CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services
Addiction and Mental Health Worker - Community Homes for Opportunity
Full-TimePosted on 10/22/2026Deadline 11/2/26
CA$27.14 - CA$37.26/hr
Mid
Bachelor's
St Thomas, ON, Canada
In Person
Social & Community ServicesCase Management & Advocacy
About the job
Requirements
A post-secondary degree or diploma is required; primary proof of credentials must be provided during hiring, such as the original degree or diploma or an official transcript.
A valid minimum G-class driver's licence is required.
Transporting clients in a personal vehicle is required, with $2,000,000 liability insurance.
Regular travel within the Thames Valley region and occasional travel within the organization's service region may be required.
A current, satisfactory Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed within the last six months is required; employment offers cannot be made without receipt of the check.
The ability to attend work regularly is required.
Responsibilities
Support implementation of new initiatives and policy and procedure changes within the program.
Liaise with the Coordinator and Manager regarding potential discharges and admissions, assist with intake assessments, and conduct tours to determine whether the program is appropriate for new referrals.
Problem-solve issues and provide feedback to the Coordinator, Manager, and Residential Service Liaisons about program concerns and direction.
Help ensure program consistency and deliver services with integrity, respect, accountability, compassion, and accessibility in a welcoming environment.
Make independent decisions using an individual-served approach.
Serve as the designated Primary Worker for approximately 16 clients.
Keep client records updated with changes in circumstances, housing, assessments, team approaches, goal plans, health conditions, diagnoses, and other relevant information.
Ensure individuals' needs are met and support them to maintain housing and community tenure.
Provide tenancy support, including home or unit selection, lease signing, income verification, orientation to the home and community agency, move-in assistance, education about rights and responsibilities, and housing-specific goal setting.
Coach independent life skills, including paying rent and bills, financial literacy, budgeting, food preparation, nutrition, room maintenance and cleaning, public transportation, laundry facilities, and personal safety.
Provide social support, including communication skills, assertiveness training, interpersonal relationship skills, and coordination of on-site recreational activities and community outings.
Provide community support and advocacy during medical appointments and in accessing financial and legal support, mental health and addiction systems, community resources, and transportation for basic personal needs shopping.
Provide health and wellness support, including coordinating Community Care Plans, relapse prevention and planning, wellness and recovery planning, referrals to specialized health services, and support for physical health concerns.
Provide personal support and education regarding bathing and hygiene, dressing, routine development, meal preparation, and laundry.
Link individuals with community supports through advocacy, referrals, and connections to appropriate clinical services, supports, and formal and informal resources based on their needs.
Provide crisis support through safety planning, crisis plan development, prevention, intervention, and reducing use of emergency medical services, emergency room visits, hospital days, and days incarcerated.
Provide eviction support, including landlord liaison, help obtaining legal assistance, hoarding intervention, education about the Residential Tenancies Act, and navigation and support through Landlord and Tenant Board processes and hearings.
Support home staff, homeowners, and landlords as necessary in conjunction with the individual.
Motivate and support individuals in working toward their needs and goals.
Provide health teaching about mental illness and symptom management.
Assess individuals' strengths, abilities, needs, and preferences; help them complete wellness plans and pursue their goals using all or a combination of OCAN, GAIN-SS, LOCUS, and other clinical assessments to determine the impact of psychiatric symptoms and substance use on functioning.
Assess social and environmental factors, vulnerability, and risk; complete risk assessments and share them with home staff to support safety and relapse prevention.
Include and encourage individuals' natural supports, such as family and friends, and home staff in goal planning and collaborative partnerships, clarifying each person's role in rehabilitation.
Regularly seek feedback from individuals, homeowners, home staff, and relevant community supports about individuals' mental health, and conduct ongoing assessments of progress toward goals.
Maintain open communication with individuals' professional and natural supports and home staff regarding rehabilitation.
Complete transition planning and admission paperwork, and orient clients to services.
Make decisions independently and collaboratively.
Complete a discharge summary when an individual transitions from the program, outlining progress and recommendations for the future.
Complete required individual documentation according to agency standards and schedule weekly documentation time.
Complete other required documentation, including leave management, education requests, travel claims, and expense claims, within required time frames.
