In-Reach Worker, Stratford Connections and Warming Centre

Canadian Mental Health Association, Huron Perth, Addiction and Mental Health Services (“CMHA HP AMHS” or Agency) offers community-based addiction and mental health support in both Huron and Perth Counties. The Agency provides assessment, referral, counselling and peer support to anyone impacted by their own or someone else's substance use or gambling/gaming or other behavioural excesses and/or mental health concerns.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Program Manager, the In-Reach Worker, Connections and Warming Centres, is responsible to support individuals seeking shelter from the winter elements by offering a welcoming and safe environment. The incumbent will oversee all aspects of health and safety in the Centre including monitoring capacity and ensuring all participants are following rules and regulations.   

NOTE: The Warming Center is seasonal with variable overnight (7 nights per week) and some day shifts available. 

ORGANIZATIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

In addition to specific key job responsibilities identified in this position description, the incumbent is also responsible for contributing and supporting the overall culture and working environment of the organization by:

• Demonstrating and exemplifying the organization’s mission and values in day-to-day work


• Acting with the highest standard of professionalism with clients, family members, community partners, the general public and colleagues.


• Working in a manner that preserves and respects the privacy and confidentiality of personal health information.


• Working in a manner that is fiscally responsible.


• Working in a manner that promotes and maintains the reputation of the organization and minimizes risk of harm and/or liability to the organization.


• Working in a manner that complies with the organization’s policies and procedures.


• Working in a manner that meets all Health and Safety requirements to ensure a healthy and safe workplace.


• Acknowledging, respecting and affirming the diverse needs of our community, clients and the organization’s employees with the goal of reducing disparities in health outcomes


• Contributing to the organization activities to collect, analyze and report data.


• Maintaining competence, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing professional development and where applicable, a professional license to practice.


• Contributing to the organization’s work by promoting awareness, participating in committees and agency event.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide a welcoming, safe and trusting environment for participants


• Support hard-to-engage participants and develop relationships of trust


• Protect and promote the welfare, dignity, and individual rights of participants at all times, understanding trauma and violence and the impact these have on participants’ lives and behaviours


• Provide triage, initial mental health and/or addiction screening using validated tools (e.g. VI-SPDAT), and other required intake paperwork, coordinate and facilitate with participant linkages to recommended services and supports in the community


• Provide basic needs, as required, following Warming Centre procedures


• Provide information regarding resources found within both the broader mental health and addiction system and the community in general


• Provide crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and use negotiation skills, as necessary


• Engage Emergency Services when it is determined that additional intervention is required

• When appropriate, act as liaison with caregivers and/or support providers who are involved with the participant to facilitate a coordinated approach to service provision

• CPR and First Aid Certification required


• Perform other duties as assigned or required

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Education: Social Service Worker Diploma or related field of study, and/or lived experience is preferred. Experience with diversion and crisis planning, with focus on mental health and/or addictions, highly desirable.

Experience: Professional experience in social services and/or lived experience with an understanding of issues facing individuals with substance abuse and mental health concerns is desirable.

Knowledge and skills: Broad knowledge of addiction and mental health treatments and explanatory theories, homelessness, the criminal justice system and community resources. Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and techniques of case management of mental illness and addiction and their application. In addition, the incumbent will demonstrate integrity and ethics, good coping skills, flexibility and commitment to the work.

Abilities: Communication-written and oral, planning, leadership, interpersonal, negotiating, directing/motivating, organizing, decision making,

Coping: Able to maintain a mature problem-solving attitude while dealing with interpersonal conflicts, hazardous conditions, personal rejection, hostility or time demands.

Decisiveness: Able to make decisions quickly on available information and take action, make commitments and not change decisions when challenged, deal with emergencies as necessary.

Decision Making and Problem Solving: Able to take action in solving problems while exhibiting judgement and a realistic understanding of issues, able to use reason, even when dealing with emotional topics. 

Creativity: Able to develop unique and novel solutions to problems; use intuition and a new way of thinking to give birth to new ideas; present information in an attention-getting and interesting manner.