Community Health Worker – COAST (Community Outreach and Support Team)
We are a dynamic community-based health centre promoting social justice and health equity in the Regent Park neighbourhood and east downtown area of Toronto. We operate out of several locations and provide a wide variety of services including: primary health care, chiropody, physiotherapy, health promotion, social work, community health, immigrant and refugee services, housing assistance, harm reduction and homeless programs, Pathways to Education for high school students, infant and child development programs, parenting education and family advocacy.
Job Summary
As a member of the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST), the Community Health Worker (CHW) provides intensive, low barrier, individualized case management and outreach based supports to community members who are experiencing homelessness, serious mental health and or substance use issues and who are also experiencing barriers/restrictions and/or criminal justice involvement. The team is based in the downtown east and conducts regular street based outreach throughout the downtown east. Through intensive case management and street outreach, the CHW will work to address social determinants of health with a human rights focus utilizing harm reduction, health promotion, community engagement, community development, social justice, trauma-informed and anti-racist/anti-oppressive (ARAO) strategies.
This is a Full-time Contract position, until December 31st, 2024. Staff will also have the opportunity to participate in HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan).
This is a bargaining unit position with OPSEU Local 5115.
Salary
Hours
Application Deadline
Responsibilities Include
Intensive Case Management
- Provide intensive, low threshold, portable, individualized case management supports to people experiencing barriers and other complex issues in the downtown east as part of the COAST team
- Intensive case management includes the following:
- Engaging in assessment and collaboratively developing intervention plans with clients;
- Providing supportive counselling, information and referrals, and case coordination to clients;
- Utilizing low threshold and client centred strategies to assist clients to gain access to services and supports, onsite at RPCHC and externally
- Rendering crisis intervention in relevant situations and making referrals to other agencies if necessary;
Outreach
- Conduct street outreach and outreach to encampments, drop-ins and other centres/agencies used regularly by people who are homeless and under-housed in Downtown East Toronto;
- Utilize low threshold and client centred strategies to build relationships with clients and to assist clients to gain access to services and supports, onsite at RPCHC and externally
- Provide overdose prevention and harm reduction education and counselling related to safer drug use/safer sex supplies, disposal of used equipment, reducing risks of overdose and transmission of Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS to clients
Community Capacity Building
- Engage with this community to access appropriate resources around health, poverty and homelessness
- Work collaboratively with the community, community partners and stakeholders to develop and implement action plans that address issues around health, poverty and homelessness
- Develop, plan, implement and evaluate community based initiatives by applying health promotion strategies such as community mobilization, advocacy, healthy public policy and health education
Qualifications and Skills Required
- Post-secondary education in social work, community work, health promotion, adult education and/or equivalent in life experience
- 3 – 5 years of community based experience, and case management experience working with marginalized and homeless populations experiencing multiple systemic barriers
- Program coordination experience, with a specific understanding of harm reduction
- Experience engaging in street outreach, and low threshold models of engagement and support
- Extensive experience in conflict resolution and crisis intervention
- Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and HCV from a harm reduction perspective
- Knowledge of and demonstrated ability to apply harm reduction and trauma informed principles and practices in work with the community
- Knowledge of overdose prevention and response strategies
- Proficiency using technology and various software applications
- Ability to function as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
- Excellent leadership, planning, oral & written communication, interpersonal, decision making, critical thinking, and organizational skills
- Able to work effectively with a diverse client population including people with various cultural and economic backgrounds, mental health and/or addictions issues
- Commitment to Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive strategies
- Commitment to valuing diversity, equity, partnerships and advocacy in keeping with Regent Park Community Health Centre’s Strategic Direction
- Knowledge of the Regent Park area and issues affecting families living within the Regent and Moss Park communities
- Must have up to date COVID-19 vaccination for the protection of clients and staff
To protect the health and well-being of our clients and employees, Regent Park Community Health Centre has adopted a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy that requires new employees to have an up to date Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals with valid medical or human rights-based exemptions, will be considered for appropriate accommodation within the policy.
Apply For This Position
Please submit your resume and cover letter by
January 21, 2024
No phone calls, please. We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. RPCHC is committed to developing an inclusive, selection process and work environment. If contacted, please advise the hiring manager if you require any accommodation during the interview process.