑employment in each role.

Key Responsibilities

• Connect with individuals in the program.
• Establish and maintain a helping relationship with individuals in the program.
• Complete regular checks of buildings to ensure safety of individuals in the program.
• Ensure that individuals are not loitering on property.
• Perform administrative tasks.
• Participate in the Needle Syringe Program.

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills

• Previous experience in a social service environment is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Knowledge of addictions and recovery issues.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Health and social services training is important.
• Commitment to a team approach.
• Passion for supporting people living on low income with support needs, including mental health and addiction challenges.

Education/Experience

• Post‑secondary education in a related field of study.

Critical Skills

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship.
• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, individuals in the program and community members.
• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs.
• Experience with and commitment to using an anti‑racism, anti‑oppressive and trauma‑informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery.
• Dependability, professionalism, flexibility, teamwork, and a positive attitude.
• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges.
• Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills, including skills in logistics, planning and detailed record keeping.

Compensation

House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market‑competitive and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. Compensation practices include our pay grid, which has been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not‑for‑profit sector, including Pathways to Decent Work and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience new team members bring to the organization and review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

Full‑time role benefits include:
- Three (3) weeks of vacation, 5 personal days (3 for 2025) and sick credits totaling approximately 12 days per year.
- Extended Health Care (EHC), Dental, Group Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Long‑Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Account and Employee & Family Assistance Program.
- Support for mental health, including access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, $2,000 for counselling services and our workplace Wellness and Psychological Health and Safety programs.
- Retirement plan: matched Group Pension Plan, Group RRSP and Group Tax-Free Savings Account.

Casual role benefits include:
- Three (3) weeks of vacation, 2 personal days.
- Enrolment in the Employee and Family Assistance Program.

Rate of Pay

All compensation ranges are categorized under a series of ‘grades’. The rate of pay will consider past related experience.

Grade: 4
Min: $22.40
Mid: $25.65
Max: $28.90

Working Conditions

• Encountering individuals at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected.

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive environment. We aspire to be an organization that is anti‑racist and anti‑oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups that have historically or currently face barriers to employment, including, but not limited to, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialised groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:
https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/wellness-worker-kitchener-eovrma

By end of day
January 5, 2026.