Housing Worker – 3 Positions – Full Time

Qualifications

MUST HAVE:

As a Housing Worker, you will meet Indigenous people who:

• Are at their most vulnerable, so you need to be able to make them feel comfortable and supported. You will also need to provide a criminal record check allowing you to work with the vulnerable sector.
• May be resistant to support, or generally not in a good place, so you need the skill and patience to handle these situations.
• Have been victims of systemic racism and colonization and as a result have unique needs, so you will need understanding of the realities of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis people in Canada.
• Have complex situations and are at times in crisis. So, you will need to (1) know the supports and services that are available for them and (2) have the resourcefulness to access these services and advocate on your clients’ behalf. You will need to demonstrate your ability to come up with good solutions that will best meet your clients’ needs.

Wabano’s Housing Workers also support our clients indirectly. They:

• Communicate to and on behalf of clients, whether advocating with landlords or applying for financial aid. So, you will need to have a kind, compassionate and direct communication style to build meaningful relationships with clients, colleagues, and partners.
• Work as part of a tight-knit Housing Team, so you will need to thrive in a collaborative environment, including sharing space and supporting colleagues with their caseloads as needed.
• Use Outlook, Microsoft Office and online databases to maintain client records, so you will need to have some experience with technology, but more importantly be diligent and able to learn.
• Respond to client needs as they arise. As such, while most of your work will occur during Wabano’s regular working hours, there will be times when clients, landlords and/or other partners require your assistance outside of this time frame. So, you will need to have some flexibility in working hours (including weekends and evenings) to respond to these needs. (Generally, this is no more than twice per month.)

NICE TO HAVE:

• Lived experience: if you are a person who has been homeless or lived in poverty, your experience is unique and valuable as a Housing Worker. It is a lived knowledge and understanding that cannot be taught and will be seen as an asset in your application.
• Post-secondary education: this will give you an edge, but the experience and ability to support our community comes first.
• Training Certificates: For example: CPR/First Aid, ASSIST, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention. If you do not have these, we train Wabano employees.
• Indigenous ancestry: As an organization who works with the Indigenous community of Ottawa, we are committed to providing job opportunities to our community. So, First Nations, Inuit or Métis candidates will be given priority. Please self-identify.

Salary

Range $48,000 per year + Benefits

Why Work for Us

You would be a part of a collaborative and supportive work environment. Additionally, you would have access to:

• Comprehensive Group Health and Dental Insurance Coverage
• A Defined Benefit Pension Plan/ Employee Pension Plan with an equal contribution by Wabano (HOOPP)
• An Employee Assistance Program

Application Details

Please submit your application to jobs@wabano.com. Application materials include a cover letter and resume. As an option to a written cover letter, we would welcome a 1-2-minute introduction video to get to know you better.

Wabano is an inclusive and equitable organization, encouraging applications from qualified women and men, including persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. The position is open to all qualified applicants, although preference will be given to candidates of Indigenous ancestry (please self-identify in your application).

Wabano is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity or interviewing, please advise if you require accommodation.

Miigwetch (thank you in Ojibwe) for your application and interest in Wabano.

Appendix

What is a coordinated access system?

From Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy Directives

A coordinated access system is the process by which individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness are directed to community-level access points where trained workers use a common assessment tool to evaluate the individual or family’s depth of need, prioritize them for housing support services and then help to match them to available housing focused interventions.

Quality coordinated access systems share several features, including a centralized database that collects and displays real-time data on clients and available housing and supports; clear access points of entry; common assessment; standardized protocols; and resources (for example, staff) focused on ensuring that people can connect with appropriate housing and housing supports in an efficient manner.

Definitions:

• Access: the engagement point for the individual or family experiencing a housing crisis. This may include emergency shelters, mobile outreach teams, day centres, other community-based organizations and hotlines.
• Assessment: the process of gathering information about an individual or family accessing the crisis system.
• Prioritization: the process of determining the individual’s or family’s priority for housing based on information gathered through the assessment.
• Matching and referral: the process whereby the individual or family is matched to and offered housing based on project-specific eligibility, needs and preferences

Indigenous Coordinated Access System in Ottawa

There are three Indigenous organizations in Ottawa who are funded to implement coordinated access in Ottawa: Wabano, Minwaashin and TI (Tungasuvvingat Inuit).

Currently, everyone who is homeless initially goes through City. The City then refers any Indigenous clients to Wabano. Wabano is responsible to match the client to the appropriate services/agencies. This includes Indigenous agencies who have been funded for coordinated access (Minwaashin and TI) as well as other housing partners who are part of ACAB.