Shelter Support Worker

City: Kamloops
Program and Site Location: 24-Hour Shelter Services
Reports To: Coordinator of Shelter Services
Term: Full-Time (37.5 Hours per week)/Part-Time (15 Hours per week)/Casual
Hours: Various Shifts Schedules
Wage Range: $29.60 up to $32.11 based on education and related experience.

Position Summary: As a Shelter Support Worker, you will work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams to provide support and care to the marginalized people struggling with homelessness and provide an important link between this vulnerable population who may struggle with mental health concerns, substance misuse challenges, and chronic health conditions with the resources they need. Service delivery is based on a participant-centered, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental perspective.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Complete check in and check out as required.
• Support participants and assess behavior and overall well-being.
• Support participants and assess behavior and overall well-being.
• Provide crisis intervention in response to escalated behaviours, overdose, medical incidents, etc. and ensure completion of incident reports.
• Provide supervision and support to mitigate individual, and program risk to ensure safety, comfort, and wellness.
• Engage with participants to assess their needs and facilitate access to resources and promote participation in the shelter program
• Complete regular wellness checks
• Maintain accurate up-to-date communication/case notes and participant background information.
• Work closely with identified community resources and multi-disciplinary teams to best support each participant
• Monitor and move along community members who are loitering in and around the property.
• Process and maintain accurate pet identification, make recommendations when necessary, regarding pet health and behaviour.
• Assist in meal service and clean up as required
• Assist with maintaining cleanliness of the building (may include biohazard clean up).
• Maintain files and statistics as per accreditation standards.
• When requested, be a member of the Society’s Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) team.
• Ensure compliance with all Society policies and procedures.
• Other duties which may or may not be outlined within this job description.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelor of Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Support Worker/Care Aid Certificate, or an equivalent combination of education, previous work experience, and/or lived experience.
• Knowledge of the BC Housing-mandated Vulnerability Assessment Tool (VAT) is considered an asset.
• Strong ability to recognize and address difficult behaviors.
• Some aspects of the job require physical abilities such as standing, sitting, walking, bending, and reaching with hands
• Good communication, documentation, interpersonal, and conflict management skills.
• Ability to work within a team-based environment involving multi-agency support.
• Strong working knowledge of community resources.
• Understands and maintains professional boundaries.
• Must pass an acceptable criminal record check for the vulnerable sector.
• Basic First Aid is required.
• WHIMIS
• Readiness to complete mandatory in-house online training within the first month of employment.
• Mental Health First Aid, ASIST, and Trauma Informed Practice an asset.

The ASK Wellness Society is dedicated to promoting diversity/multiculturalism with inclusion as one of our Core Values. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age.

Please note that interested applicants must already hold an open work permit, a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), permanent residency, or Canadian citizenship. ASK Wellness Society will not apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or sponsor a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-based work permit.