Diversion and Central Intake Manager

Our Place Peel•Mississauga, ON

10d•CA$70,000 - CA$75,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Our Place Peel is a growing, community-based, non-profit charitable organization focused on providing shelter and outreach support for homeless and disadvantaged youth in the Peel Region. The Diversion and Central Intake Manager, reporting to the Director of Client Services and Wellness, will guide the work of a team of diversion and central intake workers, based on the principles of shelter diversion in Housing First for Youth. This role involves developing, leading, and managing the organization's comprehensive shelter diversion program to prevent youth from entering shelters by exploring and securing immediate housing alternatives and mitigating factors leading to shelter entry. The manager will also lead intake functions, including initial assessments of youth strengths and needs, and drive effective service coordination with other organizational units. They will partner with the Director to implement robust diversion and intake practice standards and decision-making protocols, integrating best practices in youth housing and homelessness services.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Child and Youth Work, or related field.
At least 3 years of experience working in housing and homelessness, including shelter operations.
Demonstrate a strong understanding of the Housing First For Youth and Built For Zero community principles, and associated diversion and central intake modalities in the sector.
A minimum of 3 years of experience working as a supervisor/manager in the housing and homelessness sector.
Youth-specific experience is preferred.
An understanding of concepts related to power and privilege, social location, equity, and intersectionality.
Demonstrable experience in implementing equity strategies in programs and services.
Site and team management experience, including exposure to human resource management (union experience is a strong asset), financial management, program management, evaluation design, or systems design.
Continually seek out information about current literature and innovations in shelter diversion and community support practices.
Acutely aware of the impact of childhood, racial, and intergenerational trauma on youth development as well as strategies to promote resilience and stability.
Ability to develop and lead creative diversion interventions when working with youth facing intersectional barriers.
Demonstrate an understanding of issues relating to youth homelessness and the barriers youth face in attaining and maintaining their housing, as well as an understanding of the broader housing sector in Peel.
Demonstrated leader with excellent communication, presentation, organization and interpersonal skills.
Passion for supporting the most vulnerable and marginalized youth in our community.
Ability to leverage relevant information and critical analysis to make informed decisions, tackling problems with urgency and energy.
Passionate about mobilizing individuals and teams to drive change and collaborating with partners and stakeholders at all levels to build consensus.
Hold yourself to high moral standards, have a strong character and exercise sound judgment even in the most challenging situations.
Champion of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, specifically focusing on Anti-Black Racism.
Thoughtful in your choices and reflective in your guidance and practice, fostering learning, promoting innovation and introducing change for the better.
Accept responsibility for decisions and actions and achieve results utilizing accountability strategies with staff.
Flexibility to work in a 24-hour, 7 days a week operation, while supporting an on-call rotation.
Possess a valid Ontario’s full G Driver’s Licence with a clean driver’s abstract.
A $2,000,000 minimum liability car insurance coverage is mandatory.
Ability to travel and support youth in the community and all Our Place Peel locations (local travel is required on a regular basis).
Valid CPI and/or UMAB and First Aid/ CPR certifications.
Complete a successful Vulnerable Sector Check/Criminal Record Check as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Masters in a related field is considered an asset.
Additional training and certification in housing, homelessness, youth services, etc. is considered an asset.
Union experience is a strong asset.

Responsibilities

Lead programs and services, developing and managing the delivery of diversion and intake services for youth (ages 16-24) using Housing First for Youth principles and best practices.
Guide the vision and goals of the diversion and intake team, and drive innovation in programming, including overseeing Shelter Diversion and operationalizing Central Intake.
Work to continually assess and remove barriers so youth can quickly access the support they need, helping prevent homelessness and reduce time spent in crisis.
Provide team leadership, leading team meetings, case consultations, and skill-building activities across all organizational sites.
Provide competency-based and administrative supervision to direct reports, supporting best practices and offering consultation.
Address client and staff concerns promptly and in alignment with agency policies.
Assess, analyze, and prioritize a training and capacity building plan to elevate the awareness and understanding of diversion and intake practices and competencies across the organization.
Create annual work plans for yourself and your team, assign programming duties, and manage the diversion and central intake team’s schedule.
Establish staffing systems for central intake to ensure 24-hour support, track internal and funder-driven KPIs, and ensure robust data collection for evaluation.
Ensure accurate and timely documentation of all diversion and central intake activities.
Implement accountability measures, such as observing phone calls and interactions with youth, reviewing reports, and conducting documentation reviews.
Manage bi-annual file audits, provide constructive feedback, and evaluate direct reports to identify growth opportunities.
Collaborate with the Manager of Quality & Program Development to strengthen program evaluation and continuous improvement efforts.
Address disciplinary procedures and grievances in consultation with the Senior Director of HR and in accordance with the CBA.
Review and approve serious occurrences and critical incident reports, ensuring appropriate follow-up within the case management team.
Work with organizational managers and external partners to develop and deliver collaborative and effective diversion and intake services.
Oversee the acquisition of necessary resources and equipment to ensure effective service delivery.
Maintain strict client confidentiality and participate in the agency's on-call rotation.
Assess and mitigate risks, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and adherence to professional codes of ethics.
Develop and execute risk management strategies for diversion and central intake services.
Integrate research, innovation, and best practices into program delivery while collaborating with leadership and front-line teams to implement effective strategies.
Through regular environmental scans, evaluate community needs, service delivery outcomes, and partnership opportunities, recommending policy and system improvements.
Embed cultural humility and inclusivity in program delivery.
Stay updated on best practices in equity and diversity, and work with leadership to infuse these principles into all operations.
Act as a role model to cultivate an inclusive organizational culture and develop leaders, integrating equity and belonging into all interactions and practices.