FamilyHome and Supported Independent Living Facilitator Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region (EAFWR)

Do you have a passion for people, relationships, inclusion and belonging? Do you want to work towards a community that welcomes and accepts everyone?

So do we!

Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region (EAFWR) was founded on the values of working with people with disabilities to grow their social relationships and be seen and valued as full contributing citizens in our community. By offering supports and services tailored to your dreams and goals, Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region puts you first.

If this sounds exciting to you, come join our dynamic team to help bring these values to life in our community.

Role:

As a FamilyHome and Supported Independent Living (FH/SIL) Facilitator you are community based as the key front line support provider to people receiving service from the FH and SIL programs. In the SIL program, adults with developmental disabilities are living on their own in the community, and receive direct support from a SIL Facilitator, for things they choose related to daily life. In the FH program, adults with developmental disabilities live with a family to whom they are not related. They have FH Provider(s) who provide the main direct support to the person, however in some cases, they may have further needs in various areas of their lives which can be provided by the FH/SIL Facilitator. Day-to-day duties and responsibilities will be determined by the needs and requests of each person supported with communication and input from them and the FH/SIL Coordinator.

Qualifications:

• Related post-secondary certification and/or comparable experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Self-starter and willing to take initiative and responsibility to encourage each person supported in their personal goals
• Ability to develop positive relationships with people supported, community organizations, and partners
• Must be reliable and dependable, punctual and committed
• Ability to work well independently as well as part of a team
• Demonstrate core competencies outlined for DSP’s
• Experience and understanding of supporting people with FAS, Developmental Disabilities, etc.
• Comfort and experience in working from a trauma informed approach
• Valid G license and access to a reliable vehicle required as occasional out of region travel may be necessary (mileage paid)

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Display Evolving level competency which is defined as “intentional growth of oneself and valuing other’s perspectives. They exhibit the competency consistently in more than one context and promote positive opportunities for change beyond themselves.” Competencies required in this role:

• Building Relationships
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Resilience
• Valuing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The requirements listed are guidelines. Candidates do not have to satisfy every requirement or meet every qualification to be considered. Applicants with lived experiences with mental health, disability, or who identify as BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+ are encouraged to apply, and to seek accommodations as required to support their candidacy.

Hours and Pay:

• From 25-35 hours per week, scheduled, however, flexibility to occasionally flex shifts is preferred
• Hours of work in the afternoon/evening between Tuesday - Saturday
• Starting range: $24.81 - $26.13 per hour
• Enrollment in EAFWR benefits plan after 3 months of employment

Responsibilities and Functions:

Reporting to FH/SIL Manager, with directions from the person being supported, the FH/SIL Facilitator will provide support to each person based on their unique needs in the following ways:

Person-Centered

• Establish and maintain a respectful and person-centered relationship with the people you support
• Plan and implement supports/activities designed to assist the person in achieving goals outlined in the Personal Support Plan and Funding Contract
• Work intensively with new people joining the SIL Program to help assess and secure housing, develop life skills, network building, daily support needs, etc.

Daily Life Support

• Assist with meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, etc.
• Assist with errands and general purchasing
• Help create general daily schedules and plans for cleaning, laundry, organizing, etc.
• Direct Support Person coverage as needed (vacations, illness, etc)
• Assist with transportation as needed dependent on approval by FH/SIL Coordinator

Health

• Assist the person to seek and access local mental and physical health supports
• Attend appointments, monitor and assist with recommendations, support with medication (filling prescriptions), etc.

Housing (SIL only)

• Assist with housing searches, rental applications, landlord tenant matters, securing tenant insurance, and facilitating connections to specialized housing resources

Employment/Volunteering

• Assist in helping access community employment supports. Help with referrals, attend appointments with job support professionals, and assist with tasks related to job searching and preparation, etc.
• Be creative in finding or creating new job opportunities (i.e. job carving) that might not currently exist

Social Relationships & Networking

• Support in networking and helping the person supported make connections with individual people, places and organizations in their community
• Use of tools such as community maps to help find existing relationships, as well as ways to expand these connections

Recreation/Leisure

• Assist with creating a plan to utilize Passport funding for personal interests and community activities
• Do community research to find and enroll in programs, activities and events (i.e. classes, programs, lessons, etc.)

Financial and other Institutions

• Assist with budgeting and payment of bills, support with banking, accessing professional/community income tax support, and liaise with financial institutions as applicable (i.e. banks, Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee, etc.)
• Support in obtaining and renewing government issued documents and identification (i.e. Health Cards, ID Cards, CRA and tax information, etc.)

Emotional Support

• Provide emotional support as needed, assistance with navigating interpersonal relationships, and connect the person to mental health support as required

Crisis Support

• Offer support during times of crisis and ensure a network of community crisis supports are known and accessible to the person outside of EAFWR support hours

Community Connections

• Collaborate and create positive working relationships with local community services to help the person supported access new opportunities and assistance for various personal needs

Administrative Tasks

• Engage in regular, open and honest communication with the person being supported, and the designated EAFWR FH/SIL Coordinator
• Complete reports as requested/required (i.e. Unusual Incident Reports, etc.)
• Participation in the development and implementation of Personal Support Plans
• Regular written summaries and/or case notes outlining steps taken towards a person’s goals along with achievements and challenges faced
• Other duties as assigned

Extend-A-Family is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have the same opportunity of access to employment.