Do you want to have a positive impact on your community? Does helping others and building capacity fulfill you in your career choices? Is growth and professional development on your list of ideal work environments? If these values are important to you the Ministry of Social Services can help and is hiring.
About Us
The Ministry of Social Services invests in positive outcomes for people in areas of income support, child and family services, support for persons with disabilities and affordable housing. We work with citizens as they build better lives for themselves through economic independence, strong families, and strong community organizations.
The Opportunity
The Service Delivery Branch, Income Assistance Programs, is responsible for supporting the most vulnerable people of Saskatchewan to meet their basic needs as they work toward becoming self-sufficient to the best of their abilities. We are looking for 2 citizen-centred, collaborative, and empathetic individuals devoted to supporting citizens in our community to join our team as Income Assistance Workers. In this role, you will work with diverse and multicultural individuals/families in communities and/or an office setting who may face multiple barriers and challenges such as addictions, mental illness, disability, and unemployment. This role provides the opportunity to do work that is deeply meaningful and impactful in the lives of individuals and families in need.
In this role, you will:
- Meet and engage with clients in person, by telephone, virtually, and in writing to determine their needs, barriers, and goals;
- Lead, develop, monitor, and evaluate the client’s progress within their plan and with others involved;
- In a team environment, work collaboratively with colleagues, community stakeholders, and clients to mobilize the client’s personal resources toward self-sufficiency, using appropriate supporting interventions; and
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with service providers, community organizations, and other government ministries and agencies.
The Ideal Candidate
As our successful candidate, you will:
- Be able to work in a fast-paced, crisis-driven, challenging environment with frequent, ongoing change, and multiple priorities, and organize, present, and record information in a clear, concise, accurate, and timely manner which allows others to understand the reasons for a decision/recommendation or the need for further action;
- Immerse yourself into the community in an effort to service our clients in settings where they have already established services;
- Have knowledge of human service programs services, and educational programs offered through government and communities in surrounding areas;
- Have knowledge and demonstrate respect and understanding of multicultural beliefs, values, and perspectives with a particular emphasis on First Nations and Métis;
- Have knowledge of social issues such as diversity, poverty, systemic and socio-economic barriers, and how they impact people;
- Utilize motivational interviewing and supportive interaction techniques with a wide range of individuals who may display a broad range of emotions and behaviours to gather and evaluate relevant information, and the need for services;
- Have the ability to explain basic budget principles to clients and work within computer programs and databases;
- Have the ability to remain calm in conflict or stressful situations and be able to work with clients in a respectful manner; and
- Have the ability to understand, interpret, apply, and adhere to procedures, policy, and legislation.
The knowledge required for this position may be obtained through both education and/or Human Services related work experience. Human Services experience or education would include Social Work, Indigenous Social Work, Sociology, Human Justice, Psychology, or a related area.
The work environment will be varied depending on the needs of the client group and the employer. The environment may include working at your computer for extended periods of time, interacting with clients and partner organizations in-person on-site in the communities, in a government office, virtually or by phone, or through remote work arrangements where required. Demonstrated experience in communicating and working with individuals and/or families in person, in a professional and compassionate manner is critical to the success of the position. You must be able to work efficiently and effectively in a workplace environment where time pressures and caseload demands need to be balanced. This position will require travel within or between communities as needed. A valid Saskatchewan driver's license is required.
What we offer:
- Dynamic, challenging work;
- Opportunity for innovation;
- Growth and professional development;
- Comprehensive benefits package including pension;
- A focus on psychological and physical safety;
- Vacation, earned days off (EDOs) and other types of leave; and
- Inclusive work environments.
