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The Pathways to Housing Program, Edmonton, AB

Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Agency:  Boyle McCauley Community Health Centre, Edmonton Alberta
Program:  Pathways to Housing Edmonton: Assertive Community Treatment Team
Position:  Occupational Therapist – Living Skills Specialist

The Pathways to Housing Program, initiated in November 2009, is a Housing First program of The Boyle McCauley Community Health Centre which for 30+ years has provided medical and health services in Edmonton’s inner city.  The program is part of a provincial strategy to end homelessness in Edmonton and Alberta within 10 years.

The Pathways to Housing Program ends homelessness for chronically homeless people who suffer from complex psychiatric disabilities.  It does this by:

• providing immediate access to permanent independent housing without requiring treatment or sobriety as a precondition for housing (Housing first);
• providing street level community outreach, support and treatment with a philosophy that is founded in the principles of consumer choice and harm reduction;
• providing services which are ‘Best Practices’ evidence informed and contributing to such evidence to find new and effective approaches to recovery and community integration for this marginalized population.

The OT-Living Skills Specialist is a member of the inter-disciplinary Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team providing comprehensive wrap-around integrated treatment, support and rehabilitation/recovery services for the clients of the program.  The clients are clients of the Program team as a whole requiring all team members to be current with the all the clients, their situation and recovery program and goals.  All treatment/recovery plans are developed conjointly as a team, including the client. 

The OT-Living Skills Specialist, in addition to the team case management role, is responsible specifically for conducting functional capacity assessments and for planning and evaluating therapeutic and living skills development programs for individual and/or client groups.  This would include collaborating with allied community agencies and services as required to assist the clients in meeting their recovery goals.  In a lead or conjoint role with other team members, the OT Skills Specialist will participate in developing and delivering program components such as health and wellness education, daily living skills training and skills for integration into community living.

Qualification Requirements

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy.  Eligibility for registration with ACOT.
• Experience in Mental Health community treatment setting preferably in Assertive Community Treatment as well as additional experience in acute psychiatry and crisis intervention/emergency services.  Experience in working in addictions, concurrent disorders and Housing First would be an asset.
• Experience in providing outreach services in a ‘street/inner city/chronic homelessness’ environment or equivalent.
• Successful experience in inter-disciplinary teamwork.
• Experience in community allied service networking
• Knowledge of best practices:
  • in working with people with complex co-occurring serious mental illness-addiction-medical issues;
  • of client centered, strength-based recovery treatments/rehabilitation strategies;
  • of the Housing First/Pathway to Housing models; of Harm Reduction philosophy
• Knowledge and practice in integrating cultural contexts into practice and service delivery.
• Experience in developing and delivering group recovery directed programs
• Communication skills/literacy:  written, oral, computer
• Responsible, organized and efficient
• A continuous learner
• Valid driver’s license and use of personal car

Contact Information:

Bob Haubrich, Program Director  
Pathways to Housing Program , Boyle McCauley Health Centre    
780.497.7146      
bob@pathwaystohousingedm.ca