Community Connector

Join Beacon Community Services as a Community Connector, an exciting new role based out of the SHOAL Centre in Sidney. Bring your person-centric approach and passion for making positive changes in the community to connect older adults with services to improve their lives. This is an amazing opportunity for applicants who love meeting new people and celebrating individual and community strengths. If you believe that belonging is critical to health and well-being, apply to join our team and reduce isolation, promote independence, and improve the overall health and wellness of older adults in our community.

Benefits Include

• Making a difference in people's lives every day
• Extended Health and Dental
• Municipal Pension Plan with employer contributions
• Generous vacation time to start

Days/Hours of Work: Monday to Friday – 37.5 hours/week (evening and weekend availability may be required)

Closing Date: Applications will be accepted until noon on March 22nd

POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Manager of Community Outreach, the Community Connector uses social prescribing to connect older adults to appropriate resources to improve their well-being and help them age in place. They are the first contact for older adults seeking information about programs and services available in the community. Working under minimal supervision, the Community Connector uses extensive knowledge of community resources and strong relationship-building skills to work together with clients to identify their needs, interests and goals. This position involves a dynamic combination of administrative, communication and collaboration tasks to improve the lives of those in the community.

PROGRAM GOALS:

• Increase older adults’ utilization of community-based wellness supports
• Improve older adults’ quality of life
• Increase older adults’ sense of social connectedness
• Improve older adults’ confidence and ability to use community-based seniors services
• Decrease older adults’ use of health care services
• Increase linkages between primary care, health authorities, and community resources

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and maintain partnerships with healthcare professionals, primary care providers and health authorities
• Collaborate with healthcare providers to identify opportunities for cross-referrals and enhanced support
• Develop and implement outreach strategies to promote awareness of available community supports
• Conduct regular needs assessments to identify gaps in wellness services and suggest improvements
• Build awareness by presenting information about services for older adults to various external stakeholders
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the impact of programs to funders and internal stakeholders
• Work closely with volunteers to support service delivery
• Build strong relationships with older adults in the community with regular check-ins to assess their needs and preferences
• Refer older adults to appropriate internal and external resources and services
• Provide one-on-one assistance to older adults in navigating available community services
• Develop easy-to-understand materials and resources that guide older adults in accessing relevant services
• Assist older adults in accessing preventative health programs to reduce reliance on acute and emergency healthcare resources
• Participate in relevant conferences and events, such as the Social Prescribing Conference, to stay informed about best practices and emerging trends
• Be the first point of contact for older adults looking for available resources and referrals
• Input and maintain accurate client information in the database
• Other duties as required based on operational need

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Completion of recognized post-secondary education in community social service, mental health or gerontology
• 2 to 5 years of experience working with older adults or other vulnerable populations
• A relevant combination of education and experience will be considered
• Experience presenting information both in-person and virtually
• Knowledge of community resources for older adults

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Possess skills and comfort in community engagement activities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks
• Ability to understand, respect, and work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Ability to recognize signs of mental health challenges and respond with empathy and sensitivity
• Ability to connect individuals with appropriate resources based on their specific needs
• Skilled in the use of Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.) and Database Management

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:?

Beacon Community Services serves vulnerable populations including seniors, people with disabilities and children. Protecting these people and our teams on whom they rely is critical to us. Accordingly:

• All successful applicants must consent to a Solicitor General’s Criminal Record Check.
  
• All successful applicants are required to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status upon hire. Vaccination is a requirement in some of our facilities. Depending on future public health developments, Beacon may implement a vaccination requirement as a condition of ongoing employment for all our workplaces.