Manager, Support Services

About Homeward Trust

Homeward Trust is a community-based, comprehensive housing organization that provides
leadership and resources towards ending homelessness in Edmonton. We fulfill our mandate by
leading initiatives and programs, engaging community stakeholders and partners, conducting
research, creating awareness and funding housing and support projects.

Since 2008, Homeward Trust has contributed over $16 million towards 11 different capital
projects, which have created a total of 256 new units. We have also contributed over $15
million to 36 different support projects.

About Housing First

In April 2009, we began a Housing First program. This program places chronically homeless
individuals in homes throughout the city and surrounds them with the support necessary to
become self-sufficient and to reintegrate with their community. Since beginning this program,
we have successfully housed more than 500 individuals, and we continue to work with agencies
and landlords throughout Edmonton to continue to successfully house and then transition
individuals.

Position Summary
Reporting to the Director, Housing First, the Manager of Support Services is a key member of
the Housing First team of Homeward Trust and an integral part of the Homeward Trust
organization as a whole.

Responsibilities
The Manager of Support Services is responsible for professionally and competently leading or
participating in the following tasks:

Working with Housing First Teams

• Monitoring client outputs and outcomes as recorded by funded agencies in Efforts to
Outcomes – the client case management data system used by Housing First programs in
Edmonton.

This position description is under review and may be modified from time to time to clarify specific elements and
relationships to other team positions.
 • Completing monthly site visits with each organization funded to undertake Housing
First, and in the process of those site visits identifying strengths and opportunities,
reviewing issues and complaints, following up on funding, and answering questions
regarding program implementation.

• Attending bi-weekly Team Lead meetings with all Housing First teams, providing support
to the Director, Housing First in those meetings, assisting in the preparation of the
agenda, forecasting the agenda and Team Lead needs for the year, and tracking
implementation and follow-up of action items emerging from those meetings.

• Assisting with brokering access to health, mental health, addiction, recreational,

educational, spiritual, social, financial and other systems and supports for Housing First
teams and their clients, as informed by Team Leads and their Housing First teams.

• Providing clarification and, when necessary, instruction to Housing First teams related to
specific elements of the delivery of the intervention, or the specific case plan of a
particular client.

• Identifying opportunities for training and education, and assisting in organizing Lunch
and Learns, training forecast and program curriculum, and identifying professionals to
deliver the training as requested.

Reporting

• Preparing briefings for the Director, Housing First and/or Executive Director, Homeward
Trust on emerging issues, successes, weaknesses and opportunities.

• Preparing reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis (or at other intervals as
requested by the Director, Housing First or Executive Director, Homeward Trust) on the
operations of the Housing First program.

• Preparing materials for the Homeward Trust Board Meetings, as requested by the
Director, Housing First or the Executive Director, Homeward Trust.

• Investigating complaints, as necessary, and working to create resolutions that meet the
needs of all affected parties.

• Tracking acuity scales of clients in the Housing First program from intake to graduation
across all organizations funded to undertake Housing First.

• Developing policies, procedures and program guidelines, as requested, and monitoring

the implementation of those policies, procedures and program guidelines.

This position description is under review and may be modified from time to time to clarify specific elements and
relationships to other team positions.
 • Creating logic models and other suitable instruments for tracking inputs through to
outcomes as it relates to the Housing First program.

Working in a Team Environment

• Coordinating Housing First program initiatives with other Homeward Trust initiatives,
both within the Housing First program and other program areas.

• Providing support or assistance, as requested, to the Manager, Landlord Relations and

other staff within the Housing First program of Homeward Trust.

• Working in an integrated and supportive manner with all other functional and support
areas within Homeward Trust.

• Representing the Director, Housing First and/or Executive Director, Homeward Trust on
committees, meetings, conferences, symposiums, workshops and the like, as requested
and when necessary.

• Participating in and supporting other initiatives within Homeward Trust.

• Accepting other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have a university degree, preferably in the social sciences, medical
sciences or planning, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of vulnerable populations - which
may include such disciplines and fields of study as: social work; sociology; anthropology;
psychology; nursing; social planning; public health; urban geography; planning; general
medicine; psychiatry; counselling; Native Studies; etc. A combination of education and
experience will also be considered.

Knowledge

• In-depth understanding of “A Place to Call Home”, the City of Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan
to End Homelessness, and “A Plan for Alberta”, the Government of Alberta’s 10 Year
Plan to End Homelessness.

• Knowledge of the role of Homeward Trust in funding community agencies who deliver
Housing First, and helping to achieve the goals set out in the 10 year plans.

• Working knowledge of the non-profit sector, especially organizations working on

homelessness and housing in Edmonton.

This position description is under review and may be modified from time to time to clarify specific elements and
relationships to other team positions.
 • Strong understanding of the core concepts and service orientation of Housing First, and
the application of Intensive Case Management and/or Assertive Community Treatment
in the delivery of Housing First.

• Understanding of business processes associated with non-profits and government, as

well as the oversight of funding agreements relative to outcomes achieved.

• Understanding of communities of practice, and the ability to establish, nurture and

support these communities.

Skills

• Ability to work with comprehensive client data systems, analyze outputs and track
outcomes as it relates to program delivery.

• Interpersonal and political acumen.

• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.

• Strong writing skills, and the ability to prepare briefing notes for the Director, Housing
First and Executive Director, Homeward Trust, in a timely, concise, and accurate
manner, distilling complex issues to salient points.

• Must know how to write for a busy audience of senior decision-makers. Must also have
the ability to prepare written reports, emails and develop other communication
materials for a public audience.

• Impeccable interpersonal skills and the ability to engage with stakeholders of diverse
and at times competing interests to work towards achieving a common agenda.

• Maturity and experience managing complex issues that do not always have an easily
identifiable solution.

• Proven ability to teach and coach others – as well as problem solve client and
community issues - in a non-threatening, supportive, reflective and professional
manner.

• Experience working independently in fast-paced environment with competing demands

and often tight timelines.

• Awareness of adult learning strategies.

• In-depth understanding of homelessness and housing, as well as the needs of particular

vulnerable and/or over-represented populations (for example, Aboriginal people; youth;
newcomers; etc.), and issues affecting many homeless and low-income people (mental
health and wellness; substance use and harm reduction; poverty; conflict with the law;
trauma; victimization and exploitation; chronic health conditions; etc.)

This position description is under review and may be modified from time to time to clarify specific elements and
relationships to other team positions.
 • In-depth understanding of the system support linkages necessary for successful delivery
of a Housing First program, including the likes of income supports, housing, health,
mental health and addiction services

Please submit your resume and cover letter by Friday, May 7th at 5pm MST to:
Ron Gregg, Business Services Director
Homeward Trust Edmonton
6th Floor, 10242 105 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3L5
Email: jobs@homewardtrust.ca
Fax: 780.496.2634

Only candidates interviewed will be contacted.

This position description is under review and may be modified from time to time to clarify specific elements and
relationships to other team positions.