Housing Focused Shelter Worker (Central Shelter)

Walking alongside shelter guests 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 supports 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. Crisis intervention, meaningful conversations, case management and conflict resolution are daily occurrences for this role.

Employment Type: Permanent Part-time (32 hours per week)
Schedule: 4 days on 4 days off rotation 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Reporting to: Shelter Supervisor - Evening
Location: Central Shelter, Edmonton, AB
Number of Positions to Fill: 12
RFR#: 2070

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the first point of contact for shelter participants seeking support, providing excellent service that promotes dignity, kindness, and equity;


• Respond promptly to individuals in crisis, addressing physical or mental health concerns, anger and aggression, and interpersonal crises;


• Utilize de-escalation skills to minimize harm and assist individuals in exploring healthy alternative options;


• Enforce shelter rules, expectations, and suspensions when necessary;


• Provide and maintain a safe, clean environment for shelter participants seeking respite;


• Practice conflict resolution and facilitate reconciliatory conversations;


• Assist with daily meal programs;


• Ensure the daily operation of the shelter, including laundry, cleaning common areas, conducting security checks, and supervising shelter activities;


• Perform various janitorial and maintenance tasks to uphold the cleanliness and functionality of the shelter;


• Model healthy relationships with shelter participants 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;


• Provide assistance to other shelter locations as needed, based on operational requirements and priorities;


• Employ case management tools to help shelter participants set and achieve short-term and long-term housing goals, carrying a minimum caseload of 8;


• Ensure daily and monthly STATS are completed


• Support with programming that may be offered and complete relevant documentation and facilitation when applicable;


• Encouraging and supporting community participants, through a person-centered approach, to access resources and services that support them in achieving their goals;


• Conduct housing-focused case management intake, schedule regular check-ins, and engage in daily intentional conversations with shelter participants in your caseload, ensuring thorough documentation of these interactions;


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


• Adhere to privacy and confidentiality standards as outlined by FOIPPA;


• Respect and maintain proper boundaries with shelter participants;


• Participate in staff training, attend staff meetings, and engage in one-on-one sessions with your supervisor;


• Ensure compliance with all health and safety policies and procedures, promptly submitting incident reports through our safety software as required to help maintain a secure environment for all shelter participants and staff;


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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• 1 year of experience working with marginalized populations;


• Diploma and/or certificate in Human Services, Social Work, or a relevant field (preferred);


• Demonstrated passion for ending homelessness in British Columbia;


• Ability to follow organizational protocols of front-line programs to completion;


• Experience in case management and advocacy (considered an asset);


• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and adapt to shifting priorities;


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as conflict resolution abilities;


• Self-starter capable of working effectively within a cross-functional team;


• Strong desire to work with marginalized and vulnerable populations;


• Demonstrated teachability and a proactive attitude, with a willingness to take initiative


• Integrity, discretion, and tact in handling confidential matters.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• 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.
  
  

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.