Nelson CARES Society (NCARES) is a not-for-profit organization that provides social services programs including advocacy, affordable housing, emergency shelter services, senior support, community living and employment supports for adults with disabilities. NCARES employs around 150 staff members in a unionized and non-unionized work environment.

Job summary: The Supportive Housing Worker (SHW) will work to assist tenants/residents of Nelson CARES housing program. The job will focus on support services in conjunction and collaboration with the North Shore Inn Program Manager. Specifically, the SHW will offer support services as needed, including life skills support, accessing medical services and addictions treatment and/or mental health services. The SHW will be part of a housing team involving the North Shore Inn Program Manager and the Affordable Housing Director. This is a unionized position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Orient and assist new residents to settle into the housing program.
  2. Assess residents’ immediate needs and develop personal support plans including goals and objectives.
  3. Provide support and/or links to access to food, housing, medical care, income assistance, social/recreational activities, and employment opportunities. Connect residents to community agencies/organizations: make the initial connections, support with applications and follow up.
  4. Monitor and ensure the safety and comfort of residents and the security of the housing facility.
  5. Provide direct care such as risk assessment and conflict resolution for individuals who experience severe challenges in daily living because of being at risk of homelessness.
  6. Support individuals coming out of homelessness. Support in obtaining basic life skills, provide supportive counselling, redirect inappropriate behaviours, provide advocacy supports.
  7. Supportive counselling: Conduct sessions with residents for support around topics/issues that the resident brings up. Using techniques such as active listening, conflict resolution, basic group counselling, basic psycho-educational methods to resolve the identified problems, needs and risks and referring resident to longer term counselling support.
  8. Support, develop and maintain positive working relationships with all agencies and service sectors that provide services for those living in poverty, as well as referring individuals to necessary agencies.
  9. Work in conjunction with Mental Health and Addictions outreach staff, case managers and other relevant community workers.
  10. Communicate and work in collaboration with other Supportive Housing Workers and staff at the Stepping Stones Shelter.
  11. Maintain complete and accurate current records of support service and group activities and document client perceptions as needed. These records will be kept in the resident file in the case management system.
  12. Assist in food program by serving food to residents and assisting in meal preparation.
  13. Conduct periodic unit inspection to ensure health and safety conditions are being kept and work closely with Property management.
  14. Report weekly to North Shore Inn Program Manager.
  15. Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications:

  • Diploma in Social Work or Counseling, or a related field is required.
  • One (1) year recent related experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

For complete job description and how to apply, click here.