Housing-Focused Community Outreach Worker

*** Stronger consideration will be given to those applicants who can give full-time, focused attention to this role. This is not an On-call position and the hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm to 9pm.

About the Safe at Home Society

The Safe at Home Society (SAHS) is a collaborative organisation dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness in the Yukon. We bring together various stakeholders, including service agencies, government partners, landlords, and those with lived/living experiences of homelessness to facilitate connections between people and the housing supports that they need. Through community outreach, multiple supportive housing programs, and the administration of the By-Name-List and coordinated access, the society is actively involved in advocacy and practical solutions for homelessness across the territory.

Job Overview

Working closely with service providers in Whitehorse, the Housing-Focused Community Outreach Worker will provide evening and weekend outreach support to individuals (adults and/or youth) experiencing homelessness, street-entrenchment, and/or who are precariously housed and want to be connected to appropriate supports and services, including but not limited to facilitating intake for the Coordinated Access system/By-Name-List. This evolving position will report to the Manager of Operations and will work closely with other outreach workers, frontline staff, and program supervisors across SAHS programs.

The Housing-Focused Community Outreach Worker will work in collaboration with Safe at Home Society’s leadership team and program staff to develop an approach to Housing-Focused Street Outreach that is specifically geared to meeting the needs of Yukoners impacted by homelessness, the substance use health crisis, and other complex issues. Housing-Focused Street Outreach as an engagement strategy that prioritizes connecting people experiencing unsheltered homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness to lifesaving, person-centered, harm reduction oriented, and culturally responsive services and resources while actively working towards connecting them to housing resources and/or promoting housing stability.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Build and foster supportive relationships with clients, adhering to confidentiality and trauma-informed practices; supporting clients with a housing-focused, outreach-based approach;
• Participate in the development and operations of a Housing-Focused Street Outreach approach that is specifically geared to meet the needs of Yukoners, which includes consistent, predictable, and direct street engagement that is person-centered, harm reduction oriented, and relationship focused and aims to foster trust with individuals experiencing, or at high risk of, homelessness on their journeys towards being housed;
• Offer crisis intervention, guest management support, and eviction prevention services to individuals who are referred or self-referred;
• Coordinate and make appropriate warm referrals to increase support networks and reduce isolation, including referrals and coordination with culturally appropriate resources;
• Work closely with Safe at Home’s Eviction Prevention to improve relationships with landlords and advocate for tenants as the need emerges;
• Work closely with the Housing Stability workers to identify ongoing gaps and pressure points in the housing support system;
• Offer supports, as needed, between time of intake and housing placement while individuals are still experiencing homelessness, including ensuring basic needs and harm-reduction needs are met;
• Remain connected to clients after a housing move-in, to provide additional supports necessary to ensure housing stability of client;
• Engage in ongoing peer and clinical supervision that is geared towards collaborative, person-centered decision making, debriefing, and navigating complex situations;
• Participate in professional development opportunities and conferences as identified by management;
• Participate in succession planning and adhere to organisational IT and privacy standards and procedures (i.e., storage, records retention, passwords, etc);
• Compulsory attendance and participation in team meetings and supervisions; and
• Other responsibilities as they emerge and/or are directed by the Executive Director, Manager of Operations, other SAHS managers, and/or Program Supervisors of Safe at Home Society.

Education and Experience

• Post-secondary education in a relevant field such as social services or a related discipline (a completed BSW, a undergraduate degree in a related discipline, or a degree in progress would be considered a strong asset); or
• A minimum of 2 years of professional or volunteer outreach-oriented experience in a related field, preferably in a non-profit organisation, social services agency, or educational institution.
• Lived/living experience with the target population and/or community is highly valued;
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed care, cultural humility, harm-reduction oriented, person centered, and anti-oppressive practices;
• An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.

Other Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• The submission of a Vulnerable Sector police check;
• Valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation may be required for certain positions;
• Knowledge of decolonising, housing first, harm-reduction oriented, and person-centered approaches to client support;
• Awareness of the complexities of homelessness, poverty, and the colonial context of homelessness in Yukon;
• Knowledge of housing continuum in Whitehorse and the Yukon and related legislation an asset;
• Demonstrated ability to work accessibly and effectively with individuals living with multiple barriers to stable housing;
• Excellent conflict management/crisis prevention/mediation training and/or demonstrated skills;
• Strong understanding of local resources and community agencies in the Yukon that may be essential in the coordination of services for individuals that SAHS supports;
• Knowledge of SAHS vision, Built for Zero Canada, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness’ allied networks, Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, and related plans/initiatives;
• Standard First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain.
• Naloxone/Narcan training or willingness to obtain.
• Yukon First Nations 101

• Computer skills and a willingness to learn new data storing software (HIFIS);
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to adapt to an evolving work environment and organization, including contributing to and adjusting to ongoing policy development with SAHS

Work Environment

The role requires a blend of outreach engagements out of office and in-office work and involves late afternoon/evening and weekend work. Housing-Focused Community Outreach Workers must be comfortable working in fast-paced, intense environments where potentially volatile situations that may impact worker and client safety, supporting individuals impacted by complex trauma, maintaining high professional boundaries, practicing consistent self-care, and accessing internal support in the form of debriefing, supervision, and collaborative decision making.

Depending on assignment, the role may also be directly connected to Safe at Home Society’s Supportive Housing Programs and program participants.