Social Worker

Are you a registered Social Worker looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your community? Do you thrive in a collaborative environment where you can advocate for clients and connect them with essential services? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Who We Are

Since 1973, The Alex has been a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing integrated primary health care, community support services, and housing-focused programs to individuals and families who experience barriers to accessing traditional health, housing, and social service systems. Services are grounded in principles of health equity, low-barrier access, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, harm reduction, and person-centered care.

Pathways to Housing (Pathways or P2H) operates as an evidence based Assertive Community Treatment team, adhering to the ACT Fidelity framework and guided by recovery and recovery-oriented supportive housing principles. Through team-based outreach, onsite programming, and access to subsidized housing, the program provides integrated primary care, psychiatric care, mental health services, and social support to participants who have been chronically unhoused and are living with psychotic illness.

Reporting to the Clinical Team Lead, the Social Worker is a key member of the Pathways to Housing team and is responsible for utilizing a variety of approaches to support program participants to achieve stability and wellness while reintegrating into community. Social Workers with Pathways to Housing offer advocacy, skills teaching, resource referral and are responsive to ACT Team duties.

This is a permanent, full-time position.

What You Will Do 

Program Philosophy

• Offer culturally sensitive services where indicated
• Uphold the principles of ACT Model, Harm Reduction, Housing First and Trauma Informed Care
• Understand the Residential Tenancy Act, Mental Health Act and Community Treatment Orders
• Understand and follow program policies and procedures

Administrative

• Complete monthly evidence-based assessment tools with program participants and required data entry.
• Create, implement and update participant-centred service plan goals, safety planning, housing support plans.
• Complete required documentation with excellence, in accordance with agency policy and procedures, and respective of professional college requirements.

Client Care 

• Provide single-staff, assertive outreach services to individuals with significant mental health and addiction concerns.
• Support program participants who experience acute, severe and persistent mental health and substance use disorders.
• Connect participants to appropriate services in the community and assist in facilitating referrals as needed.
• Willingness to teach and support participants in their suites and community settings with daily living skills.
• Help identify risk factors that could lead to eviction and work alongside program participants to reduce the likelihood of eviction, including supporting with regular unit inspections.
• Accompany and/or provide transportation support to external appointments and assist with activities of daily living as required.
• Advocate for the rights of program participants.
• Aid participants with systems navigation, including justice, financial, and health care system(s)
• Assist participants with obtaining and maintaining income supports.
• Assist program participants with rent payment and rental arrear payment plans as needed.
• Understand and support participants with medication assistance as required.
• Demonstrate strong crisis support and de-escalation skills.
• Remain open to a wide scope of practice with a commitment to innovation and flexibility.
• Provide services to assist participants with needs in housing, housing location, entitlements, employment, education and community integration.

Team  

• Demonstrate exceptional written and oral communication skills, including active listening skills.
• Actively participate in daily team meetings and case planning meetings.
• Demonstrate initiative and an ability to work as an influential member of a team under minimal supervision, supporting colleagues as needed.
• Display a high degree of professionalism as well as collaborate with partner agencies.
• Welcome and provide ongoing feedback to promote a healthy workplace environment, strong team cohesion and exceptional program delivery.
• Commitment to contributing positively to team culture.
• Facilitate group programming for participants and staff relevant to expertise.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What You Bring 

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work.
• Active registration with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).
• Minimum two years of experience in a social service setting.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations with significant mental health and substance use issues.
• Strong knowledge base of local resources for housing, mental health, addiction, community support and finances.
• Understanding of Housing First and Harm Reduction.
• Comfort meeting individually with participants in the community, in a broad variety of settings, with a safety-first mindset.
• Knowledge of evidenced-based interventions (motivational interviewing, de-escalation skills and crisis intervention).
• Exceptional communication, organization, advocacy, teaching, and rapport-building skills
• Commitment to contributing positively to team culture.
• Openness to a wide scope of practice with commitment to innovation and flexibility
• Willingness to support participants with housing needs.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, clean 3-year drivers abstract, and $2 million liability coverage are required.
• Minimum of 21 years of age and three (3) years of driving experience is required to drive an Alex fleet vehicle.
• 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.
• A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is preferred.

Work Environment and Hours

• Predominantly outreach: single staff visits in program participant homes.
• 1.0 FTE (37.5 hrs / week).
• Standard hours are 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday; flexibility in responding to crisis situations is required.
• 24-hour on-call services on a rotating schedule.
• Continuous extended periods of sitting, with some standing and walking (sometimes up or down stairwells).
• Frequent driving as part of work duties.
• Occasional physical action requires the ability to bend/crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel/crawl, and carry objects (up to and over 20Ibs.) throughout shift.
• Frequent time outside in all weather conditions.

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 is 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.

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 Benefit Accelerator Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development

How to Apply

If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Careers at The Alex | The Alex. 

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for a phone screening or interview will be contacted. The Alex is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and will make every reasonable effort to accommodate candidates throughout all stages of hiring. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected].

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. 

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca.

At The Alex, we place a high value on strong, ethical, and professional relationships between clients and primary care providers. Clear boundaries are essential to ensuring safe, respectful, and effective care. To protect clients, medical professionals and staff, employees and contractors of The Alex are not permitted to access internal physicians, nurses, mental health clinicians, or other allied health professional services during their employment.

We recognize that some applicants may have had, or may currently have, meaningful care relationships with The Alex at the time of applying. If you are currently a client and wish to continue in our recruitment process, you are asked to disclose your service provider relationship. Should you be hired, you will be required to transition your care to an external provider within your first 90 days of employment and maintain this external care relationship for the duration of your employment. Reasonable extensions of the 90-day deadline may be considered where absolutely necessary and in the sole discretion of The Alex.

This approach helps us maintain clear boundaries, uphold professional standards, and protect our workers’ rights to privacy and confidentiality.