POSITION SUMMARY
The Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS) is a non-profit charitable organization serving the urban Indigenous community. VAFCS provides programs and services that contribute to the cultural, educational, social, economic, and recreational development of Indigenous peoples in Vancouver.
Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum at 1015 East Hastings Street is an Indigenous-focused housing continuum that includes shelter, transition housing, affordable rental housing, and community-based supports.
The Shelter-to-Housing Navigator provides culturally safe, trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and strengths-based case management to shelter guests and transition-housing residents. The Navigator supports participants to identify goals, address barriers, access services, secure and maintain housing, and move successfully through the housing continuum. The Navigator manages a designated caseload and is accountable for assessments, individualized case plans, complex referrals, advocacy, housing-navigation activities, case documentation, and coordinated transition planning. The Navigator works closely with Shelter Support Workers, Resident Support Workers, the Transition Manager, housing staff, and community partners to promote continuity of care.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Case Management and Individualized Planning
- Manage a designated caseload of shelter guests and transition-housing residents.
- Build trusting, respectful, and professional relationships with participants while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
- Conduct intake and ongoing assessments to identify participants’ strengths, needs, goals, risks, barriers, and priorities.
- Develop, review, and update individualized case plans in collaboration with participants, using a strengths-based and self-determined approach.
- Support participants to pursue goals related to housing, income, identification, health, mental health and wellness, substance use, family reunification, culture, education, employment, and community connection.
- Maintain regular contact with participants and monitor progress toward case-plan goals.
- Participate in case conferences, coordinated-care meetings, discharge planning, and transition planning, as required.
Housing Navigation and Stabilization
- Support participants to identify appropriate housing options and complete housing readiness activities.
- Assist with housing searches, housing applications, income verification, identification, references, documentation, and other requirements related to securing housing.
- Support transition-housing residents to prepare for longer-term or permanent housing.
- Coordinate move-in, discharge, and transition supports in collaboration with program staff, housing providers, and community partners.
- Provide follow-up support, where applicable, to promote housing stability and
reduce the risk of return to homelessness.
- Track housing applications, referrals, placements, outcomes, and barriers.
Advocacy, Referrals, and Community Partnerships
- Provide advocacy and coordinated referrals to appropriate Indigenous and non-Indigenous services, including health care, mental health and wellness services, substance-use supports, income assistance, legal supports, employment and training, cultural programming, and housing providers.
- Follow up on referrals and support participants to overcome barriers to accessing services.
- Maintain current knowledge of Indigenous-led services, local community resources, housing providers, and relevant systems in Vancouver and the Downtown Eastside.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with community partners, service providers, housing providers, and government agencies.
- Identify common participant needs and coordinate or facilitate targeted information sessions, life-skills workshops, and housing-readiness activities in collaboration with program staff and community partners.
Cultural Safety, Crisis Follow-Up, and Collaboration
- Uphold culturally safe, anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and harm-reduction practices in all interactions.
- Support a culturally grounded, community-oriented environment that respects Indigenous identities, cultures, kinship, and ways of being.
- Respond calmly and effectively to crisis or emergency situations within the scope of the role and coordinate case-related follow-up after immediate safety needs have been addressed by on-shift staff.
- Collaborate with Shelter Support Workers and Resident Support Workers to ensure that day-to-day observations and support needs inform case planning.
- Provide guidance to frontline staff regarding participant-specific support strategies, within privacy and role boundaries.
- Escalate complex, high-risk, or unresolved concerns to the appropriate supervisor.
Documentation and Accountability
- Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential assessments, case plans, case notes, referrals, advocacy records, housing applications, outcome data, and transition documentation.
- Ensure documentation meets VAFCS policies, privacy requirements, funder requirements, and applicable professional standards.
- Participate in team meetings, supervision, training, and program evaluation activities.
- Contribute to program reporting and outcome tracking, as required.
Other Duties
- Participate in cultural, recreational, life-skills, and community-building activities for participants, as assigned.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
- Indigenous ancestry and connection to Indigenous community are preferred, in accordance with Section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code.
- Diploma or degree in Social Work, Indigenous Studies, Psychology, Community Support Work, or a related human-services field; an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.
- Minimum three years of related frontline experience supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental health concerns, substance use, trauma, or other barriers to housing stability.
- Minimum two years of case-management, housing-navigation, or coordinated-care experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience completing assessments, developing individualized support plans, making referrals, and advocating within complex service systems.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous culture, spirituality, community, and culturally safe practice, including an understanding of colonization, intergenerational trauma, and systemic barriers.
- Strong knowledge of Indigenous-led services, local community resources, housing systems, and supports in Vancouver and the Downtown Eastside.
- Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed practice, harm reduction, anti-oppressive practice, de-escalation, and strengths-based support.
- Excellent assessment, planning, advocacy, organization, time-management, problem-solving, verbal, written, and documentation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to establish trusting and respectful relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.
- Demonstrated ability to respond calmly, safely, and effectively to crisis and emergency situations using trauma-informed and de-escalation approaches.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office 365, email, electronic documentation systems, and housing or client databases.
- Ability to work weekday shifts and occasional evenings, weekends, or statutory holidays as required.
- Criminal Record Check for the Vulnerable Sector.
REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
- Standard First Aid and CPR
- Crisis Prevention Intervention, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, or equivalent.
- De-escalation training
- Naloxone training
- Mental Health First Aid
- Trauma-Informed Practice training
- Indigenous Cultural Safety or Indigenous Awareness training
- Suicide prevention training
- Vulnerability Assessment Tool training
- Domestic violence safety planning training
- Substance-use awareness and safety training
- LGBTQ2S+ awareness training
- AHMA, BC Housing, or other relevant housing/client database training, where required
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work is performed across shelter and transition-housing environments, as well as in community settings and meetings with external service providers.
- The position may involve exposure to challenging behaviours, mental health crises, substance use, infectious diseases, and other health and safety risks.
- The Shelter-to-Housing Navigator must be able to respond calmly and professionally in crisis situations and follow all VAFCS health, safety, privacy, and emergency procedures.
- This position requires union membership with the BC General Employees’ Union.
Preference will be given to qualified Indigenous applicants in accordance with Section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code.
The Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society encourages members of equity seeking groups to apply.
Pay: From $32.43 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
Application question(s):
- Do you have a First Aid Certificate?
Education:
Experience:
- front line: 4 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
