Shelter Advocate

The Mustard SEED Society•Kamloops, BC

8h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Shelter Advocate is committed to helping people staying within a Shelter environment who are experiencing poverty, housing instability, and other barriers to assist them in transitioning toward and maintaining sustainable and healthy lifestyles, including transitioning into sustainable housing. The purpose of the Health and Wellness area is to support clients by addressing the social determinants of health through system navigation and advocacy. The Shelter Advocate works as part of an interdisciplinary allied health team and connects clients with any needed external and internal resources.

Requirements

Competent in use of MS Office
Excellent interpersonal skills
Excellent administrative, time management and organizational skills
Self-motivated and ability to work independently
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
Candidate must have and maintain valid driver’s licence and will need to consent to a driver’s abstract request.

Nice To Haves

A minimum of an undergraduate degree in healthcare administration, public health, social worker, psychology, nursing, or a related field is preferred – preference for bachelor's degree in Social Work, Psychology or related field in public health.
Three to five years of related working experience preferred
Experience with HIFIS, CASH, and VAT assessments preferred.
Valid Driver’s License (Class 5) preferred
This position requires the use of a company vehicle.

Responsibilities

Meet with shelter guests and vulnerable community members requesting advocacy support to determine their ID, Income, and housing goals with them to prioritize the support they require to achieve their goals
Complete the Wellness Advocate intake process
Build and maintain positive relationships with clients and create a welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for them
Educate and empower clients to understand and achieve their rights and responsibilities, to facilitate their full participation in society
Contribute to general health and wellness programming including supporting or facilitating group initiatives and programs that increase knowledge and awareness of community health
Liaise with internal and external resources that will help clients achieve their goals if the support is beyond the scope of services provided by the Wellness Advocate. This includes maintaining existing partnerships as well as developing new partnerships
In regard to clients who have a Caseworker, compliment the work of the Caseworkers by acting as a consultant and liaison for issues that require client access to external resources
In regard to clients who do not have a Caseworker, refer these individuals directly to internal and external resources
Advocate for clients as needed both to access resources within and outside the organization
Maintain relationships with agency partners and volunteers
Ensure clients accessed external resources by completing follow up with guests and agencies
Contribute to community programs facilitation as needed
Follow protocols to ensure sanitized and organized professional workspace
Provide backup to Reception to ensure front desk is covered
Assist with training of new Advocates and Wellness Receptionists
Participate in case management teams when required
Provide crisis intervention, as necessary
Provide input into program evaluation upon request
Build a comprehensive library and knowledge base on community resources
Share and disseminate community resource information
Track assigned clients’ progress with external resources
Communicate relevant information to Caseworker about interactions with clients and observed behavior
Document client interactions, client referrals and client progress on documentation platforms (platforms vary with each city)
Track statistics and prepare reports, as required
Attend meetings and training, as assigned
Serve on internal and external committees, as requested
Provide input into the development of policies and procedures for designated programs
Keep clients’ records and information confidential, updated and secure.