Liaise professionally with community workers and agencies regarding the program.
Communicate effectively with the Manager, nurses, Residential Service Liaisons, staff team, home staff or landlord, and external treatment teams about individuals' progress.
Identify, promote resolution of, and manage emergency situations concerning individuals, staff, and property.
Maintain individual confidentiality in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act and the consent-to-release-personal-information process.
Desired Qualifications
A relevant bachelor's degree is preferred.
First Aid and CPR, NVCI, and ASIST certification are preferred.
Experience working with individuals with addictions or problematic substance use is preferred.
Training or experience in trauma-informed care is preferred.
Knowledge of serious mental illness, best practices, psychosocial rehabilitation, psychiatric medications, community resources, electronic documentation methods, and health and safety is preferred.
Residential or community housing experience and familiarity with the Residential Tenancies Act are preferred.
Knowledge of safe food handling procedures is preferred.
Bilingual ability in both official languages of Canada is preferred.
Addiction and Mental Health Worker, Community Homes for Opportunity Direct Service - (OPSEU) Full-Time, Contract (End Date: March 31, 2027)
This posting is the result of a current vacancy St. Thomas, Ontario (Elgin Zone) - Application Deadline: November 2, 2026 -
Our Community Homes for Opportunity (CHO) program lives this ideal by providing mental health and addictions supports to CHO Homes, and encouraging residents to become active members of their community. As a member of the CHO Team, you’ll work with residents as well as independent CHO Home staff to enhance the quality of life for each individual resident and to empower the ability to gain life skills, grow their personal strengths and gain choices for their wellbeing.
Consider revitalizing your career and making a difference in your community by joining our team!
WHAT WE'RE OFFERING:
What you'll be making - Starting rate for this role is $27.14 per hour (Level 1 – Direct Service), with a wage differential, based on regulation ($30.01 per hour for Level 1 – Direct Service, Regulated):
Successful candidates who are registered with one of the designated professional colleges (e.g. OCSWSSW, CNO, COTO, CRPO, CPSO, or CPO) will receive the wage differential for regulation
Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8 ($34.41 per hour for non-regulated, and $37.26 per hour for regulated); for internal applicants, grid level placement will occur as per the Collective Agreement
When you'll work - 70 hours biweekly; Monday to Friday 9am - 4:30pm or the option of a compressed work week; Unpaid 30 minute break
Your pension plan –Immediately eligible for optional enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
What your benefits will be – 9% in lieu of benefits
HOW YOU WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE:
Operations
Support implementation of new initiatives and policy and procedure change within the program.
Liaise with the Coordinator and Manager with respect to potential discharges and admissions, assist with completing intake assessments, and tours to determine whether the program is an appropriate fit for new referrals.
Problem solve issues and provide feedback to Coordinator, Manager, and Residential Service Liaisons around program concerns and direction.
Assist the team to ensure program consistency and that services are delivered with integrity, respect, accountability, compassion, and accessibility in a welcoming environment.
Make decisions independently with respect to an individual-served approach.
Primary Worker
Designated Primary Worker for approximately 16 clients.
Ensure client record is updated with changes in circumstances, housing, assessments, team approaches, goal plans, health conditions, diagnoses, etc.
Ensure individual’s needs are being met and that they are supported to maintain housing and community tenure.
Direct Service
Tenancy support including: home/unit selection and signing of lease agreement, income verification, orientation to home and community agency, move-in assistance, education regarding rights and responsibilities, housing specific goal setting.
Independent life skills coaching including: payment of rent and bills, financial literacy, budgeting, food preparation, nutrition counselling, room maintenance/cleaning, use of public transportation, use of laundry facilities, and personal safety.
Social support including: communication skills, assertiveness training, interpersonal relationship skills and co-ordination of recreational activities on site and community outings to enhance individual’s quality of life and connections with the community.
Community support including direct support and advocacy during medical appointments, financial and legal support, and navigation of the mental health and addiction systems and other relevant community resources. Community support and transportation to shop for basic personal needs.
Health and wellness support including: co-ordination of Community Care Plans (CCPs), relapse prevention and planning, coordination and design of a wellness/recovery planning, referrals to specialized health services, and support with physical health concerns.
