Shelter Support Worker – Part Time

Business Context:
Our Client provides a continuum of services that enable women survivors of intimate partner violence and their children to access safe shelter and responsive services that will help them to create lives free from violence. The service continuum delivers integrated and specialized programs related to counselling, advocacy, stakeholder community-connections, legal and housing support, as well as programs to help survivors of intimate partner violence build and strengthen their economic self-sufficiency.

• Residential Programs: this department provides programs and services that include a 30-bed shelter service, a 24-Hour Crisis Line, a Women’s Program, a Children’s Program. These services and programs are mainly organized and carried out through the structured and formal case management process.
• Community Programs: this department delivers the Building Economic Self Sufficiency Program (BESS) and the Transitional Housing and Resettlement Program known as Her Home Housing Project.
• The Administration Department ensures the development, implementation and evaluation of strategic and operational policies and procedures that regulate the effective operation to meet its Mandate and Mission, consistent with its Values and Cultural Indicators. The department’s functional components consist of Finance; Human Resources; Office and Facilities Administration; Resource Development and Communications; IPV Sector Stakeholder Relations and related program development.

Job Summary:
The Shelter Support Worker’s (Relief) overall accountability is to provide shelter services to survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and to help reduce its impact on their lives. The incumbent will ensure a client support approach in providing services that are consistent with the Business Context, the Organizational Cultural Context and the Residential Programs’ Job Context.
Guided by the department’s Policies and Procedures Manual, the incumbent’s specific accountability will be to provide shelter services as needed, in the absence of full-time and part-time frontline staff. In this role, the incumbent will also provide the individual client with professional assistance and emotional support, as necessary, that is timely, relevant and responsive to the client’s immediate needs. Additionally, the incumbent is accountable for ensuring that all significant occurrences on her shift will be accurately communicated to the relevant Case Coordinator.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Operate 24-hr Crisis and Information Line:
• Respond to the “24 hour” crisis line in a timely manner
• Conduct needs assessment to determine safety, immediate needs, eligibility for shelter and/or other possible services
• Provide emotional support to women experiencing intimate partner violence
• As needed, assist with devising safety and escape plans
• Provide, as needed, social services and related information and resources

Provide Client Support:
• If needed, conduct admission, initial interviews to obtain information and address basic needs
• Forward initial information to Case Coordinators to develop case plans
• Provide, if needed, emotional support to clients
• Assist in developing safety plans, if needed
• As required, perform client discharges according to established policy and procedures

Facilitate the daily work of the Residential Program

Operate the Shelter:
• If needed, navigate client admissions according to available room space
• Follow and monitor prescribed building security requirements and perform building internal & external security check
• Assist with the provision of clients’ basic personal needs: food, personal care items, clothing/donations, transportation, as needed
• Facilitate clients’ cooperative participation in shelter communal living
• Resolve issues of conflict respectfully promptly
• Follow prescribed procedures for maintenance and repairs and waste removal
• Respond to emergency situations as necessary
• Complete light chores when necessary
• Facilitate clients’ cooperative participation in maintaining cleanliness of shelter, including completing assigned household chores and maintaining their personal space
• Observe that health and safety requirements are met
• Respond to clients’ medical needs and providing assistance, as necessary

Office Administration:
• Prioritize work effectively and efficiently and ensure tasks, including shift activities logs and ETO data entries, are completed on shift
• Ensure perusal of logs and correspondence for preceding information on clients
• Provide effective exchanges of shift activities through logs and emails
• Document relevant information to enable accurate statistical data collection
• Assist with filing correspondence
• Contribute relevant information to the program resource base, as it occurs
• Print, scan, copy, fax, courier & mail as necessary
• Give entry to, greet and direct visitors as required
• Maintain a tidy office space
• Receive and store donations

Organizational Requirements:
• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary information
• As requested, attend and participate in department and other organizational meetings, such as performance management, program’s supervision sessions, staff meetings, training sessions, lunch and learn sessions, AGMs
• Communicate respectfully with companies/donors providing goods and services to
• Ensure that health and safety requirements
• Manage time effectively and provides bi-weekly time sheets to the Residential Program Manager in a timely manner

Maintain Communication with Staff, Volunteers and Students:
• Document all task/request – related communications between and among Residential Program staff as well as other departments
• Resolve conflict respectfully and promptly o Interact respectfully and collaboratively and fosters and maintains open lines of communication with co-workers and staff            from other programs, students and volunteers

Job-specific competencies:
• Relevant education and/or related experience in programs for intimate partner violence against women
• 6 months experience in providing emotional support to women experiencing intimate partner violence
• Knowledge and experience in crisis intervention
• Knowledge and understanding of issues affecting women and children who have experienced intimate partner violence and  resources to support them.
• Excellent documentation skills
• Ability to navigate database and program software
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Access and Power Point ability to use database
• Valid First Aid/CPR certificates or be willing to accept training