RainCity Housing and Support Society·Vancouver, British Columbia
The Family Support Worker provides family-centered support services, including needs assessment and service planning, for women and children in supported housing. Responsibilities include crisis intervention, facilitating peer-based programming, and collaborating with external government ministries and service providers.
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.
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 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
Reporting to the Management Team or designate, the Family Support Worker provides a range of family centered support services to women and their children on an individual, family or group basis. Working closely with the management team and the Family Service Plan Coordinator, the FSW collaborates with women and their children to provide a range of services, including assessment of needs, planning, linking, and monitoring outcomes in a range of service delivery areas. The FSW also provides daily support including building safety and guest management, crisis intervention and prevention, health and recreational groups and general problem solving. The FSW also works collaboratively with other direct service staff, family and with external service providers and government ministries involved in the care and support of women and their children.
The Family Support Worker ensures that the day-to-day operations of the program are run in a professional and efficient manner with attention to confidentiality and in compliance with the Budzey Program policy and procedures, and taking into consideration all forms of oppression facing the women and children who access our services.
All staff must report concerns about child abuse/neglect in consultation with the management team and in accordance with the law and RainCity Housing and Support Society’s policy regarding reporting suspicions of child abuse and neglect.
Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering and lived experience of mental illness / addiction/ homelessness; Minimum education and experience includes: A Diploma in community social services Two years of recent, related work experience with women and children, with an emphasis on family preservation and mental health, addictions, homelessness and/or social services, including one year of service planning experience. Previous work with women and their children in a similar environment with demonstrated working knowledge of related community and provincial programs and resources is required. Or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Current First Aid and CPR certification. Child first aid is an asset Class 5 driver’s license. Key Skills and Abilities Ability to apply an analysis and knowledge of women’s issues within a feminist framework, including mental health issues, substance use, sexual health, and exposure to violence. Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with women and their children Ability to identify and work to increase family strengths Ability to work with families using hope-inducing strategies Ability to implement family-centred service plans Ability to respond to problematic behaviour using an understanding of the behaviour's context and function Ability to informally support life-skills and parenting Ability to create, facilitate and assist with peer-based in house programming Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions Ability to administer medications as per policies and procedures 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 organise and prioritise duties Ability to operate office equipment including computers Ability to identify family strengths and foster self-sufficiency and independence in families Physically able to carry out the duties of the position Sound knowledge of women and children-centred services. Knowledge of infant and childhood development Basic sound knowledge of mental health diagnoses, medications, treatment and support resources Knowledge of the bio-psychosocial addictions model, including stages of change and harm reduction. Basic sound knowledge of diagnoses, treatment and support resources in the areas of substance use, physical health, including HIV and Hepatitis C. Knowledge of the housing continuum, including market, subsidized, supported and family housing systems, including program models for special needs populations Demonstrates understanding of oppression and marginalization specifically related to the experience of women and children, mental health consumers and substance users, the aboriginal community, and other marginalized women Demonstrates understanding of the systemic barriers marginalized women face in protecting their families Family Support Worker Specialized Duties Under the direction of the management team or designate and working closely with the Family Service Plan Coordinator, the FSW will collaborate with program participants and their children and provide a range of services: including assessment of needs, planning, linking and monitoring outcomes in a range of service delivery areas. The FSW will participate in case conferences with individual program participants if required. Attendance at bi-monthly service planning/staff meetings is optional. The FSW provides education and prevention work including: prenatal, parenting, family preservation, mental health, substance use, physical health, sexual health (including HIV, STI’s, safer sex) violence against women, and issues that destabilize housing or impair mental health or physical health. In consultation with the management team, the FSW will provide support to co-workers regarding application and interpretation of the Children’s, Families and Communities Services Act (CFCSA) when needed. The FSW will support and empower program participants and their children through assisting with peer-based programming including groups, community kitchens, tenant committees, and other applicable peer-driven initiatives. The FSW will advocate for women’s and children’s rights and needs when necessary with relevant government agencies and community services. The FSW will perform other related duties as assigned. 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 experience, 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.
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.
Requires a Diploma in community social services and at least two years of related experience with women and children, including one year of service planning. Must possess current First Aid/CPR certification, a Class 5 driver's license, and pass a Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check.
Market context
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