Vivian - Support Worker - Gender Requirement (Casual) 2024-04

RainCity Housing operates on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver, the q̓íc̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, Stó꞉lō, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Nations in so-called Lower Mainland, and the shíshálh in so-called Sunshine Coast.
 
About Us – A home for every person
RainCity Housing is an organization that makes a difference in people’s lives. Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. With a goal of providing a home for everyone, RainCity’s programs sustain relationships, strengthen communities, and make change for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, trauma, and substance use issues.

RainCity Housing has been developing emerging and promising practices for over 40 years in social services and healthcare, providing Housing First, harm reduction and supports for community members who access our services. To learn more, check out our innovations page. You can visit our Indeed page and click on the “Follow” button to be notified of new job openings: ca.indeed.com/cmp/Raincity-Housing-and-Support-Society/about. 

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Benefits: 

• 5 days of paid leave for Indigenous Employees for Ceremonial, Cultural, and Spiritual events per year 
• 8 weeks of paid leave for gender affirming care for medical procedures for transgender and gender diverse employees, cumulative total 
• Employee and Family Assistance Program available to ALL employees, including 24-hour helpline, Personal counselling, Life Coaching, Financial Coaching, Legal Referral and Advisory Services, and Health Coaching: https://www.fseap.ca/
• Municipal Pension Plan with guaranteed lifetime monthly pension when you retire: https://mpp.pensionsbc.ca/
  
• Employer-paid benefits for regular Part-time and Full-time employees:
• Unlimited Physiotherapy and $1,000/year coverage for Massage
• Vision Care, Dental Care, Prescription Drugs, Naturopath, Acupuncture, Chiropract, Group Life Benefit $50,000, Long Term Disability, and Unlimited Out-of-Province and Out-of-Country Emergencies

Position Summary
The Support Worker provides a range of supports for chronically homeless individuals living in the community, many of whom have concurrent mental illness, substance use and /or physical health issues.  Using a strengths-based model, the Support Worker participates with tenants and Service Plan Coordinators in the development and implementation of service plans, including assessment; goal setting, achievement, and review; resource acquisition; and monitoring in the areas of daily living, financial, vocational/educational, social supports, health, harm reduction, culture, recovery, and leisure/recreational supports. The Support Worker works closely and collaboratively with other direct service staff, family, and external service providers, advocating for access and rights as needed. The Support Worker also provides daily supports including medication administration, building security, crisis intervention, health and recreational groups and general problem solving. 

Job Competition # cas2024.117    
Position Title: Women’s Housing First Support Worker, the Vivian, Casual Relief 
Salary Range: $31.56 – $33.28 (BCGEU, Grid 34) 
Schedule: Positions are on call – casual relief to start filling in for regular staff. At present includes a 30-minute unpaid meal period, subject to change. Workers are designated to be available during their meal periods.
Hours: Shifts are generally 8 hours long: 11:30pm – 7:30am / 7:30am – 3:30pm / 3:30pm – 11:30pm.
Work Site: 512 East Cordova St. Vancouver    
Start Date: As soon as possible.

Gender is a bona fide occupational requirement of this position: women only please. (Trans or Cis gender diverse or two spirit are welcome to apply). 

Pursuant to the Provincial Health Officer's Order, the incumbent of this position is required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will only consider applicants who are fully vaccinated, or who have received an exemption from the Provincial Health Office. Proof of either must be provided in advance of any offer of employment being made.

In addition, you will be paid a shift premium of $2.50 per hour for the entirety of each night shift worked. “Night shift” means any shift in which the major portion occurs between 12:00 AM and 8:00 AM.

Program Summary
The Vivian is a minimal barrier housing program in Vancouver specifically designed for women living with concurrent mental illness, addiction, and other challenges. The facility was developed in response to the unique needs of women and is women-only, including both residents and staff. It offers a minimal barrier, high tolerance environment and follows a harm-reduction/health promotion philosophy. The Vivian screens women in (not out) of the program based on the complexities of their needs, histories, and behaviours. The program is flexible, non-judgmental, and responsive to the unique challenges faced by homeless women.
    
QUALIFICATIONS
Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering, and lived experience of mental illness/addiction/ homelessness. Minimum education and experience include:

• A Diploma in community social services 
• 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. And Class 5 driver’s license.

Key Skills and Abilities – for supporting people receiving our services.

• Ability to apply an analysis and knowledge of women’s issues within a feminist framework, including mental illness, substance use, women’s sexual health, exposure to violence.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships. 
• Identify and work to increase people’s strengths.
• Work with people using hope-inducing strategies.
• Informally teach harm reduction, life skills
• Implement client-centred service plans. 
• Respond to problematic behaviour using an understanding of the behaviour's context and function.
• Sound knowledge of women-centred services
• Knowledge of the integrated concurrent disorders recovery model for working with chronically homeless individuals.
• Knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment, and support resources  
• Knowledge of the bio-psychosocial addictions model, including stages of change and harm reduction.
• Knowledge of diagnoses, treatment, and support resources in the areas of substance use, physical health, hiv and hepatitis c.
• Knowledge of the housing continuum, including supported housing systems and 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 aboriginal community, and other marginalized women.

Please submit both a cover letter and resume to apply, describing your suitability for this position. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability. Please note, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Diversity
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people, and we need a staff group that reflects this diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.

As we work towards building a diverse staff team, we are particularly seeking applicants who identify as being Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, applicants with personal lived expertise, and 2SLGBTQ+ identified people.

Inclusion and creating a safer space
We are committed to making our organization a safer place for our staff, with steps taken to create space for learning and unlearning. RainCity’s department of Indigenous Cultural Services was created with the purpose to acknowledge the unique history and service needs of our Indigenous staff and tenants in respect to accessing culturally relevant and culturally sensitive care and support. RainCity’s Black Affinity Group was formed to provide support for Black staff by creating a safe space to support each other, network, debrief, and to heal from the impact of harm endured. Candidates are welcome to self-identifying in their cover letters as Black, First nations, Métis, or Inuit.

All of our employees are expected to develop and exhibit skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including demonstrating anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and on-going colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples, and commitment to learn and uphold the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Employees are also expected to demonstrate anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health issues and sex workers.

Inclusivity and support for people with differing abilities
In our efforts to provide a barrier-free workplace, we invite you to let us know of any adjustments or accommodations that might be needed for you to participate in the interview or selection process by sending an email to hr.inbox@raincityhousing.org.

If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email dfrecruitingsupport@raincityhousing.org for assistance.

Do you want to improve your chances of joining RainCity? Be sure to include a cover letter letting us know why the work that we do is important to you, and how your experiences make you a good fit for this role.

Do you need additional support with your application? Connect with our partners for assistance:

• ACCESS Futures provides free employment support for Indigenous people and can assist with career advising, resume and cover letter writing, and funding for training: https://www.accessfutures.com/employment-services
• PRISM Employment Support Service (ESS) provides free strengths-based, trauma-informed employment support program for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, including coaching sessions, workshops, personal counselling sessions, and financial assistance for transit, occupational training, clothing, and childcare: https://qmunity.ca/employment/
• WorkBC provides free employment services to all job seekers, providing with support in resume and cover letter writing, training, and financial support for childcare and transportation costs: https://www.workbc.ca/discover-employment-services/workbc-centres/employment-services
• MOSAIC provides free employment support for refugees, immigrants, and racialized women, with services in career readiness training, mentoring, and peer groups: https://mosaicbc.org/our-services/employment-services/

We are a Union

RainCity Housing is a unionized workplace. Along with the union, we support the principles of the Human Rights Code of BC. We promote a workplace that treats both staff and the people accessing services with dignity and respect.