211 Community Resource & Engagement Specialist

Community Resource and Engagement Specialist

This is a Full-Time position starting as soon as possible

Location & Hours

Work location: Remote, with province-wide travel to organizational, school, and community settings.

Hours: Variable including daytime, evenings, weekends, and holidays

What We Offer

• Generous Vacation Entitlement
• RRSP matching and Health Spending Account
• Extended health and dental benefits
• Access to on-site gym (999 site) at no cost
• Paid development days and a staff development fund
• A supportive, mission-driven workplace where you can grow, take on new challenges, and collaborate with colleagues that value integrity, hard work, and make a meaningful community impact

Who We Are

For over 50 years, Distress Centre has served Calgary and Southern Alberta by providing 24-hour crisis support, information, and resources at no cost. Distress Centre does not define crisis. We do not judge. Anyone can call us day or night.

We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive workplace where employees are valued, experience a sense of belonging, and are confident in being their most authentic selves. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and members of equity-deserving groups. We value all the ways that our community is diverse – in identity, experience and perspective.

What to Expect

The community resource and engagement specialist reports to a crisis and 211 team lead. This role combines community navigation support provision with school engagement activities to support the 211 Alberta School Navigation Supports project. This project is a new initiative with the aim of raising awareness about 211 Alberta amongst staff, families and students at schools across the province. Community navigation support activities will include responding to service users by phone, text, chat and email, including needs assessment, risk assessment, providing information, making referrals, conducting follow-ups and offering crisis-related support. School engagement activities will include delivering 211 Alberta Champion training to school staff, hosting ongoing community-of-practice meetings with school staff, relationship building and awareness-raising activities. The allocation of time between community navigation and school engagement activities will vary based on project milestones and contact centre operational requirements.

What You’ll Do

This list highlights core responsibilities and is not exhaustive. Additional related duties may arise over time and will be discussed and supported by your supervisor.

Community Navigation

• Assess the needs of individuals contacting 211 and partner lines through phone, text, online chat and email using a person-centered approach
• Assists a wide range of individuals contacting the 211 line by providing information on diverse topics (non-emergency, social, health and government services), to assist them with their information needs.
• Provide accurate information, referrals, and advocacy support using the 211 Alberta database
• Offer follow-up support to assess the effectiveness of referrals
• Support database accuracy by reporting errors or submitting update requests
• Contribute to a safe, respectful, and well-functioning contact centre environment

School Engagement

• Deliver accessible, engaging 211 Alberta Champion training in person and virtually, adapting to participant needs, local context, and cultural protocols
• Facilitate ongoing community-of-practice sessions that support shared learning, resource navigation, co-problem-solving, and continuous improvement
• Build and maintain trust-based relationships with school divisions, school wellness coordinators, and designated staff
• Provide ongoing information and navigation support to 211AB Champions in schools; escalate crisis, child safety, or clinical concerns according to established protocols
• Deliver informational presentations to school divisions and stakeholder groups; support province-wide awareness campaigns through distributing print, digital, and promotional resources
• Identify resource gaps, access barriers, and emerging community needs; share feedback with appropriate 211 Alberta teams to inform service improvements and database updates
• Maintain accurate records of school contacts, engagement activities, training attendance, and outcomes
• Collect and submit required project and evaluation data; contribute observations and recommendations to reports
• Travel to participating schools and communities as required; coordinate logistics and complete expense documentation in accordance with organizational policy
• Approach all engagement with cultural humility, respect, and relational accountability, particularly with rural, remote, Indigenous, and other diverse school communities

What You Bring

Qualifications & Experience

• Diploma or degree in a Human Services-related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum two years of relevant experience in frontline client support, community navigation, contact centre, crisis service, human services navigation, training, or facilitation
• Demonstrated experience preparing and delivering presentations, training, or facilitated group sessions
• Certification or willingness to obtain within the probationary period:

• Naloxone Administration Training
• Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
• First Aid and CPR certification

• Experience or knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment
• Mental health and addictions
• Domestic or family violence
• Case management or youth support

• Proven ability to work respectfully and effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, demonstrating strong interpersonal and cultural awareness skills
• Experience supporting diverse and vulnerable populations, with knowledge of community resources, referral pathways, and trauma-informed practices
• Knowledge of the 211 Human Services Indexing System (HSIS) is an asset
• Experience working with schools, school divisions, or child and youth services is preferred
• Experience working with rural, remote, Indigenous, newcomer, Francophone or other diverse communities is preferred
• Previous 211, information and referral, helpline, or crisis intervention experience is an asset
• Knowledge of Alberta's community, social, health, mental health and addiction, and education-related service systems is an asset
• Training in Community Resource Specialist, crisis intervention, train-the-trainer, First Aid/CPR, or Mental Health First Aid is an asset

Skills & Abilities

• Clear and respectful verbal and written communication skills; ability to tailor communication based on audience and context
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to build trust quickly and work effectively with diverse stakeholders
• Effective adult-learning and group-facilitation skills
• Strong information-gathering, needs-assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Ability to manage change, unexpected issues, or shifting priorities between planned project work, community engagement, training delivery, and real-time frontline service demands
• Ability to remain composed in stressful situations and respond to risk appropriately using trauma-informed approaches
• Strong organization, time management, and attention to detail across multiple priorities and locations
• Experience with Microsoft Office 365, case-management, and database platforms

Additional Employment Requirements

As a condition of employment, all successful candidates are required to complete and maintain a Police Information Check. For those in direct service user-facing roles, a Vulnerable Sector Search is also required.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and cover letter through our ADP Career Centre.

Distress Centre is an inclusive workplace. If you are invited for an interview and require accommodation, please let us know. If you require accommodation during the application process, please call our main office and ask to speak to Human Resources.

We may also use AI-enabled tools to support aspects of the recruitment process. All hiring decisions are made by people and are guided by our commitment to fairness and inclusion.

We thank all applicants for their interest; only those selected for an interview will be contacted