Social Worker

Are you a registered Social Worker looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your community? Do you thrive in a collaborative environment where you can advocate for clients and connect them with essential services? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Alex is a beacon of hope for Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services. With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.

Job Overview: Reporting to the Team Lead and working collaboratively with the broader team of professionals at The Alex, the Social Worker is responsible for using a variety of approaches to support Alex clients to develop a goal/care plan to help clients address identified needs, achieve goals, improve outcomes, and move forward with their lives as quickly as is reasonable. This is a full-time permanent position.

Key Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with clients, develop a service plan that is strength based, client centered, and trauma informed.
• Arrange, coordinate, and advocate for delivery and access to a range of programs and services designed to meet client needs and goals.
• Monitor client progress towards their personal goals, and improved outcomes and quality of life.
• Connect, accompany and provide clients to appropriate services and resources in the community, at home, or at The Alex, as required.
• Coordinate service providers, ensuring a smooth delivery of service.
• Complete, collect, and assist with data collection and entry as directed.
• Ensure timely communication with all service agencies providing service to our clients.
• Provide crisis support and solution-focused brief counselling and motivational interviewing.
• Maintain client confidentiality and clear boundaries.
• Represent the program and the agency in the community in a professional manner.
• Work collaboratively with all team members to provide excellent service and achieve program outcomes.
• Facilitate and/or support group programs and drop-in services as directed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications And Experience:

• Diploma or Undergraduate degree in Social Work is required.
• Active registration with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) is required.
• Experience working with vulnerable clients.
• Commitment to data collection.
• Strong crisis management and communication skills with the ability to engage clients.
• Strong advocacy skills.
• Ability to confidently and comfortably administer questionnaires that include sensitive questions and maintaining boundaries while doing so.
• Ability to receive direction and collaborate with others to achieve agreed upon goals.
• Ability to work in a changing, sometimes demanding work environment.
• Skills in assessment, support and intervention, consultation, crisis counselling and advocacy.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently as well as with a team.
• Training in any of the following is considered an asset: Applied Suicide Intervention Training, Mental Health First Aid, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Motivational Interviewing.
• A good understanding of Indigenous issues including strong cultural knowledge and ceremonial experience is an asset.
• The ability to collaborate and network within the urban Indigenous community including working effectively with Elders and following traditional protocols.
• Proficiency in an Indigenous language is considered an asset.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, clean 3-year drivers abstract, and $2 million liability coverage are required.
• First Aid (Basic or Intermediate) – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is an asset.

Work Environment And Hours:

• The Alex Youth Health Clinic: 2840-2 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta.
• Standard hours 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday; some flexibility in schedule may be required for evening groups.
• Continuous extended periods of sitting, with some standing and walking (sometimes up or down stairwells).
• Occasional driving as part of work duties.
• Occasional physical action requiring the ability to bend/crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel/crawl, and carry objects (up to 20 lbs.) throughout shift.
• Occasional time outside in all weather conditions.

Driving on behalf of The Alex: This position requires the use of a personal vehicle and driving an Alex fleet vehicle for work-related purposes. Incumbents must show proof of a class 5 driver's license, a personal vehicle, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract. Incumbents must consent to the possibility of an annual driver's abstract review to meet our insurance provider’s requirements. Mileage will be reimbursed in alignment with the CRA guidelines. Driving a fleet vehicle at The Alex also requires that staff are at least 21 years of age with a minimum of three (3) years’ driving experience.

Benefits: Some of the great benefits The Alex has to offer include:

• 3-weeks’ vacation
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
• RRSP and/or Student Loan Repayment Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development

How To Apply: If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Jobs at The Alex | The Alex.

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We will make every effort to accommodate candidate’s schedules and needs in all parts of the hiring process.

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as racialized* or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).

• The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca.