Diversion Case Manager

Diversion Case Manager

Department:
Clinical and Prevention Services

Onsite

Full Time, Contract (12 Months)

Level 8

Requisition Number: SDC-

Covenant House helps youth ignite their potential and reclaim their lives. As Canada’s largest agency serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk, we offer the widest range of services to hundreds of young people every day.

More than a place to stay, we provide life‑changing care with unconditional love and respect. We meet youth’s immediate needs and then we work together to achieve their future goals. We offer 24/7 crisis shelter transitional housing options on‑site and, in the community, health and well‑being support, training and skill development, and ongoing care once youth move into the community.

For over 40 years, Covenant House has been dedicated to its mission of serving youth on the street and to protect and safeguard all youth with absolute respect and unconditional love. Since 1982, Covenant House has supported more than 100,000 young people.

This position is an exciting opportunity to be part of ground‑breaking Shelter Diversion work. The Diversion Case Manager is a creative, out‑of‑the‑box thinker, responsible for delivery and development of Covenant House Toronto’s Shelter Diversion program. The purpose of Shelter Diversion is to assist young people (ages 16-24) identify safe alternatives to staying in a shelter, so that experiences of homelessness are rare, brief and nonrecurring.

The Diversion Case Manager will offer immediate, direct support to youth who are experiencing homelessness, or are at imminent risk of homelessness. Collaborating with young people, the Diversion Case Manager will explore alternatives to staying in shelter. This may involve engaging with young people’s family, friends and natural supports, and mediating with landlords and housing providers to help youth maintain or quickly access safe, stable housing.

The Diversion Case Manager will offer short term, follow‑up Case Management to youth diverted from shelter to support the sustainability of their housing situation.

The role requires that services are delivered from a Client‑Centered, Trauma Informed, Harm Reduction, Anti‑Oppressive, Housing First for Youth, and Strengths/Resiliency based approach.

• Engage with young people who are experiencing homelessness, or at imminent risk of homelessness, with a focus on problem solving their housing situation to identify and secure safe alternatives to a shelter stay
• Engage family members, friends and chosen supports of youth to secure safe alternatives to a shelter stay
• Liaise and mediate with landlords and housing providers to prevent immediate housing loss and/or support housing retention
• Provide short term, follow up Case Management services to youth to support housing stability
• Manage the distribution of emergency funding to young people to prevent housing loss, or secure safe housing options
• For young people who do not have Diversion options provide immediate navigation supports to access shelters, drop‑in programs, and other resources
• Facilitate group based activities, workshops and presentations as required
• Work collaboratively within the Covenant House Toronto team, the youth shelter system and broader community
• Work with stakeholders and partners to develop and promote this specialized youth service
• Contribute to ongoing analysis, evaluation and quality improvement of the program
• Maintain all required documentation including assessments, case notes, and evaluation tools and measures to support research and evaluation of Shelter Diversion

• Minimum BSW or equivalent in education and experience required. MSW preferred
• Registered Social Worker in good standing with OCSWSSW preferred
• 3 years’ experience working with youth at‑risk of and/or experiencing homelessness
• Ability to advocate for, and promote homelessness prevention
• Excellent ability to engage in collaborative problem solving conversations with young people, family members, natural supports, landlords and housing providers, with a demonstrated ability to generate effective solutions that meet youth’s needs
• Previous experience making…