Housing Team Lead

We are excited to have successfully opened a home to provide transitional and emergency housing as well as mental health and support services to 33 LGBTQI2S youth. To further support this monumental accomplishment, we are looking for a Housing Team Lead Reporting to the Housing Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the Friends of Ruby Home's day-to-day operations, ensuring all participants are engaged, and programs are managed effectively. 

Toronto, ON

Friends of Ruby

Friends of Ruby (previously Egale Youth Services) was founded by Egale Canada in 2014 to meet the needs of LGBTQI2S youth in Toronto. To date, we have supported more than 900 youth, and prevented over 470 mental health crises and visits to hospital emergency rooms, saving nearly $300,000 in health care costs. At the Friends of Ruby's drop-in space, LGBTQI2S youth (16-29 years old) find meals, activities, support groups, and community. We offer barrier-free one-on-one counseling, support with gender identity and sexual orientation, and help to access housing, health care, and employment. http://friendsofruby.ca/

keywords: who we are,the opportunity,who you are,what's in it for you,who is ruby?,lead programming and planning,support the youth,supervise and mentor teams,passion and compassion,work experience,a collaborative approach,additional requirements

Experienced

Overview: <p><strong>Who we are</strong></p> <p>Friends of Ruby is a registered charity dedicated to the progressive well-being of LGBTQI2S youth through housing and social services. A trusted source of counselling and tangible solutions such as drop-in programming and support groups, warm meals, therapeutic groups, case management, and housing support. Since 2014, Friends of Ruby's front-line workers have met with and supported over 900 youth, averting almost 500 mental health crises.</p> <p>Friends of Ruby is a welcoming space for LGBTQI2S youth with a heightened awareness, sensitivity, and openness to our Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (POC) community members. We believe that every person is a gem - perfectly unique and precious - and we go above and beyond to ensure that the youth who come to our doors feel embraced, accepted, and empowered with the social and wellness tools they need to thrive.</p> <p>This is a mission that is a genuine part of who we are as individuals and as an organization. If you are a member of the LGBTQI2S, Black, Indigenous or POC community, have a shared experience living with someone from the community, or you are an active ally for equality, diversity, and the needs of our community's youth, please consider joining us.</p> <p><strong>The opportunity</strong></p> <p>We are excited to have successfully opened a home to provide transitional and emergency housing as well as mental health and support services to 33 LGBTQI2S youth. To further support this monumental accomplishment, we are looking for a Housing Team Lead Reporting to the Housing Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the Friends of Ruby Home's day-to-day operations, ensuring all participants are engaged, and programs are managed effectively. You will manage the schedule for and supervise eight Residential Housing Workers and relief workers, volunteers, and students.</p> <p><strong>Who you are</strong></p> <p>You are an energetic, compassionate, and caring individual with a passion for empowering the LGBTQI2S community. You have strong experience with program scheduling and management, office administration and client services skills. An outstanding relationship builder, you can gain the trust of your staff and the youth. You have proven experience in supporting LGBTQI2S youth, preferably in a shelter or urgent housing setting.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What's in it for you</strong></p> <p><em>Impact and fulfillment.</em> This is a life-altering offering for the youth we serve - the chance to be heard, nurtured, and empowered with the skills to overcome hardship, as part of their quest for long-term, stable housing. You will change lives as you work with marginalized individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use, and mental health challenges, providing support through programming, advocacy, and networking from an anti-oppressive, strengths-based, and trauma-informed lens. It's a purposeful next step in your career with a chance to explore other opportunities at Friends of Ruby.</p>
Responsibilities: <p><strong>How you will make a difference as our new Housing Team Lead:</strong></p> <ul> <li><em>Lead programming and planning.</em> You will direct and maintain all participant programs and administrative operations for the residence. You will ensure the program expectations and the program philosophy is maintained through direct day-to-day involvement with participants and staff. You will coordinate with internal and external service providers to collaboratively meet the clinical and practical needs of youth. You will stay up to date with and implement all the City of Toronto and Ministry of Health protocols towards COVID-19 measures and ensure protocols and guidelines are followed at the House.</li> <li><em>Support the youth.