Department: Community Services and OutreachDepartment

Salary: $24.13 to $27.16 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.

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

Education

Degree or Diploma in human services, social work/social services or equivalent work experience and education

Preference for Non-Violent Crisis intervention, ASIST, First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Naloxone training

Experience

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

Preference for experience or education in concurrent disorders

Experience in facilitating groups preferred

Knowledge

Knowledge of harm reduction strategies and how to provide harm reduction education and supplies to service users

Understanding of substance abuse and awareness of trends in substance use

Trained to administer Naloxone

Knowledge of community resources including mental health, addiction and housing supports resources

Knowledge of non-violent crisis intervention strategies

Understanding of Mission Services’ Mission, Vision and Values and how these are to be reflected in practice

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Excellent organizational skills

Excellent problem solving, decision making and priority setting skills

Excellent team building skills

Skilled in crisis intervention, de-escalation and conflict resolution

Abilities

Preference for the ability to speak a second language

Ability to assess the needs of service users ex. assessing whether medical assistance is needed

Ability to successfully advocate with community partners on behalf of service users and negotiate with service users as well

Ability to use sensitivity when speaking to service users about private matters

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

Ability to work in a stressful workplace

Other Qualifications

Proof of negative 2-Step Tuberculosis Testing

Proof of clear Police Check with Vulnerable Sector Check

Nature and Scope

Contacts

Frequent contact with Manager, Community Services and Outreach





Frequent contact with other Community Services and Outreach staff

Frequent contact with service users

Regular contact with students and volunteers

Regular contact with community services (Shelters, OW, ODSP etc.)

Regular contact with emergency services

Some contact with donors

Level of Responsibility

Provides training and orientation to new staff, students and volunteers

Responsible for ensuring entrance is secure (doors shut and locked)

Responsible for monitoring service users in all spaces including bathrooms and sleeping spaces

Responsible for collecting, maintaining, composing and recording confidential data

Responsible for safety planning for women

Responsible for wearing proper personal protective equipment, panic buttons and two-way radios

Responsible for operating cameras to monitor activity and safety concerns on property

Responsible for emailing management when program is in need of supplies

Responsible for receiving donations, sorting through donations and filing out donation forms to send to Community Relations & Resource Development

Responsible for utilizing program resources appropriately

Responsible for sending in maintenance requests to management when identifying concerns

Responsible for maintaining clean dining hall, as well as ensuring program supplies are available and assisting with garbage removal when needed

Decision-Making Authority

Deciding when a service user should go into the isolation room

Allowing one-time exceptions for keeping service user belongings past twenty-four (24) hours

Deciding when/if emergency services need to be called and if medical clearance is necessary for their return of service

Deciding when to restrict a service user for behavior that goes against program guidelines

Calling a taxi for shelter to shelter transfers

Deciding when to cap capacity based on current situation in program

Distributing resources such as bus tickets

Constant expected and unexpected interruptions mainly from service users that make it difficult to complete job tasks

Work is constantly reprioritized in order to best attend to service user needs

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.

Staff are constantly exposed to unpredictable events and are required to respond appropriately

Will occasionally be required to use physical exertion when sorting through donation boxes and restocking supplies

Will frequently be required to do computer work by updating logs, emailing community partners, completing STATs, entering harm reduction tracking information etc.

Will frequently be walking, bending, lifting and standing for long periods of time in order to attend to service user needs

Client Advocates are frequently exposed to bodily fluids, contagious disease/infections, dust, dirt, grease, fumes and foul odors, and indoor noises

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

Staff are exposed daily to risk of injury, verbal and physical abuse from service users

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📌 Client Advocate Nights (Ontario)
🏢 Mission Services of Hamilton
📍 Ontario