About this role
Are you a Registered Social Worker with experience working in the homeless-serving sector-of-care? Do you have a strong foundation in addictions and mental health? If so, this position may be for you!
The Alex is a beacon of hope for Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services. With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.
Reporting to the Team Lead, the Social Worker works in collaboration with team members - including the team’s Peer Support Workers - and other Alex programs to support individuals, including youth and adults, who are experiencing challenges associated with mental health and addictions. Working from a harm reduction, trauma-informed and anti-oppression framework, the Social Worker delivers front-line, flexible, and proactive outreach to support individuals to achieve stability and wellness.
This is a permanent, full-time position.
What You Will Do
- Provide assertive and flexible community outreach services that respond to individuals’ mental health and addiction concerns.
- Promote health and harm reduction through teaching, motivational interviewing, counselling, and distributing safe supplies.
- Provide case management to assist with housing, employment, education, community integration, treatment programs, etc.
- Work supportively with clients, families, and community partners to achieve client and community goals.
- Collaborate with the various interdisciplinary teams at the Alex and external stakeholders to provide services that support client goals.
- Work within a trauma informed, harm reduction, and culturally sensitive framework.
- Facilitate group programming for clients and staff relevant to needs and individual expertise.
- Complete required documentation to ensure accurate, timely, and useful collection and entry of client information and program data.
- Participate in data collection and program evaluation.
- Operate a personal or Alex fleet vehicle safely to support program delivery, including occasional transportation of clients to approved community destinations.
- Represent The Alex in a professional manner at all times.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
What You Bring
- Degree or Diploma in Social Work is required.
- Active registration with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).
- Minimum two (2) years of experience, professional and/or lived, working with vulnerable populations experiencing mental health and substance use concerns, and housing instability.
- Demonstrated knowledge about resources for housing, mental health, addiction, social and financial support, etc.
- Adherence to harm reduction, trauma informed, housing first, and culturally sensitive principles.
- Knowledge of and experience developing and delivering evidence-based care plans and interventions, that are suitable for single session and inconsistent interactions (e.g., motivational interviewing, solution focused, crisis intervention, etc.)
- Dedication to accuracy in data collection and quality improvement measures.
- Commitment to respectful communication, and collaboration among internal and external team members to provide responsive and appropriate client care with complex needs.
- First Aid (Basic or Intermediate) – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
- Minimum of 21 years of age and three (3) years of driving experience.
- Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, clean 3-year drivers abstract, and $2 million liability coverage are required.
- A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
- Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is preferred.
Work Environment and Hours
- Both outreach and in-office components, at The Alex Community Health Centre (2840-2 Ave SE, Calgary, AB), with some meetings occurring in the community.
- Standard hours are 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday; some flexibility in schedule may be available.
- 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours / week)
- Continuous extended periods of sitting, standing, or walking (sometimes up or down stairwells).
- Frequent driving is part of work duties.
- Occasional physical action requires the ability to bend/crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel/crawl, and carry objects (up to 20 lbs.) throughout shift.
- Frequent time outside in all weather conditions.
What We Offer
Some of the great benefits The Alex has to offer include:
- 3-weeks’ vacation
- Medical and Dental Coverage
- Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
- RRSP, Student Loan Repayment Program, and/or Mortgage Accelerator Payment Program (up to 5% match)
- Personal Days
- Floating Holiday
- Sick/Wellness Days
- Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
- Professional Development
Working Conditions: This position requires frontline staff, in some cases, to be exposed to emotionally disturbing events, such as medical distress, threatened/actual serious injury, violence, abuse, and death. There may also be exposure to situations where clients may be experiencing fear, terror, hopelessness, rage, self-harm and conflict. It is understood and accepted that this position will be working in distress/high-stress situations, which may include emergency response where resiliency, stress tolerance, and the ability to maintain composure are imperative. This position may also be exposed to bodily fluids. The health and safety - both physical and psychological- of our employees is a priority. The Alex is focused on providing a safe, supportive and healthy work environment
Driving on Behalf of The Alex: This position requires the use of a personal vehicle for work-related purposes and driving an Alex fleet vehicle. Successful candidates must show proof of a class 5 driver's license, a personal vehicle, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract. Candidates must consent to the possibility of an annual driver's abstract review to meet our insurance provider’s requirements and to maintain $2 million liability insurance on their personal vehicle. Driving a fleet vehicle at The Alex requires that staff are at least 21 years of age with a minimum of three (3) years’ driving experience. Mileage will be reimbursed in alignment with the CRA guidelines.
How To Apply
If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Jobs at The Alex | The Alex.
This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We will make every effort to accommodate candidate’s schedules and needs in all parts of the hiring process.
The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.
In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as racialized or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).
The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.
For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca.
Monday to Friday - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Other facts
About Alexandra Comm Hlth Ctr
We know that good health is the complete state of physical, mental, emotional and economic well-being. We cannot enjoy whole health when we are hungry, when we are in chronic pain, when we don’t have a roof over our head, when we feel disconnected from our community, when we are living in poverty. And fixing one of these issues while ignoring the rest is just a band-aid solution.
Our health, housing and food programs support our most vulnerable neighbours, tackling tough health and social issues head-on, and our preventative, cost-effective programs save millions in taxpayer dollars by moving people from poverty to stability and from crisis to wellness.
What you'll do
- The Social Worker provides assertive and flexible community outreach services to individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges. They collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and community partners to support client goals and facilitate group programming.
Ready to join Alexandra Comm Hlth Ctr?
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