Job Description
Job Title: Client Advocate
Program: Willows/Emma’s Place
Department: Community Services and Outreach Department
Salary: $23.43 to $26.37 Per Hour
Reports to: Manager, Community Services and Outreach Department
Jobs Reporting: N/A
Time Commitment: The Client Advocate will work different hours depending on their status as part or full-time. The Client Advocate will be required to work a flexible schedule which may include days, evenings, nights, weekend and holiday shifts.
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Objective: The Client Advocate will provide support using integrated feminist anti-racist/anti-oppressive trauma perspective. They will be innovative with their approaches and strategies to ensure access to services are low-barrier. Client Advocates will assist women, transgender and non-binary individuals whom predominantly have high acuity mental health and addictions, with meeting their basic needs. This includes access to food, showers, laundry facilities and a safe place to rest. The Client Advocate will support individual goals and plans including making referrals to appropriate community agencies/supports. The Client Advocate will assess the safety of the individuals they support and work with them to create personal safety plans as required. The Client Advocate will also provide support with developing coping strategies and education on harm reductions strategies and any other self-identified goals. The Client Advocate will prevent, manage and defuse any behavioural issues that may arise in the space, and encourage a caring, healthy, safe and positive work environment for both peers and service users.
Responsibilities and Duties:
- Ensure the overall safety of the space by ensuring that basic expectations of behaviour are met. Utilizing CPI techniques as well as other de-escalation strategies to minimize conflict, aggression and resulting service restrictions amongst service users
- Health and safety issues are addressed/reported immediately; complete regular spot checks in washrooms, showers and other client areas; clean up and dispose of biohazards and paraphernalia according to Mission Services Policies
- Demonstrated ability to provide person-centered, trauma and AR/AO informed services and supports to women, transgender and non-binary individuals with diverse experiences and identities; engage through structured activities, service of meals, and 1:1 opportunities
- Provide therapeutic groups to service users
- Provide strategic engagement for women, transgender and non-binary individuals who are precariously housed; provide support and resources to prevent homelessness
- Provide strategic engagement for women, transgender and non-binary individuals who are chronically or episodically homeless; provide support and resources to find appropriate housing including a referral to our in-house systems navigators, completing ViSpidats and other necessary assessments
- Distribute harm reductions supplies; as well as reviewing their use and purpose; overdose education and complete naloxone training reviews with clients
- Create overdose prevention plans for substance users who are considered high risk
- Respond to overdose events in coordination with fellow coworkers, connecting with EMS, and follow-up post over-dose
- Make appropriate referrals to services based on service user identified needs and priorities; maintain updated community resources
- Monitor, maintain and distribute health, hygiene and laundry supplies
- Connect and work effectively with community agencies re: partnerships/initiatives; promote the space through outreach efforts
- Support other members of the team (Including volunteers and students), ensuring that each individual is familiar with the day to day operations and philosophies of the space
- Track daily, weekly and monthly statistical information that will help guide the future developments of the space
- Adhere to a strict policy of confidentiality
- Ensure Mission Service’s workplace Health & Safety policies and procedures are followed at all times
- Other duties as required to ensure the continuation of service to participants in the space
Qualifications:
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Degree or Diploma in human services, social work/social services or equivalent work experience and education
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Preference for Non-Violent Crisis intervention, ASIST, First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Naloxone training
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Experience
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Six (6) months experience working or volunteering in a social work/social service work field
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Experience working in programs serving women, transgender and non-binary individuals with complex and intersecting needs including poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, addictions and trauma
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Preference for experience or education in concurrent disorders
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Experience in facilitating groups preferred
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Knowledge
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Knowledge of harm reduction strategies and how to provide harm reduction education and supplies to service users
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Understanding of substance abuse and awareness of trends in substance use
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Trained to administer Naloxone
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Knowledge of community resources including mental health, addiction and housing supports resources
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Knowledge of non-violent crisis intervention strategies
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Understanding of Mission Services’ Mission, Vision and Values and how these are to be reflected in practice
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Skills
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills
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Excellent organizational skills
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Excellent time management skills
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Excellent problem solving, decision making and priority setting skills
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Excellent team building skills
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Excellent active listening skills
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Skilled in crisis intervention, de-escalation and conflict resolution
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Abilities
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Preference for the ability to speak a second language
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Ability to assess the needs of service users ex. assessing whether medical assistance is needed
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Ability to successfully advocate with community partners on behalf of service users and negotiate with service users as well
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Ability to use sensitivity when speaking to service users about private matters
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Ability to effectively support service users in crisis, analyze the environment for safety concerns and determine the best course of action when responding to crisis
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Ability to work in a stressful environment
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Proof of double COVID-19 Vaccination
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Proof of negative 2-Step Tuberculosis Testing
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Proof of clear Police Check with Vulnerable Sector Check
Nature and Scope:
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Frequent contact with Manager, Community Services and Outreach
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Frequent contact with other Community Services and Outreach staff
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Frequent contact with service users
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Regular contact with students and volunteers
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Regular contact with community services (Shelters, OW, ODSP etc.)
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Regular contact with emergency services
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Some contact with donors
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Provides training and orientation to new staff, students and volunteers
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Responsible for ensuring entrance is secure (doors shut and locked)
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Responsible for monitoring service users in all spaces including bathrooms and sleeping spaces
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Responsible for collecting, maintaining, composing and recording confidential data
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Responsible for safety planning for women
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Responsible for wearing proper personal protective equipment, panic buttons and two-way radios
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Responsible for operating cameras to monitor activity and safety concerns on property
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Responsible for emailing management when program is in need of supplies
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Responsible for receiving donations, sorting through donations and filing out donation forms to send to Community Relations & Resource Development
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Responsible for utilizing program resources appropriately
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Responsible for sending in maintenance requests to management when identifying concerns
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Responsible for maintaining clean dining hall, as well as ensuring program supplies are available and assisting with garbage removal when needed
Decision-Making Authority
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Deciding when a service user should go into the isolation room
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Allowing one-time exceptions for keeping service user belongings past twenty-four (24) hours
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Deciding when/if emergency services need to be called and if medical clearance is necessary for their return of service
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Deciding when to restrict a service user for behavior that goes against program guidelines
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Calling a taxi for shelter to shelter transfers
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Deciding when to cap capacity based on current situation in program
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Distributing resources such as bus tickets
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Constant expected and unexpected interruptions mainly from service users that make it difficult to complete job tasks
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Work is constantly reprioritized in order to best attend to service user needs
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Wide variety of job tasks that range from providing harm reduction supplies to providing meals to cleaning to filing paperwork to providing conflict resolution etc.
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Staff are constantly exposed to unpredictable events and are required to respond appropriately
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Will occasionally be required to use physical exertion when sorting through donation boxes and restocking supplies
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Will frequently be required to do computer work by updating logs, emailing community partners, completing STATs, entering harm reduction tracking information etc.
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Will frequently be walking, bending, lifting and standing for long periods of time in order to attend to service user needs
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Client Advocates are frequently exposed to bodily fluids, contagious disease/infections, dust, dirt, grease, fumes and foul odors, and indoor noises
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Some occasional traveling is required when picking up supplies from community partners (bus tickets, harm reduction) or to travel with service users to attend appointments or other shelters
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Staff are exposed daily to risk of injury, verbal and physical abuse from service users
