Addiction and Mental Health Worker, My Sisters’ Place

CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services • London, ON

13d • CA$27 - CA$37 • Onsite

About The Position

The My Sisters’ Place drop-in program fosters a vibrant community of women who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, promoting a welcoming and non-judgmental culture and providing a reprieve from the stigma women so often feel in other community settings. Our team supports women with anything they might need - from a hot meal to tampons, from access to showers and laundry facilities to harm reduction kits and from on-site mental health and addictions groups to connections with broader community supports.

Requirements

• College Diploma or University Degree in Social Services, or a related field (primary proof of credentials will be required during the hiring process i.e. original degree/diploma or official transcript)
• Current, satisfactory Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC)
• Demonstrated ability to attend work regularly
• Successful candidates must have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed in the last six months.
• The successful candidate identify as a woman, two-spirited, non-binary, transgender, or otherwise gender-diverse

Nice To Haves

• First Aid & CPR
• Non-violent Crisis Intervention and Prevention (CPI)
• Applied Suicide Interventions Skills and Training (ASIST)
• Minimum 1 year' experience in the Mental Health and Addictions field
• Demonstrated ability to work with women who live with multiple challenges related to marginalization, mental illness, substance use, complex health challenges, street-level sex work, poverty, homelessness, woman abuse and trauma
• Experience using harm reduction, feminist, relational/cultural and recovery theories
• Knowledge of, and excellent relationships with community resources and community partners
• Bilingual in both official languages, preferred; Une préférence sera accordée aux personnes possédant des compétences dans les deux languages officielles du Canada

Responsibilities

• Provide a welcoming, safe, and trusting environment
• Engage with women who experience barriers to access and develop relationships of trust
• Provide triage, initial screening and assessment, information and referrals
• Provide mental health, trauma, addictions and harm reduction supports
• Provide safety planning to reduce risk and harm
• Provide crisis intervention, conflict resolution and negotiation skills as necessary
• Assist women to link and liaise with all programs and resources within MSP
• Employ a community development and strengths-based approach
• Foster growth of capacities and community leadership amongst the women
• Connect and liaise with appropriate community partners and resources
• Protect and promote the welfare, dignity, and individual rights of women at all times
• Provide basic needs, as required, following My Sisters’ Place procedures
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation and statistical gathering as required
• Other duties as assigned
• Support clients to secure housing of their choice
• Champion each client’s individual capacity for independent community living
• Advocate, refer and connect clients with appropriate housing services, supports, and resources (formal and informal) based on their needs
• Support landlords as necessary in conjunction with the participant, provision of landlord mediation where appropriate
• Motivate and support client to work towards achievement of their needs/goals
• Assist clients to successfully remain in their housing, providing prevention and diversion strategies to avoid homelessness
• Develop and maintain positive linkages and clear, timely communications between the women, all organization programs and staff, and with the broader community
• Liaise with partner agencies to develop continuous improvement in quality of service to women
• Participate as part of a dynamic team of support and advocacy providers
• Engage with donors, supporters and the public in a professional manner
• Maintain a professional manner at all times
• Identify areas or trends of concern as they emerge with this population
• Practice and maintain a philosophy of continuing education

Benefits

• Starting rate for this role is $27.14 per hour (Level 1 – Direct Service), with a wage differential, based on regulation ($30.01 per hour for Level 1 – Direct Service, Regulated)
• Successful candidates who are registered with one of the designated professional colleges (e.g. OCSWSSW, CNO, COTO, CRPO, CPSO, or CPO) will receive the wage differential for regulation
• Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8 ($34.41 per hour for non-regulated, and $37.26 per hour for regulated); for internal applicants, grid level placement will occur as per the Collective Agreement
• Premiums of $2.00 per hour will be applied for eligible Evening/Night (8:00pm – 7:00am) and Weekend Shifts.
• 32 hours biweekly; afternoons, evenings and weekends
• Immediately eligible for optional enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
• 9% in lieu of benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree