Thresholds – Family Support Worker

Who We Are: Aunt Leah’s Place is a registered charity that has been helping kids in foster care and teen moms achieve a better future for over twenty five years. Aunt Leah’s Place helps prevent children in foster care from becoming homeless, and mothers in need from losing custody of their children. To support them on their journey to adulthood, we provide housing, education & training and life skills.

Job Summary: Reporting to the Coordinator, the Family Support Worker is part of the Aunt Leah’s Thresholds team ensuring the safety and well-being of residents and babies through a holistic and trauma-informed lens. The Family Support Worker provides a range of support services for women at risk of losing custody of their child (ren) due to socio-economic factors, many of whom have concurrent mental illness, substance use and /or physical health issues as well as experience with homelessness. This position assists with pre-and post-natal care and supporting the mothers in increasing their life skills with the goal of preventing children in foster care from becoming homeless, and mothers in need from losing custody of their children.

Reports To: Thresholds Coordinator

Salary: Starting at $23.00 an hour

Qualifications:

• A Diploma in Community Social Services
• One to two years of recent, related work experience, including working with women with an emphasis on mental health, addictions, homelessness, and/or social services; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Current First Aid and CPR certification w/ baby safe
• Criminal Records Search for working with vulnerable adults and children

Requirements:

• Undergo and maintain satisfactory Criminal Record Check & Local Police Information Check
• MCFD Clearance
• A valid BC Class 5 Driver’s License and access to a vehicle
• Produce and maintain clear Driver’s Abstract
• Proof of vehicle business insurance and $5 million liability
• Rapid Response Overdose Training
• First Aid – Level C w/ CPR baby safe
• Mental Health First Aid
• Suicide Prevention Training
• Cultural Competency Training
• Addictions & Substance use Training
• Food Safe
• CPI – Intervention Crisis Training
• Agrees and adheres to the Society’s Code of Ethics

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to apply analysis and knowledge of women’s issues within a feminist framework, including mental illness, substance use, sexual health, exposure to violence
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with women program participants
• Ability to identify and work to increase program participant strengths
• Ability to work with program participants using hope-inducing strategies
• Ability to implement program participant-centered service plans
• Ability to respond to problematic behavior using an understanding of the behavior’s context and function
• Ability to support life-skills
• Ability to create, facilitate and assist with peer-based in-house and external programming such as the Mom and Baby Fresh Food Program and annual family overnight camping trips
• Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions
• Ability to effectively and safely resolve crisis situations
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision
• Ability to collaborate with staff team and external services
• Ability to constructively resolve conflict with co-workers, management and external services
• Ability to communicate effectively both in writing and verbally
• Ability to organize and prioritize duties
• Ability to operate office equipment including computers
• Physically able to carry out the duties of the position
• Sound knowledge of women-centered services
• Basic sound knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment and support resources
• Knowledge of the housing continuum, including market, subsidized and supported housing systems, including program models for special needs populations
• Demonstrates understanding of oppression and marginalization specifically related to the experience of women, mental health consumers and substance users, the indigenous community, and other marginalized women
• Familiar with colonialism especially as it applies to Canada and you understand the impact of the Residential School system and Sixties Scoop

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Direct Care (One-to-one Support): Supports, encourages and challenges participants, through developing a trusting relationship. Key areas of supports are:

Parenting Skills: (how to support their family in a healthy manner, ages and stages of child development, discipline vs. punishment, attachment, etc.)

Job finding/keeping skills (job search, resume preparation, job interview preparation and presentation,

completing application form and job maintenance)

Household maintenance skills (housing search, basic cooking skills, menu planning, house cleaning,

laundry, personal hygiene, shopping, keeping their suite secure etc.)

Financial management (opening bank accounts, Child Tax benefit, writing cheques, paying bills,

budgeting, saving, obtaining social insurance numbers, paying rent, etc.)

Interpersonal skills (developing and maintaining healthy relationships, conflict resolution, seeking

assistance and support from friends and professionals as necessary, etc.)

Health and personal habits (training and education in basic health care, development of responsible sexual

practices, accessing additional services such as Mental Health/A&D Counseling)

Leisure activities (learning in locating, using, developing and maintaining healthy ways to use recreational

Education/vocational upgrading (assistance and support in obtaining appropriate training, participating with the youth in making contact with appropriate community resources)

Cultural Connectivity (assistance and support around connecting with their heritage and participating in the cultural practices of their home (or identified home) communities

• Ensures that house rules are followed and implemented in a consistent manner
• Completes tasks as directed by Supervisor and/or Family Support Worker
• Supports and assists moms with meal preparation
• Completes move-out deep cleaning duties in addition to daily COVID scheduled sanitization as well as regular maintenance cleaning as directed by supervisor
• Diffuses any crisis situations
• Involved with tracking outcomes measurement (e.g. emergency drills, changes in demographics, changes in employment and education status)
• Participates with scheduled baby visit(s) as directed by supervisor

Financial Responsibilities:

• Ensures that expenses follow budget guidelines as outlined in the House Manual
• Manages and reconciles monthly petty cash

Health and Safety:

• House staff ensure that Aunt Leah’s House is maintained to society standards, according to Aunt Leah’s policies and procedures manual; by ensuring mom’s environment is clean, safe and secure; conducting regular emergency drills with moms; checking safety devices weekly; ensuring that each mom is knowledgeable of fire exit routes in their suite
• Participates in the annual review of Aunt Leah’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures

Communication:

Internal:

• Communicates accurately and in writing that ensures seamless delivery of care between staff
• Completes report writing at professional standards (daily logs, critical & reportable)
• Ensures all written records are to court standards
• Regularly updates and informs supervisor of activities
• Liaises and seeks direction from the on-call supervisor in crisis situations
• Follow procedures and protocols for reporting Critical and Reportable Incidents and contacts the appropriate authorities
• Attend all team meetings and society meetings as directed by the Coordinator

External:

• Communicates with family members and other professionals as required
• Researches community resources and makes information available to residents and other staff members

Confidentiality:

• All information about residents in the program is strictly confidential both internally and externally
• Ensures all written material is locked in the office and all phone calls regarding participants take place in the office
• Support Workers will follow Aunt Leah’s Society Policies and Procedures and Aunt Leah’s Code of Ethics (includes Child and Youth Care Association of BC Code of Ethics, Aunt Leah’s Privacy Policy, BC Rights of Youth in care & UN Rights of the Child)

Physical Demands/Working Conditions:

This position requires some lifting of heavier objects

Work Environment:

• Thresholds is a supportive housing program for mothers in need; staff works alone
• Annual overnight camping trip and or other outings, celebrations or activities
• An average shift is 7.5 hours/day; Full-time Regular; Tuesday to Saturday shift schedule, scheduled monthly by the Thresholds Coordinator. Some flexibility is required
• On-call rotation as required per schedule

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: As of January 4, 2022, Aunt Leah’s Place has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination policy. Aunt Leah’s Place strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (2 doses) for COVID-19. Rather than a mandatory vaccine policy, we are implementing a voluntary disclosure of vaccination. Employees will fill out a “voluntary disclosure” form indicating their vaccination status. Employees that do not wish to voluntarily disclose their vaccination status will be considered unvaccinated for operational planning purposes. The voluntary disclosure form will be included in the hiring process.

Living Wage Employer: As a certified living wage employer, we are committed to compensating our employees a living wage that allows working families to support the healthy development of their children and participate in the social, civic and cultural lives of their communities. Embracing a living wage policy aligns with our Strategic Goals and provides our staff a great place to work!

We Offer: A comprehensive benefits package that includes: dental, extended health care including vision care and prescription, RRSP matching, generous vacation, and personal time package, and an employee discount at our Thrift Store.

To Apply: Please send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations, quoting Thresholds Family Support Worker in the subject line, to [email protected] . Short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Thank you for your interest in joining Aunt Leah’s Independent Life Skills Society!

We encourage qualified people of all gender expressions and identities, sexual orientations, visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and persons with disabilities to apply if you are interested in supporting our mission and mandate and like what we have to offer.