CLIENT PROGRAM WORKER

City of Toronto•Toronto, ON

13d•CA$33 - CA$36•Onsite

About The Position

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. Consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities, we are a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture. Join the award-winning Toronto Public Service as Client Program Worker within our Shelter, Support & Housing Administration Division. The City of Toronto directly operates emergency shelters – of which provide accommodation for families and their children experiencing homelessness. The specific shelter sites are any sites within the Family Residence(4222 Kingston Rd), Robertson House (291Sherbourne St), Birkdale Residence (1229 Ellesmere Rd), Kingston Residence(4680 Kingston Rd), Toronto Plaza (1677 Wilson Avenue) portfolios or any other respite locations. During a family's shelter stay, programming for residents are offered to encourage academic growth and participation in diverse activities such as arts, culture, sports and social recreation both on site and in the community. Adult programming is also offered to enhance knowledge and skills to support families to secure and maintain housing in the community. Workshops are delivered regularly on topics such as food security, health promotion, employment, financial literacy, and housing search.

Requirements

Experience delivering and/or providing direct support to children, youth and adults (0 to 99 years old).
Experience facilitating/implementing workshops, programs and activities in a recreational, educational or residential setting.
Ability to work as a team player and follow instructions
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
Fundamental knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Child Care and Early Years Act, Child, Youth and Family Services Act.
Ability to lift/carry up to 30lbs and participate directly in physical activities planned during programming.
Ability to work in a customer service environment, addressing service inquiries, requests and complaints received from clients, the public and/or other staff.
Ability to work flexible hours, i.e., days, evenings and weekends.
Computer Skills in Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.) required.

Responsibilities

Monitors, engages, and directly interaction with shelter residents during, events and group sessions for high impact learning experiences such as outdoor and indoor recreational activities
Monitors activities for safety by ensuring health and wellbeing of all participants while in program; including checking to ensure equipment used are in good condition and safely functioning
Assists with constructing new workshops and materials, whilst also reviewing existing resources, promoting program participation and implementing evaluations (i.e. customer service surveys/feedback)
Employ strong communication skills to lead large groups, give clear instructions that motivate adult participants and maintain safety and order
Assists in documenting attendance of residents, completing forms, reports, and other necessary documentation and administrative tasks
Assists in the design and setup of creative materials for indoor and outdoor activities for residents
Works to plan, organize and deliver program to residents of all ages and abilities
Provides input in activities planned and assists with promoting program participation and evaluation
Interacts with residents, staff and the public to provide program information and assist with housing goals
Facilitate residents in wellness, educational and life skills workshops (i.e. meal preparation, personal hygiene, self care etc.) when required
Modifies activities to address the specific needs of residents to support inclusive participation
Implements, facilitates and engages shelter residents in age-appropriate activities to foster literacy, resiliency, life, and social skills
Performs emergency or unplanned care of children as required
Follows the principles of healthy child and youth development in the delivery of programs
Assist with developmentally appropriate programs for infants/toddlers/pre-school children.
Assists with safety and wellbeing of residents by adhering to relevant legislation
Liaises with residents, staff, and community agencies in gathering, accepting and providing information to support activities within programs
Resolve conflicts and emergency incidents in accordance with established policies and procedures
Loads and unloads dishwasher and laundry machine after programming activities (e.g. cooking club)
Follows direction from Supervisor and established policies, procedures and training when responding to emergencies.
Distributes snacks and refreshments for client programming (e.g. packaged snacks, whole fruits).
Modifies age-appropriate strategies for child and youth development, and adult learning (0 to 99 years old)
Attends staff meetings as required
Performs other duties as required based on operational needs