At Support House, we open doors, minds, and possibilities. We build opportunities, we inspire change, and we transform health care. We believe everyone deserves support.
Support House is directed by our core values. They guide our agency’s decisions and actions, unite our staff, define our brand, and inspire our culture. We connect by building meaningful relationships. We put people first by supporting them to direct their own path. We focus on holistic wellness. We foster engagement through designing housing, supports and the system together.
Support House offers supportive housing options, primary care, community outreach, peer support and building system capacity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Support House is committed to leveraging diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our employees in order to provide services to an equally diverse community and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.
The main purpose of this position
The Community Outreach Coordinator, Support House Response Team, will be responsible for providing one-to-one community-based support and service navigation across the Halton region, supporting people who are unhoused and experiencing mental health and substance use concerns.
The team will work within the community, meeting people where they are, including in encampments, shelters, supportive housing, and through street-level outreach.
This position is part of an assertive outreach team where communication and team collaboration are paramount to support positive outcomes for the people we support. You will work closely with team members and community partners to respond quickly to community homelessness support needs, including situations involving crisis and distress.
Areas of support will include: building trusting relationships, crisis intervention, mediation and de-escalation; supporting urgent housing placements; connecting individuals to health care resources, harm reduction supports, and services aligned with their individually defined goals and holistic needs.
Responsibilities
Internal Role
- Coordinate internal supports for outreach into encampments.
- Provide intensive support to individuals in Support House's low-barrier housing.
- Connecting with people aged 16+ within the unhoused population who are experiencing mental health and substance use concerns and require urgent housing support.
- Emphasis on building relationships and rapport with individuals through creativity, consistency, and patience.
- Attending encampments, shelters, community spaces, and other locations where individuals may require mental health, substance use, or housing support.
- Working alongside community partners to address immediate support needs including crisis response, housing, and/or justice-related concerns.
- Focus on preventing, de-escalating, and stabilizing crisis situations, including supporting individuals experiencing social and physical harms associated with chronic substance use, ongoing suicidal ideation, and other complex emotional or behavioural situations.
- Providing support and resources for harm reduction and prevention to promote improved overall wellness.
- Promoting a decrease in justice system participation and possible incarceration through in-depth assessments and collaboratively creating individualized care plans considering justice involvement and ensuring intentional pathways to other relevant justice supports.
- Supporting individuals around their complex housing and tenancy needs, including but not limited to supportive housing placements, rent supplement options and landlord relationship building.
External Role
- Provide system/service navigation to support individuals with mental health and/or substance use.
- Work in close collaboration with Halton Housing Help, shelters, and other relevant community organizations to ensure wraparound supports for individuals.
- Represent Support House’s values and philosophies.
- Be knowledgeable about Support House’s services and supports.
- Understand how various social locations or identity factors impact access to, and experiences with, mental health, housing, and substance use supports.
- Promote “every door is the right door” and provide warm connections to appropriate partners.
Professional Development
- Align your practice with the ethical standards and code of conduct of your professional discipline, as relevant to your role.
- Remain current with trainings and learning opportunities.
- Participate in regular supervision, annual reviews , and debriefs with supervisor and team.
- Demonstrate a commitment to applying the principles of intersectionality to the work of Support House.
- Participate in relevant Communities of Practice.
Personal Development
- Engage in regular reflection and awareness of how you are showing up to work and apply self-awareness strategies to inform your practice.
- Be open and share any work-related needs with appropriate staff, for the purpose of accommodation, support, and clarity.
- Participate in regularly scheduled breaks and other wellness activities to maintain your work and practice.
- Maintain personal wellness by ensuring appropriate supports and balance.
- Understand how your own positionality and identities impact and influence your ability to exert power and privilege, particularly as it relates to individuals who face multiple forms of systemic oppression.
- Disclose and navigate dual relationships within the organization and with individuals, as needed.
Knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in this role
- Strong ability to build genuine connections with people through curiosity and interest in getting to know who they are.
- Relevant Undergraduate Degree required.
- Licensed, certified, or registered with one of the following professional colleges or associations (e.g., OCSSWSW, CNO, CPBAO) or A-EMCA-certified paramedic through MOHLTC-EHS.
- 5+ years of relevant experience in supporting people who are unhoused and experiencing mental health and substance use concerns.
- Strong understanding of the Housing First philosophy and extensive knowledge of the unhoused population.
- Experience in harm reduction best practices and overdose prevention.
- Trauma-informed training and experience.
- Confidence and experience in crisis intervention, mediation and de-escalation, including non-violent crisis intervention and suicide intervention skills.
- Experience with system/service navigation.
- Risk assessment skills and relevant experience is an asset.
- Demonstrated ability in complex problem-solving within crisis-based environments.
- Able to mediate and negotiate situations.
- Working knowledge of the justice system.
- Experience with the LOCUS / OCAN / VI-SPDAT assessments is an asset.
- Must possess a broad knowledge of community resources and the ability to advocate effectively and facilitate appropriate referrals.
- Understanding of intersectionality principles and practice, and how it may impact an individual’s experience with systemic oppression and support systems.
- Excellent verbal communication and comfort with one-on-one dialogue.
- Excellent written and documentation skills.
- Working knowledge of PHIPA is an asset.
- Able to work independently and collaboratively in a busy multidisciplinary environment.
- Self-motivated, and comfortable working with minimal oversight.
- Proven ability to work with an electronic health record (EHR) system.
- Proven computer proficiency to facilitate the use of automated assessment tools and Microsoft products.
- A valid driver's license and access to a vehicle.
- Current First Aid & CPR certification; Naloxone and ASIST training is an asset.
Working conditions
- The Support House Response Team will be available in the community 7 days a week. The funder, Support House, and the Housing First Response Team will work together to determine coverage. Each team member will work 37.5 hours per week.
- Support House prioritizes flexibility and work-life balance.
Pay: From $58,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
Experience:
- harm reduction best practices and overdose prevention: 1 year (preferred)
- trauma-informed: 1 year (preferred)
- non-violent crisis/suicide intervention: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
