Outreach Worker, HART Hub

Full-Time Contract position, until March 31, 2028 – 35 hours per week

Hourly Range: $27.14 - $32.69 plus benefits and HOOPP Pension

We are a dynamic community-based health centre promoting social justice and health equity in the Regent Park neighbourhood and Downtown East area of Toronto. We operate out of several locations and provide a wide variety of services including: primary health care, chiropody, physiotherapy, health promotion, social work, community health, immigrant and refugee services, harm reduction and homeless programs, Pathways to Education, infant and child development programs, parenting programs, and youth services.

We currently have the following opening on our HART Hub team.

As a member of the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub Team, the Outreach Worker supports individuals in the downtown east community of Toronto who are experiencing homelessness, serious mental health and/or substance use issues. Effective outreach is essential for supporting individuals in crisis, offering connection, and building a foundation for long‑term recovery. The Outreach Worker supports the team by engaging individuals in their immediate environment, typically outdoors, in shelters, or in encampments.

The goal is to build trust, provide immediate support, and connect individuals to necessary services, such as housing, healthcare, addiction treatment, and mental health services.

The Outreach Worker utilizes health promotion, community engagement, social justice, harm reduction, trauma‑informed, and anti‑racist/anti‑oppressive (ARAO) frameworks to promote the mission and values of RPCHC.

• Build rapport with individuals who may be distrustful of services, using a non‑judgmental and empathetic approach.
• Offer support without pressure, allowing individuals to make their own decisions about accepting help, respecting their autonomy.
• Working in teams, engage with individuals experiencing homelessness in public spaces, encampments, shelters, or other places they may be located.
• Evaluate immediate needs such as food, water, hygiene items, clothing, and access to shelter.
• Evaluate risk factors (e.g., self‑harm, overdose, harm to others) and prioritize urgent safety concerns.
• Respond to mental health crises or substance use‑related emergencies by using de‑escalation techniques and providing calm, supportive interventions.
• Distribute naloxone (Narcan) and educate individuals on how to use it in case of an opioid overdose.
• Assist in coordinating emergency response if needed, by calling emergency services for a medical emergency or mental health crisis supports.
• Assist with connecting individuals to health care services, including general medical care, dental services, and mental health support and treatment.
• Work with individuals to refer them to shelter and safe bed options.
• Foster partnerships with local organizations and service providers to help increase access to a wide range of supports, from healthcare to social services to housing resources.
• Work closely with other service providers to ensure a coordinated approach to service delivery.

Degree/diploma in a related field or relevant work/lived experience

• Lived experience within the priority population and/or experience working with racialized people, Indigenous people, people who engage in sex work, prisoners/ex‑prisoners, people with mental health issues, people who have experienced trauma, people who have experienced homelessness or street involvement is considered an asset
• Excellent understanding and commitment to harm reduction practices and principles
• Demonstrated experience with overdose prevention and response, and ability to physically intervene in an overdose situation
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the health issues of a diverse community
• Understanding of impacts of systemic oppression on marginalized individuals and communities
• Demonstrated interpersonal, decision‑making, conflict management, critical thinking, organizational skills and ability to work collaboratively within and across teams
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Must be drug and sex positive.
• Proficiency in the use of computer…