Family Outreach Worker

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is! 

The Family Outreach Program, a community-based program operating in neighbourhoods across Waterloo Region, works with families with children aged 17 and under to prevent and reduce the effects of poverty. Family Outreach Workers support parents and guardians to meet their family’s basic needs by brainstorming solutions together, connecting them with resources in the community. As a Family Outreach Worker, you will take on a unique role that includes being a community connector and system navigator. You will walk with and support families experiencing low income with children aged 17 and under, collaboratively working together to set goals, create solutions, ensuring basic needs are met and addressing the social determinants of health. You will serve as the first contact for families facing crisis, providing triage services to identify and support urgent needs followed by ongoing support. Your role will be instrumental in crisis management, trauma-informed work, and advocating for families in need.

This is a contract position, from approximately July 27, 2026 to December 31, 2026. This full-time position offering 37.5 hours per week. Schedule generally Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, with very occasional evening/weekend hours to support the needs of the program. Valid G class driver’s license and access to a reliable, personal vehicle required. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre-employment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide support as needed to families with children aged 17 and under who are experiencing low-income

• Act as the initial point of contact for families facing crises such as housing, domestic violence and addictions

• Support newcomer families with their settlement needs including system navigation and community referrals along with basic needs support

• Work collaboratively with families to identify and address social determinants of health that may impact their well-being and overall health outcomes

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of families’ social and economic conditions, to determine the appropriate supports and services to refer the family to within the community, taking into consideration factors such as socioeconomic status, housing, educations, employment and access to healthcare services

• Connect families to relevant community resources, social services, and support networks to improve their access to essential resources and opportunities 

• Provide advocacy and support for families facing challenges related to social determinants of health, helping them navigate through complex systems and services 

• Engage in culturally sensitive and trauma-informed practices when working with families, respecting their unique backgrounds, values and lived experiences 

• Participate in ongoing professional development and training to enhance knowledge and skills related to social determinants of health and family-centered care approaches  

• Complete data entry, documentation and administrative tasks to support the program  

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

• Strong knowledge of community resources is an asset 

• Strong administrative and database competency and proficiency in using MS Office tools such as Word and Excel 

• Ability to multitask and triage multiple requests while maintaining responsiveness to families 

• Understanding of trauma-informed care principles 

• Thorough understanding of supporting people experiencing low income  

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, including ability to make decisions about how best to serve families  

• Ability to manage time independently, including meetings with families, ongoing communication, teamwork and administration

• Familiarity with financial management and financial literacy  

• Fluency in a second language is considered an asset 

Education/Experience:

• Post-secondary education in a related field of study or equivalent lived or work experience 

• Demonstrated experience in front-line work with children, youth and/or families 

• Experience in supporting newcomers, with a strong understanding of settlement processes 

Critical Skills:

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected  

• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem-solving skills required 

• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members 

• A strong interest in or experience working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, gender identities, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs  

• Committed to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery  

• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude  

• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons who experience physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges 

• Excellent time -management skills including strength in planning and detailed record keeping 

Compensation:

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

• Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year  

• Employee & Family Assistance Program  

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 4

Min: $23.43

Mid: $26.45

Max: $29.48

Working Conditions: 

• Generally daytime, weekday hours  

• Working out of multiple program sites through the week with daily travel expected to meet with families

• Some weekly hours may be worked remotely, based on program needs

• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

• Engage with families facing challenging circumstances, including those dealing with PTSD, domestic violence, substance abuse, and homelessness

This role is being posted to fill a current vacancy.

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options.  Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/family-outreach-worker-waterloo-region-on-TjbAxN

By June 26, 2026 @ 12:00pm (noon).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.