</em> You will develop therapeutic working relationships with youth; addressing conflict directly and respectfully. You will assist with moving youths in and out of the Home and support individualized youth-led plans. You will confirm our spaces and programs meet the physical, social, and development needs of all residents; ensuring the protection of each individual's health, safety, comfort, and well-being.</li> <li><em>Supervise and mentor teams.</em> You will engage staff in an anti-oppressive, youth-centered, trauma-responsive, harm reduction, housing-first framework. You will assign tasks and set timelines, including coordinating with caseworkers, assisting with reporting, and managing on-call crisis line scheduling. You will serve as a role model in the maintenance of a culture that ensures support and commitment to the organization's vision, mission, and goals. You will monitor, coach, and maintain performance standards of Residential Housing Workers staff, recommend improvements in youth care and staff performance.</li> </ul>
Requirements: <p><strong>What you bring to the team as our new Housing Team Lead:</strong></p> <ul> <li><em>The passion and compassion.</em> You have an understanding of substance use, mental health, and harm reduction gained through direct experience working with individuals, preferably youth. You have previous experience working with LGBTQI2S.&nbsp;</li> <li><em>The work experience. </em>You have people management, office administration, and program or project coordination expertise. You have direct exposure working in a residential setting, at least two years working with youth experiencing homelessness. You have knowledge of community resources relevant to youth homelessness and how to access those supports. You can plan, manage, and guide the activities of a team of residential workers and volunteers. You are self-directed and thrive as part of a multidisciplinary team in collaboration with other community service professionals.</li> <li><em>The collaborative approach. </em>You know how to gain trust and respect while understanding it's not about you. You have exceptional conflict management, de-escalation, crisis intervention, harm reduction, and advocacy skills. You can work as part of a team or independently, and you have the patience and personality to work closely with youth and staff.&nbsp;</li> <li><em>Additional requirements.</em> You have satisfactory clearance under the Vulnerable Sector Police Check Program. You must be eligible to work in Canada legally. You are open to a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends. You can travel to other community-based settings as needed.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Who is Ruby?</strong></p> <p>Ruby is a golden retriever, but she is not just any dog. She is a beloved friend and an empathetic listener. If she could, Ruby would tell you about the pain and angst the youth who visit her feel; how sometimes all it takes is a comforting paw and unbounded love to brighten their lives. Ruby would tell you that sometimes, it takes so much more than what she feels she can offer - real crisis intervention, mental health support, tokens for transit, and counselling. That's why Ruby has surrounded herself with a team of incredible people to help her friends.&nbsp;</p> <p>Our Front Line and in-office teams are made up of individuals who are truly dedicated to what we do, excited to be part of our restructuring and growth, and eager to see the impact of our work and the services we provide every day.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Are you ready to make an impact with us?</strong></p> <p>We foster an atmosphere of diversity, belonging, and compassion for others. We come together for staff meetings (remote or in-person), collaborate and support the ideas of others, and provide access to advancement opportunities within our existing and new groups and projects.</p> <p>We are committed to ensuring that members of traditionally marginalized groups from a broad range of communities feel empowered to apply for positions within the organization. We recognize that a diverse workforce and volunteer base are critical to accomplishing our mission, and encourage anyone who feels they meet at least 70% of the qualifications listed, to apply. We promise to consider your full potential and application.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Statement on Employment Equity and Diversity</strong></p> <p>Friends of Ruby is dedicated to taking proactive steps to overcome historical patterns of discrimination in our society which have created barriers of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, language, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression for some individuals and have resulted in the denial of their full participation in society</p> <p>Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require an accommodation (including alternate format materials, accessible meeting rooms, or other accommodation), please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.</p> <p><strong>Career Coaching and Job Seeker Resources</strong></p> <p>For candidate support with resume writing, job searching resources, interview tips, and additional support during the process, visit our recruitment partner TalentMinded's coaching portal, to book time with one of their coaches, for free! Visit their portal <a href="https://www.talentminded.ca/we-are-all-in-this-together-coaching">here</a>.</p>