Care Coordinator (SC)

At House of Friendship we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion Inclusion Justice Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great doesnt it It is!

The ShelterCare program provides a place to stay and staff support 24/7.ShelterCare creates opportunities where individuals experiencing homelessness have access to on-site integrated housing and health supports so they can become healthier and housed exiting the cycle of homelessness for good. ShelterCareutilizesacare coordinationapproachin order tosupport participants inaccessing resources and develop skills to become housed.

We are hiring for an individual who is committed to strength-based trauma-informed and person-focused care. They will join ourShelterCare team as an Addiction Counsellor. The Addiction Counsellor will work as a member of an interdisciplinary team to support men experiencing homelessness to secureappropriate willsupportthe mento accessthe necessary resourcesconduct housing searchesconnect with community supports and develop the skills needed to become permanently housed andmaintainhousing informed person-centered and housing first approach isdemonstratedin one on one andteam-basedinteractions.

This is a contract position from approximately June 1 2026 to December 1 2026. This full-time position offering 37.5 hours per week. Schedule Sunday to Thursday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre-employment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Engage participants in meaningful support relationships to achieve the goal of obtaining permanent housing wellbeing stability and a successful stay while accessing ShelterCare

• Understand and consistently implement program policies and procedures including and not limitedto:incident reporting harm reduction fire prevention privacy and confidentiality safe substanceuseonsite restrictions and restorative practices storage of personal belongings etc.

• Participate in intake conversations and orientation to the program including expectations and intended program outcomes of theirshelter stay

• Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide direct and indirect support toparticipants inbuilding life skills

• These supports may includebudgeting cooking setting up bank accounts obtaining IDand othersupportsas necessary

• Support with allhousing-relatedactivitiessuch ashousing searches attending Matching Table attending viewings completing housing applicationsetc.

• Maintain confidentiality in compliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

• Develop contribute to and carry outindividualsupport plans including any relevant assessment tools

• Work individually withparticipantstoidentifyand achieve goals as it relates to their individual support needs

• Facilitatecaseconferencesdevelopsafetyplansandlong/shorttermsupportplans

• Responsibleforfacilitatingcommunityinclusionactivities

• Connectparticipantswith supportive community resources including both clinical and informal supportsfacilitatingcase coordination

• Respond toparticipantcomplaints/concerns with care compassion and efficiency

• Reinforceparticipants life skills including spiritual social and coping skills

• In collaboration with the Participant Experience Specialist develop andfacilitaterelevant group programming

• Complete required documentation in a thorough andtimelymanner with a focus onmaintainingand protectingparticipantprivacy and confidentiality

• Follow applicable regulationspoliciesand procedures

• Act as a first responder to medical emergencies/crisis to ensure participants wellbeing and navigate emergency services to respond

• Attend andparticipatein all required training tomaintainand develop new skills.

• Witnessingand responding tocrisis. Confidently supportconflictde-escalation while addressingbehaviouralconcerns to ensure effective mitigation of risk

• Contribute to a culture of belonging and connection where each person is valued

• There is an inherent level of risk and at times unpredictability involved in the work we do

• We will work together to ensure we effectively mitigate riskin an effort tocreate an environment that is physically and psychologically safe for participantsstaffand partners

• Participate in scheduled team meetingsprogramand organizational town halls

• Contribute to the organizational strategic planning process and annual planning processes within the program

• Liaison with local emergency and mental health services (ie. CMHA police services EMSHere24/7)

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledgeablerelated to the HousingStabilitysystem

• Understanding and knowledge of regional community social services and resources

• Experience of homelessness or relating with people experiencing homelessness

• Passion to support people living on a low income with support needs including mental health and addiction challenges

• Aptitude foraccurateand objective note keeping and data entry

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Commitment to a trauma-informed and strength-based approach to supporting people

• Comfortable responding to emergency situations and providing First Aid/CPR when applicable

• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to engage in meaningful conversations to develop rapport with individuals

• Strong understanding ofand commitment toharm reductionand working from a trauma informed lens

• Some knowledge of Motivational Interviewing as well an understanding of mental health challenges would be helpful

Education/Experience:

• Two-yearpost-secondaryeducation in arelatedfield of study( services social work addictions mental health communitydevelopmentetc.).

• 1-2 years experience in case planning/management with individuals andassistingthem in developing life skills

• Experience supporting group activities

• Experience of working with those who have experienced mental health challengesaddictionsand trauma

Critical Skills:

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected

• Exemplary emotional intelligence resilience communication conflict management and problem solving skills required

• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff participants and community members

• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds income levels and sensitivity to their needs

• Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation program design evaluations of processes and service delivery

• Must be dependable professional flexible a team player and have a positive attitude

• Respectful supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities addictions mental illness and other life challenges

• Excellent project timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics planning and detailed record keeping

Compensation:

At House of Friendship we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the support of our mission and in alignment with our values House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair market competitive and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive succeed and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

• Time off includesvacation pay and2personal daysper year

• Employee & FamilyAssistance Program

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of grades and we base our payment structure on internal determining rate of pay a candidates past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 5

Min: $27.86

Mid: $31.97

Max: $36.08

Working Conditions:

• Travel throughout theRegion of Waterloo;generallywith House of Friendship fleet vehicles and/or public transit options

• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

• Observation of saferconsumption

This role is being posted to fill a current vacancy.

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice equity diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team and therefore our community can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including but not limited to Indigenous Peoples members of racialized groups persons with disabilities women and members of the 2SLGBTQIA community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process including applying for this position please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community lets talk.

To apply please submit your resume and cover letter here:

end of day May 15 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.