Housing First is an exciting new collaborative programme being managed by the Christchurch Methodist Mission (CMM), Comcare Trust, Emerge Aotearoa and Otautahi Community Housing Trust (OCHT), Christchurch City Mission and Te Whare Roimata. Housing First provides rapid housing and wrap around supports to people experiencing long-term homelessness in Christchurch. The programme works toward the goal to end all homelessness in Christchurch by 2020.
As a Mental Health or Addictions Keyworker, you will respond to self-referrals, community referrals and other referral sources. The position will be based largely in the community, providing outreach as needed for homeless individuals in Christchurch, and will follow them through the steps of engagement and their entry into support services.
You will engage individuals to assist with their immediate mental health and/or addictions issues through a range of intervention options.

Alongside directly working with these complex presentations you will assist Kaewa to uncover and unleash their strengths by working with and walking alongside them as they determine their futures, based on their own choices, and self-determined goals.
You will be part of a team including specialist key workers (mental health, community connections and cultural lead), a housing specialist and peer support workers. Together you will assist people into housing of their choice and provide ongoing support to kaewa as they establish themselves in permanent housing. You will continue to walk alongside kaewa on their recovery journey as they build a sense of wellbeing and strong positive community connections.
You will have extraordinary inter-personal skills, patience and empathy to build trusting relationships with the Housing First participants and their whanau.


WHAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
• Participate in regular outreach activities to connect and engage with disenfranchised population.
• Identify individuals in that population who meet the definition of homeless.
• Coordinate intake and assessment for addiction services as appropriate.
• Identify barriers to service and support, such as lack of services and long wait times, transport problems, or need for emergency assistance (clothing, food, blankets, etc.), design short-term solutions for meeting individual's basic needs.
• Identifying individuals’ most urgent needs and long-term goals.

You will work with a small number of Housing First participants to:
• Create and work towards a strengths-based recovery plan that is grounded in the principles of Housing First and harm reduction
• Assist the individual to act on their desire to address alcohol and drug issues or access mental health services
• Assess for eligibility for social welfare entitlements and assist individual to apply.
• Provide advocacy as required.
• Broker and provide supported referrals to other organisations or services as required.
• Support connection with whanau and culture as required.
• Contribute to community development initiatives with participants and the wider team.
• Share your knowledge with your Housing First team members to build the collective knowledge and wisdom of the team and to contribute to the overall development of the programme.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Maintain relevant, timely and accurate documentation at all times.
• Maintain relationships with your employing organisation as the gateway to addiction support for Housing First participants.

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.