Team Lead - Resident Support Worker

Safe at Home Society is looking for a Team Lead - Resident Support Worker to join our team at 5131 5th Avenue (formerly housing first)! This individual must be a strengths-based, team player committed to preventing homelessness by staying housing-focused in a housing first setting.

Job Overview
The Team Lead (TL) will mentor teams of Resident Support Workers on shift supporting up to 20 program participants plus guests in a 24/7 supportive housing setting. The TLs’ primary focus is to create a welcoming, non-discriminatory, non-judgmental, caring environment that supports individual dignity and personal choice while ensuring safety and security of residents, guests, staff, and the building.

This front-line, hands-on position provides guidance and training to Resident Support Workers and Auxiliary On-Call staff members and provides leadership on difficult decisions, emergency responses, and de-escalating heightened emotional states and situations.

The position is active and expects staff to be engaged and present for residents. There is no sleeping on shift.

Hours of work: 30 to 40 hours/week part time. Shifts are 10 hours weekday and weekend.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

Core Responsibilities

• Provide operational guidance to Resident Support Workers (RSW) as well as AOC staff members.

• Provide crisis management and intervention by responding to emerging situations through a trauma-informed lens while providing conflict-resolution and de-escalation techniques.

• Uphold safety of residents and guests by ensuring harm reduction and overdose response protocols are followed.

• Maintain building security by organizing, performing, and documenting regularly scheduled walk throughs both inside and outside the building.

• Contact RCMP, Paramedics, and other emergency or critical care responders as needed; must be comfortable taking the lead role when dealing with emergencies and communicating with first responders.

• Monitor CCTV footage, investigating and managing disturbances according to safety policies and procedures.

• Any other duties as directed by the 5131 Supervisor.

HR

• Lead in training new staff, decision-making and policy implementation.

• Provide support to staff through debriefing challenging incidents, supportive listening, and lay counseling. Leading your team proactively in this.

• Mandatory participation in team meetings and make recommendations to the Supervisor regarding service delivery gaps reflective of resident support needs.

• Participate in succession planning and adhere to organizational IT and privacy standards and procedures (i.e. storage, records retention, passwords etc).

Program Residents

• Assist in creating client care plans and safety plans by effectively using the case management systems; ensure the plans are being implemented and communicated effectively to the necessary staff and essential service providers.

• Problem-solve where residencies appear unstable and assist in negotiating specific arrangements with residents to align with program agreements and mitigate departures and guest/resident/neighbour conflict.

• Provide mental health support, lay counseling, supportive listening and suicide prevention for residents and guests.

• Establish and maintain relationships with residents who have a history of homelessness using a client-centered housing first and harm reduction approach.

• Develop positive, trauma-informed relationships with residents who may have mental health, physical health and/or substance use challenges in their lives.

• Encourage positive resident choices to uphold their housing stability through promoting positive life skill development, including problem solving, self-awareness, personal wellness. Supporting personal choice particularly around instrumental activities of daily living such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

• Provide residents with information about the program guidelines, including orientation at move-in, room inspections, guest management, enforcing expectations and building safety procedures.

• Oversee preparation of rooms for move-ins according to established room cleaning protocols; assist in room cleaning when required.

• Oversee and support daily light cleaning duties of common areas and resident spaces as needed/requested.

• Maintain a high standard of cleanliness, mitigating pest infestations, infectious diseases, and the smoking of cannabis or cigarettes indoors.

• Support Program Coordinator in facilitating resident activities onsite using internal or external resources and supports.

• Facilitate a culturally safe environment where residents can request and receive support in engaging with practices culturally relevant to their lives.

• Support the Outreach Worker with connecting residents to external community resources, government, non-government, and First Nation government providers.

Reporting, Evaluation & Monitoring

• Maintain detailed, accurate, objective documentation, logbooks, case notes and data for all residents, involved supports and community services, to ensure staff are comprehensively updated on all new and unfolding developments. Provide guidance to RSWs and AOC staff to ensure consistent and accurate documentation is being completed.

• Ensure harm reduction supplies are inventoried, prepared, and distributed as needed.

• Re-stock facility supplies, track inventory and notify Supervisor when purchases are necessary.

• Report any building maintenance issues to the Supervisor immediately.

• Reporting any hazards to the Supervisor and notifying oncoming staff members of the potential risks.

• Monitor and maintain good relationships with neighbours, ensuring strong neighbourhood relationships including safety and cleanliness issues around the vicinity of the building.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social services or related field and a minimum 2-years work, volunteer, or lived experience related to homelessness, outreach, housing, and supports; a combination of experiences will be considered.

• Demonstrated experience facilitating mentorship, staff supervision, and supporting frontline service teams. 

• Knowledge of decolonising, trauma-informed, and housing first approaches to client support.

• Awareness of the complexities of homelessness, poverty, and the colonial context of homelessness in the Yukon, among other related issues.

• Awareness of community agencies, resources, non-government, First Nations, and territorial government agencies and the cross section of service providers in the Yukon as they relate to resident support.

• Knowledge of Safe at Home’s vision.

• Knowledge and practical understanding of the importance of a holistic approach to human needs.

• Conflict management/crisis prevention/mediation training and/or demonstrated skills.

• The submission of a Vulnerable Sector police check required.

• Yukon First Nations 101 certificate an asset.

• Standard First Aid/CPR required; basic life support an asset.

• Naloxone/Narcan training required (training will be provided).

• Trauma-informed Care training required (will be provided).

• Medication Assist training required (will be provided).

• Mental Health First Aid an asset.

• ASIST suicide awareness and prevention training an asset.

Skills & Abilities

• Able to exercise independent judgement and leadership abilities, including problem-solving and sound decision-making.

• Excellent conflict management, crisis prevention and mediation skills.

• Sound knowledge of Substance Use Universal Precautions and harm reduction techniques.

• Experience in providing guidance and training to coworkers; supervisory experience is an asset.

• Strong self-care practices and ability to self-regulate during and after challenging interactions.

• Set and maintain personal and professional boundaries when building relationships with residents, service providers, and staff.

• Ability to maintain strong written and verbal communication skills. Presentation skills an asset but not essential.

• Ability to maintain daily logs, write timely Incident Reports, input necessary data and care plan updates into relevant paper copies and HIFIS (Homeless Individuals and Families Information System).

• Ability to apply a high degree of discretion in establishing supportive, trusting relationships with residents, neighbours, and various service providers.

• Ability to manage competing priorities and coordinate several tasks at once.

• Demonstrated ability to work accessibly and effectively with individuals living with multiple barriers to stable housing.

• Accept resident’s rights to self-determination, and individuality; as well as maintain a positive conviction about the capacity for people to grow and change.

• Knowledge of computer programs, specifically Microsoft word, outlook and excel.

• Experience in customer service roles and commitment to client service.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a part of a team.

Work environment:
The role is primarily front-line focused, working with residents and staff at the 5131 Fifth Avenue building. Day-to-day work is very team focused. From time to time, the position may be required to perform the same duties at another SAHS Supportive Housing building.