ACT - Recreational Therapist (Mon-Fri Days)

RainCity Housing operates on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver, the q̓íc̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, Stó꞉lō, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Nations in so-called Lower Mainland, and the shíshálh in so-called Sunshine Coast.

About Us – A home for every person
RainCity Housing is an organization that makes a difference in people’s lives. Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. With a goal of providing a home for everyone, RainCity’s programs sustain relationships, strengthen communities, and make change for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, trauma, and substance use issues.

RainCity Housing has been developing emerging and promising practices for over 40 years in social services and healthcare, providing Housing First, harm reduction and supports for community members who access our services. To learn more, check out our innovations page. You can visit our Indeed page and click on the “Follow” button to be notified of new job openings: ca.indeed.com/cmp/Raincity-Housing-and-Support-Society/about. 

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Benefits: 

• 5 days of paid leave for Indigenous Employees for Ceremonial, Cultural, and Spiritual events per year 
• 8 weeks of paid leave for gender affirming care for medical procedures for transgender and gender diverse employees, cumulative total 
• Employee and Family Assistance Program available to ALL employees, including 24-hour helpline, Personal counselling, Life Coaching, Financial Coaching, Legal Referral and Advisory Services, and Health Coaching: https://www.fseap.ca/
• Municipal Pension Plan with guaranteed lifetime monthly pension when you retire: https://mpp.pensionsbc.ca/
  
• Employer-paid benefits for regular Part-time and Full-time employees:

Position Summary
The Recreational Therapist works within the context of a person-centered care model, in accordance with the standards of professional practice and consistent with the mission, vision and values and established policy and protocols of RainCity Housing. They provide therapeutic recreation and leisure interventions to the people who access our services, assessing needs, abilities, and interests. The Recreational Therapist works within a trans-disciplinary team and as part of a broader integrated system to deliver services to people experiencing various levels of substance use and mental illness. They maintain records of recreation intervention plans and evaluate their effectiveness.   

Job Competition #job2024.272
Job: Recreational Therapist, ACT team, Temporary until October 31, 2025, Full-time, 1.0 FTE
Salary Range: 36.59-43.64 (HSP, Grid 8)
Hours:  67.5 bi-weekly  
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 08:30am-04:30pm; At present, includes 30-minute unpaid meal break
Work Site:  101 – 283 East 11th Ave. Vancouver
Start Date: As soon as possible 

*A clear British Columbia Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable adults and/or children is a condition of employment with RainCity Housing. Applicants must be willing and able to receive a clearance under the Criminal Record Review Act.   

Program Summary 
ACT is an evidence-based transdisciplinary mental health team that has a client-staff ratio of 10:1, with 80% of the work occurring in the community. Crisis support is available seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Program staff is closely involved in hospital admissions and discharges. The RainCity ACT team also provides housing opportunities for clients using a ‘housing first’ scattered site approach. Clients are offered immediate access to rent supplements so they have the opportunity to live in the same kinds of permanent independent apartments that are typically available to people without mental illness, and the rent supplements are provided without requiring participation in psychiatric or substance use treatment. Self-determination, choice and harm reduction are at the centre of all considerations with respect to the provision of housing and support services.        

QUALIFICATIONS
Our mission is to advance social equity by building upon the strengths of our community and of each individual. We are looking for employees who will be dedicated to helping fulfill our mission. Many forms of education and experience are valued, including volunteering and lived experience of mental health/substance use/homelessness; Minimum education and experience include:  

• Baccalaureate degree in Therapeutic Recreation or Leisure Studies from an accredited university. Eligible for certification and CTRS credential with National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).   
• Current first aid and CPR  
• Valid B.C. Driver’s License and acceptable drivers abstract.   

COMPETENCIES 
Skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including:  

• Demonstrated anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and ongoing colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples.  
• Knowledge of recreation therapy theory and practice within a person and family-centred model of care.  
• Demonstrated understanding of oppression and marginalization, specifically as related to people with experiences of a mental illness, addiction, or homelessness.  
• Knowledge of the principles of recovery, and recovery models and practice in mental illness and problematic substance use.  
• Knowledge of harm reduction principles and activities  
• Basic knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in care.  
• Ability to independently plan, organize, and prioritize workload and adapting to a changing workload. Ability to work in a trans-disciplinary team.  
• Ability to prepare case summaries and clinical records.  
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in the writing of reports, correspondence, and other documentation.  
• Sound knowledge of crisis intervention and community resources. 
• Demonstrated anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity-seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health conditions, and sex workers.  
   

Please submit both a cover letter and resume to apply, describing your suitability for this position. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability. Please note, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Diversity
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people, and we need a staff group that reflects this diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.

As we work towards building a diverse staff team, we are particularly seeking applicants who identify as being Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, applicants with personal lived expertise, and 2SLGBTQ+ identified people.

Inclusion and creating a safer space
We are committed to making our organization a safer place for our staff, with steps taken to create space for learning and unlearning. RainCity’s department of Indigenous Cultural Services was created with the purpose to acknowledge the unique history and service needs of our Indigenous staff and tenants in respect to accessing culturally relevant and culturally sensitive care and support. RainCity’s Black Affinity Group was formed to provide support for Black staff by creating a safe space to support each other, network, debrief, and to heal from the impact of harm endured. Candidates are welcome to self-identifying in their cover letters as Black, First nations, Métis, or Inuit.

All of our employees are expected to develop and exhibit skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including demonstrating anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and on-going colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples, and commitment to learn and uphold the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Employees are also expected to demonstrate anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health issues and sex workers.

Inclusivity and support for people with differing abilities
In our efforts to provide a barrier-free workplace, we invite you to let us know of any adjustments or accommodations that might be needed for you to participate in the interview or selection process by sending an email to hr.inbox@raincityhousing.org.

If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email dfrecruitingsupport@raincityhousing.org for assistance.

Do you want to improve your chances of joining RainCity? Be sure to include a cover letter letting us know why the work that we do is important to you, and how your experiences make you a good fit for this role.

Do you need additional support with your application? Connect with our partners for assistance:

• ACCESS Futures provides free employment support for Indigenous people and can assist with career advising, resume and cover letter writing, and funding for training: https://www.accessfutures.com/employment-services
  
• PRISM Employment Support Service (ESS) provides free strengths-based, trauma-informed employment support program for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, including coaching sessions, workshops, personal counselling sessions, and financial assistance for transit, occupational training, clothing, and childcare: https://qmunity.ca/employment/
  
• WorkBC provides free employment services to all job seekers, providing with support in resume and cover letter writing, training, and financial support for childcare and transportation costs: https://www.workbc.ca/discover-employment-services/workbc-centres/employment-services
  
• MOSAIC provides free employment support for refugees, immigrants, and racialized women, with services in career readiness training, mentoring, and peer groups: https://mosaicbc.org/our-services/employment-services/

We are a Union

RainCity Housing is a unionized workplace. Along with the union, we support the principles of the Human Rights Code of BC. We promote a workplace that treats both staff and the people accessing services with dignity and respect.