Personal support including: education regarding bathing/hygiene, dressing, routine development, meal preparation, and laundry.
Linkages to community supports including: advocacy, referrals and connections with appropriate clinical services, supports, and resources (formal and informal) based on individual’s needs.
Crisis support including: safety planning, crisis plan development, prevention and intervention, and reduction in utilization of EMS, ER visits, days in hospital, and days incarcerated.
Eviction support including: landlord liaison, support obtaining legal assistance, hoarding intervention, education regarding the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) and navigation and support of Landlord Tenant Board processes and hearings.
Support home staff, homeowners/landlords as necessary in conjunction with the individual.
Motivate and support individual to work towards achievement of their needs/goals.
Provide health teaching about mental illness and symptom management.
Clinical Assessment, Support, and Goal Planning
Assess individual’s strengths, abilities, needs and preferences and assist the individual to complete wellness plans and work towards their goals through utilization of all, or a combination of, the following tools: OCAN, GAIN-SS, LOCUS and other clinical assessments to determine the impact of psychiatric symptoms and substance use on functioning.
Assess social and environmental factors, and any vulnerability and risk factors, completing a risk assessment to share with the home staff to support safety and relapse prevention
Include and encourage individual’s natural supports (e.g. family, friends) and home staff in goal planning and collaborative partnership clarifying the roles each plays towards individual’s rehabilitation.
Regularly solicit feedback from the individual, homeowner, home staff and relevant community supports regarding individual’s mental health and conduct ongoing assessments of progress towards their goals.
Communication and Decision Making
Maintain open communication with individual’s professional and natural supports and home staff in regards to individual’s rehabilitation.
Complete transition planning and paperwork required for the admission process and client orientation to services.
Make decisions both independently and collaboratively.
Completion of a discharge summary upon individual’s transition from the program outlining progress made in the program and recommendations for the future.
Complete required individual documentation as per agency standards, schedule time weekly for documentation.
Complete other required documentation (e.g. leave management, education requests, travel claims, expense claims) within the required time frames.
Professionally liaise with community workers and agencies regarding the program.
Ensure effective communication with manager, nurses, residential service liaisons, staff team, home staff or landlord and external treatment teams concerning individual’s progress.
Identify, promote resolution, and management of all emergency situations concerning individuals, staff, and property.
Knowledge of issues pertaining to individual confidentiality, such as PHIPA, and consent to release personal information process to ensure individual’s confidentiality is maintained at all times.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO APPLY:
Police Vulnerable Sector Check Requirements Successful candidates must have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed in the last six months. Interested applicants who are in need of a Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) are encouraged to apply for one as soon as possible as PVSCs are currently taking approximately 2-5 weeks to be processed and offers of employment cannot be made without receipt of a PVSC.
We require the following qualifications:
Post-secondary degree or diploma (primary proof of credentials will be required during the hiring process i.e. original degree/diploma or official transcript)
Valid Driver’s Licence: minimum G class
Transportation of clients in personal vehicle required; two million-dollar ($2 000 000.00) liability insurance required
Occasional travel within the organization’s service region may be required
Certification in First Aid & CPR, NVCI, ASIST preferred
Experience working with individuals with addictions or problematic substance use.
Training and/or experience in trauma-informed care.
Knowledge of serious mental illness as well as best practices, psychosocial rehabilitation, psychiatric medications, community resources, electronic documentation methods, and health and safety.
Residential/community housing experience and familiarity with the Residential Tenancies Act.
Knowledge of safe food handling procedures.
Bilingual in both official languages, preferred; Une préférence sera accordée aux personnes possédant des compétences dans les deux langues officielles du Canada
INTERNAL APPLICANTS: To be considered as an internal applicant, current staff members are reminded to apply using their @cmhatv.ca or @slwar.ca email address.
Get your application in by – November 2, 2026
Our recruitment process allows us to learn about your previous work experience, your qualifications and your commitment to fulfilling our vision. While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, only those individuals being considered for a position will be personally contacted by someone from the interview team.
We welcome and encourage applications from all members of our community including persons of any gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons, and members of visible minorities. If you require accommodations related to a disability at any point during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]