Facilitator And Outreach Worker

Location: Dartmouth, NS and Windsor, NS (will need to be in Windsor 1-2 times a week), some opportunity for remote work

Salary Range: $25/hour @ 35 hours/week. Must be able to work flexible shifts including some evenings and possibly some weekends. Must be available Monday evenings.

Employment Term: March 11th, 2024, to March 31st, 2025 or till July 31st, 2025, with possibility of extension

Number of Candidates: 2

Reports To: POSSE Project Director

Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE Project) - Sponsored by the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Center, is seeking a full time Community Support Worker to support an expansion of our current projects and programs.

Job Overview: You will be reporting to the POSSE Director, to provide harm reduction and human-rights driven care and support to young community members in the Dartmouth, Sackville, and Windsor regions. Must be able to maintain confidentiality, provide a safe, non-judgemental presence for marginalized groups, and uphold harm reduction and human rights values. This position will include facilitating training and education programming, street-level outreach, some crisis support, and more. It may also include some project-based work, based around the interests and skills of the candidate.

Accessibility: While POSSE seeks to be an accessible employer, our current office space is inaccessible to folks with mobility concerns. There is a small set of stairs required to get into our office. The interior space has several narrow pathways. The office also operates as a drop-in location for folks accessing harm reduction supplies, mental health support, housing support, food support, etc., and can, at times, be loud, busy, or distracting. This position will also require flexibility to work in a mobile capacity, out of the public library in Dartmouth, and engage in street-level outreach. POSSE can offer flexibility regarding other accessibility needs, and we encourage candidates to chat with our team about their individual needs.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

- Using a trauma-informed community-based approach, identify the needs, resources available, and gaps in service delivery within our community through engaging with partners, stakeholders, peers, and community members
- Engage in street-level outreach, distribute harm reduction supplies, connect folx to services, and build relationships with community members
- Facilitate weekly education and training programming for young people aged 15-35
- Build relationships with community partners to co-host education sessions
- Participate in committees, trainings, and other project activities as required
- Ability to connect with peers, youth, colleagues via a variety of communication methods (emails, phone, in-person, video call, etc.)
- Provide mental health support to youth and adults from a harm reduction and human rights approach
- Explore options with individuals in crisis, provide accompaniments as needed, and make appropriate referrals to other organizations as needed and with consent from the individual(s) you are supporting
- Recognize youth/clients as experts in their own lives and their own needs
- Administrative duties, including data entry, data collection, and report writing, as needed
- Submit reimbursements and travel claims
- Use of Outlook including calendar, email, OneDrive, and online Microsoft software
- Maintain high level of confidentiality, at all times
- Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently and at home when necessary
- Work within a budget to plan, organize, and host activities
- Assist with project development and delivery as needed
- Maintain a safe, non-judgmental, confidential workspace
- Ability to adapt well to various situations and provide creative interventions and solutions within changing scenarios

The POSSE project engages youth, young adults and community members with lived and living experience, to assist them with developing the skills needed to be peer support workers, and to engage with their peers who may be struggling within their communities. In addition, this position will connect you with stakeholders, community partners, and the broader community. This position requires someone who works collaboratively with others, is motivated, works well independently, and is adaptable to work a variety of tasks. Candidates must be comfortable working with others from diverse backgrounds including marginalized and underserved populations. At POSSE, we hope to facilitate a team environment, and at times this may include supporting team members with tasks, navigating crisis and supporting clients on a rolling basis.

Qualifications:

- Experience in the realm of mental health, substance use, being unhoused, and/or youth engagement (can include a combination of academic, work, and/or lived experience)
- Demonstrate a high level of initiative, interpersonal skills, adaptability, accountability, innovation, and commitment to quality
- Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft office and Outlook
- Strong administrative skills
- A strong understanding of harm reduction policies and practices
- A strong understanding of human rights-based approaches and practices
- A strong capacity to work from an anti-oppressive lens
- A strong ability to work meaningfully with youth and young people
- Be able to maintain a high degree of confidentiality
- Be able to communicate effectively
- Be able to multi-task, work in a busy environment, and meet multiple, competing deadlines
- Be able to work well with diverse and marginalized youth populations including: all youth, 2SLGBTQIA+, First Nations, African Nova Scotians, new immigrants, people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, substance users, sexually exploited youth, people living with mental illness, sex workers, etc.
- Be able to provide a Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Abuse Registry Check (required)
- Be able to work independently and collaboratively with a team
- Be willing and able to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends
- Have a valid driver’s license, be able to provide a drivers abstract, and access to a reliable vehicle (required)

Assets:

- Preference will be given to a qualified youth between the ages of 15-35
- Previously certified in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Mandt, NCI, and/or Healthy Relationships training and other relevant training
- Previous or current experience volunteering or working with POSSE is an asset
- Previous lived experience
- Indigenous identity an asset
- Experience in facilitating events, workshops, and trainings
- Experience navigating complex systems and supporting clients or peers through these processes
- Experience collaborating with a wide range of individuals, including those from diverse backgrounds, diverse fields of work/experience, diverse needs, and diverse communities

Application Deadline: March 22nd, 2024

*Must be available for an interview the week of March 25th, 2024. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to submit your application early.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel working within this job title.

The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre is an equal opportunity employer; and complies with all fair employment practices laws. We are committed to providing a workplace free from unlawful discrimination and harassment and prohibit the same against employees, applicants, or other covered persons by co-workers, supervisors, managers, or third parties based on a person’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, ethnicity, genetic information, military service, political affiliation, marital status and pregnancy or other protected status.

The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) and POSSE Project reserves the right to refuse all applications for employment. The MNFC will not assume any expenses related to this or any job application process included and not limited to travel, relocation, and application development.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $25.00 per hour